The ceremony was attended by representatives of the Polish Sejm and Senate, the Ministry of Economic Development and Technology, as well as the authorities of the city and the Łódzkie Voivodeship. In a concert hall filled to capacity with guests and members of the university senates, dressed in colourful togas, the rector of the largest public university in Łódź - the University of Lodz - delivered an inaugural speech. Prof. Elżbieta Żądzińska welcomed the participants on her own behalf and on behalf of the other universities - co-hosts of the ceremony.
We are proud of the fact that our researchers and graduates are increasingly involved in solving the problems of today's world. Each of the six universities has among its graduates outstanding people who have significantly influenced the fate of the world; it is impossible to mention them all here. One of them is a graduate of Lodz University of Technology, Dr Sławosz Uznański, who has become a member of the European Space Agency's reserve corps and who will fly into space as the second Pole in history, and whom we will have the pleasure to listen to in a moment
- she said in her speech.
Prof. Elżbieta Żądzińska summarised the projects and investments in Łódź science, saying:
We can confidently say that we are influencing the development of global science: between 2017 and 2022, we jointly implemented 1,500 projects worth more than PLN 2 billion. We are also changing Łódź: in the last 5 years, we have allocated over PLN 2.5 billion for renovations and investments in our city. Today, on the eve of the new academic year, we can look to the future with pride. Łódź is a strong and active scientific centre, a centre of modern education, and our universities have a real impact on reality and society.
This was followed by the matriculation of 12 newly admitted students and five doctoral students from the various universities in Łódź. The inaugural lecture entitled 'A new look at our planet: from manned space flights to Earth observation' was given by Dr Sławosz Uznański, who has already begun preparations for the expedition into space, planned for the second half of 2024.
The event was honoured by the Choir of the Academy of Music and an artistic performance by students of the Film School. They performed cult songs from the Polish music scene of the 1980s and 1990s.
This was the first joint inauguration since the public universities created the Lodz Academic Partnership - an organisation that aims to consistently strengthen mutual cooperation for the benefit of the academic community, as well as our city, voivodeship and all current and potential partners at home and abroad.
The Lodz Philharmonic was a partner of the event.
