The Wrocław-based hub of the prestigious European organisation Academia Europaea has been launched at Wrocław University of Science and Technology. The agreement in this matter has been signed by the Rector of Wrocław Tech Prof. Arkadiusz Wójs, Wrocław Mayor Jacek Sutryk, and the presidents of the Academy.

– Wrocław University of Science and Technology is gradually becoming a truly European university. The presence of students and scientists from other countries and a rising number of international research projects at our University are natural phenomena these days - says Prof. Arkadiusz Wójs. – A month ago, we awarded the first Lem Prize to an outstanding young researcher from ETH and we conferred an honorary doctorate to a recent Nobel Prize winner from Ecole Polytechnique. We follow the example of our partner European universities in modernising education and staff development. Locating the Academia Europaea hub at Wrocław Tech is therefore a natural move that reflects the aspirations of our university.

Headquartered in London, the Academia Europaea was established in 1988. Its membership comprises over 4,500 outstanding specialists in the fields of medicine, chemistry, physics, mathematics, economics, the humanities, and social sciences, including over 60 Nobel Prize winners.

Among the members of the Academia Europaea are also scientists from Wrocław University of Science and Technology: Prof. Arkadiusz Wójs (Faculty of Fundamental Problems of Technology), who is also the Scientific Director of Wrocław Knowledge Hub, Prof. Katarzyna Chojnacka and Prof. Tadeusz Luty (both from the Faculty of Chemistry), as well as Prof. Cezary Madryas (Faculty of Civil Engineering).

The Academy is a prestigious European organisation that aims at promoting the highest standards in science, research, and education. It also supports an interdisciplinary approach to learning. The organisation is divided into 23 sections across four groups of disciplines – the humanities, social and related sciences, life sciences and exact sciences. The Academy has local offices (so-called Knowledge Hubs) in Munich, Barcelona, Cardiff, Bergen, Tbilisi, and Budapest.

European spectrum of activities

The Academia Europaea Wrocław Knowledge Hub has been operating in the capital of Lower Silesia since 2011. Until now the municipality of Wrocław was responsible for its activity. Our university took over these responsibilities in December 2021, but all events will continue to be organised in close collaboration with the city council and local scientific institutions.

– Thanks to its location at Wrocław Tech, the hub will receive strong and comprehensive support for its activities. I expect that it will fulfil its mission even more effectively than before, by organising more events, i.e. lectures, workshops, or training programmes, attracting broader audience and addressing a wider range of disciplines – says Prof. Wójs. – Moreover, the hub has an important role to play for the wider academic communities of Wrocław and the rest of Poland, primarily in areas such as scientific excellence, integration, and internationalisation, which fits well with the university’s values and strategy – adds the Rector.

The Wrocław hub has organised many events of a scientific nature over the ten years of its operation. Focused on local initiatives, the Hub invited Academia Europaea members to participate in lectures, summer schools, and conferences organised by Wrocław-based universities. Successful cooperation of Academia and local scientists resulted in a series of specialised seminars and workshops.

As a part of its activities, the Hub also held workshops dedicated to mastering academic writing skills with editors of a world's leading science journal Nature and preparing a successful grant application.

It’s time for Wrocław Tech

The agreement preceding the transfer of the Wrocław Hub to our university was signed by Prof. Arkadiusz Wójs, Prof. Sierd Cloetingh, President of the Academia Europaea, Prof. Marja Makarow, President-elect of the Academy, and Jacek Sutryk, Mayor of Wrocław.

The Wrocław Knowledge Hub will operate within the structure of Wrocław Tech International Relations Office. Initiatives and events planned by the Academia Europaea Wrocław Knowledge Hub for the nearest future, include:

• organisation of scientific and academic conferences and events,
• promotion and development of European international cooperation in the areas of sciences, social sciences, and humanities, 
• development of expert reports and opinions based on the expertise of the members of the Academia Europaea,
• publishing activities, including the publication of materials promoting knowledge and academic standards as well as scientific and academic excellence.

The term of the agreement is until 2026 with an option to be extended.