The nine-strong WUST University Council has inaugurated the 2021-2024 term of office. Grzegorz Dzik, President of Impel S.A., has been elected chairman. The new members on the Council are Prof. Katarzyna Chojnacka, Magdalena Dziewguć, Zbigniew Jagiełło, and Taras Lukaniuk.

In the new term, the University Council of Wrocław University of Science and Technology includes eight people appointed by the Senate and – by law – one person representing the student community.

New-old President

On Wednesday, January 26, during the inaugural meeting, nomination acts were handed over to the council members by the Rector of the university, Prof. Arkadiusz Wójs. During the meeting, Grzegorz Dzik, President of Impel S.A., who had also held this position in the previous term, was nominated chairman and one day later elected by the university’s Senate.

– I accept this re-appointment with humility, and I consider it an honour and service for the University – said Grzegorz Dzik, also pointing out that the scale of the global changes taking place at the moment can be either an opportunity or an enormous threat.

– There will be a reshuffle on the market of enterprises as well as universities – explains Grzegorz Dzik. – What path WUST will take depends on us, the entire university community. On the one hand, the authorities and the council, and on the other, the involvement of the academic and administrative staff, the students, and grassroots initiatives for shaping the university – these are the factors to determine the change.

What can we do for WUST?

The council comprises three representatives of the academic community of Wrocław University of Science and Technology. One of the group members is again Prof. Wojciech Glabisz from the Faculty of Civil Engineering. – I would like Wrocław University of Science and Technology to be a friendly place to work at and a modern scientific and research university boasting pan-European importance, one educating young people according to the highest world standards – said Prof. Wojciech Glabisz.

 While accepting his nomination to the Council, University Professor Zbigniew Sroka, PhD, DSc, Eng. (Faculty of Mechanical Engineering), stressed that Wrocław University of Science and Technology will require cooperation as opposed to competition in the coming years.

– Let us be proactive and put forward proposals concerning both research and education. Let us not look to others – explained prof. Zbigniew Sroka. And he added that despite different opinions, WUST history means continuous development. – If an action has had a positive effect, then further work is obvious, but we don’t always realise that if we evaluate a process negatively, we learn – thus also contributing to development – explained the academic from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering.  Prof. Katarzyna Chojnacka from the Faculty of Chemistry is a new person new in the group. According to her vision, Wrocław University of Science and Technology should be a place friendly to employees and students, an institution that doesn’t overwhelm one with bureaucracy, but also one that inspires people to learn and one whose graduates will be prepared to develop process- and product-related innovations in companies.

– I’d like to support the university in changing its image: from a place where stagnation prevails over innovation to a pro-active institution that solves the problems of its environment – explains Prof. Katarzyna Chojnacka. – As one of the regular professors working at WUST, I declare that I will watch the hands-on aspects of the university reform, observe how the changes introduced prove effective in practice, and provide constructive suggestions for possible improvements.

Strong business support

By the decision of the Senate, as many as five representatives of the world of business have been included in the University Council for the term 2021-2024. They all cooperate with the university. One of them is Taras Lukaniuk, Director of Nokia’s Technology Centre in Wrocław and a graduate of the Faculty of Computer Science and Management.

According to him, WUST is about, on the one hand, a great tradition and, on the other hand, a space where training is conducted in line with the most modern global trends. – I’d like to support the university by helping to combine the academic world with the experience from the business world – stresses Taras Lukaniuk.

The second newcomer to WUST’s University Council is Magdalena Dziewguć, member of the Supervisory Board of BNP Paribas Bank Polska and Country Manager at Google Cloud Poland,  who believes that the coming time is the moment to develop the culture of Wrocław University of Science and Technology community. – I’d like to support the university's journey towards innovation, bold experimentation, and diversity. I want WUST to be the go-to place when planning education for talented girls and working mothers – explains Magdalena Dziewguć.

Also elected to the Council for the first time was Zbigniew Jagiełło, since 2009 President of the Management Board of PKO Bank Polski SA and a graduate of the Faculty of Computer Science and Management. For Witold Ziomek, President of the Management Board of MPWiK (the municipal water management company) in Wrocław, it’s the second term, during which he would like to continue supporting the university with his extensive and varied professional experience.

– I’d like the perception and standard of our university to become strengthened but would also like WUST to make an even bigger leap – explains Witold Ziomek. – As far as teaching goes, the university should educate engineers geared for the future, at the same time bearing in mind that some of them will become leaders of Poland’s economic or social life, create prosperity for future generations of Poles – he adds.

The ninth member of the University Council is Łukasz Pocheć, president of WUST Students’ Students’ Self-Governing Union. - As a representative of students, I want, above all, to cater to the interests of what is our community’s largest group – said Łukasz Pocheć. – I know this won’t be an easy task, but it’s bringing back the joy of studying that I will want to pursue.