University of Silesia
Encyclopedia
Silesian Voivodeship
Silesian Voivodeship, or Silesia Province , is a voivodeship, or province, in southern Poland, centering on the historic region known as Upper Silesia...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
.
The University of Silesia should not be confused with a similarly named university in Opava
Opava
Opava is a city in the northern Czech Republic on the river Opava, located to the north-west of Ostrava. The historical capital of Czech Silesia, Opava is now in the Moravian-Silesian Region and has a population of 59,843 as of January 1, 2005....
, Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
(Slezská univerzita v Opavě
Silesian University (Opava)
Silesian University in Opava, is one of the youngest universities in the Czech Republic, established in 1989.Silesian University in Opava should not be confused with a similarly named university in Polish-administered part of Silesia .Silesian University had about 4 000 students in 2006.-External...
).
The University of Silesia conducts education and research. It offers undergraduate and Master's programs, PhD
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
studies, as well as postgraduate
Postgraduate education
Postgraduate education involves learning and studying for degrees or other qualifications for which a first or Bachelor's degree generally is required, and is normally considered to be part of higher education...
, postdoctoral research - habilitation
Habilitation
Habilitation is the highest academic qualification a scholar can achieve by his or her own pursuit in several European and Asian countries. Earned after obtaining a research doctorate, such as a PhD, habilitation requires the candidate to write a professorial thesis based on independent...
, continuous education and training programs.
History
The University of Silesia in Katowice has its origins in the Higher School of Education, which was founded in 1928; at that time it was the only institution of higher education in the part of Silesia belonging to Poland. Later, the school became a branch of the Jagiellonian UniversityJagiellonian University
The Jagiellonian University was established in 1364 by Casimir III the Great in Kazimierz . It is the oldest university in Poland, the second oldest university in Central Europe and one of the oldest universities in the world....
in Kraków
Kraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
. In 1968, the University of Silesia in Katowice was established in its current form as the ninth university in Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
.
Location
Katowice
Katowice is a city in Silesia in southern Poland, on the Kłodnica and Rawa rivers . Katowice is located in the Silesian Highlands, about north of the Silesian Beskids and about southeast of the Sudetes Mountains.It is the central district of the Upper Silesian Metropolis, with a population of 2...
, Sosnowiec
Sosnowiec
Sosnowiec is a city in Zagłębie Dąbrowskie in southern Poland, near Katowice. It is one of the central districts of the Upper Silesian Metropolitan Union - a metropolis with a combined population of over two million people located in the Silesian Highlands, on the Brynica river .It is situated in...
, Cieszyn
Cieszyn
Cieszyn is a border-town and the seat of Cieszyn County, Silesian Voivodeship, southern Poland. It has 36,109 inhabitants . Cieszyn lies on the Olza River, a tributary of the Oder river, opposite Český Těšín....
, Chorzów
Chorzów
Chorzów is a city in Silesia in southern Poland, near Katowice. Chorzów is one of the central districts of the Upper Silesian Metropolitan Union - a metropolis with a population of 2 million...
and Rybnik
Rybnik
Rybnik is a city in southern Poland, in the Silesian Voivodeship. Rybnik is located close to the border with the Czech Republic and just outside the southern border of the largest urban area in Poland, the Upper Silesian Metropolitan Union...
. The majority of faculties are in Katowice; the main campus is in downtown Katowice.
The university is in the center of a highly urbanized and ethnically complex region — the Metropolitan Association of Upper Silesia. Heavy industry exerts a significant influence, and ecological challenges are formidable. The university tries to maintain close links with local industries and Silesian tradition.
Facts and figures
- Number of teachers: 2 052
- Number of students: 32 268
- Number of faculties: 13
- Number of institutes: 23
- Number of departments: 75
- Number of inter-faculty units: 15
International agreements
The university signed Agreements of Cooperation with number of foreign universities, including Free University of BrusselsFree University of Brussels
The Free University of Brussels was a university in Brussels, Belgium. In 1969, it split into the Université Libre de Bruxelles and the Dutch-speaking Vrije Universiteit Brussel....
, Karl-Franzens University of Graz
University of Graz
The University of Graz , a university located in Graz, Austria, is the second-largest and second-oldest university in Austria....
, University of Banja Luka
University of Banja Luka
The University of Banja Luka is a public university located in Banja Luka, Bosnia-Herzegovina...
, Université du Québec à Montréal
Université du Québec à Montréal
The Université du Québec à Montréal is one of four universities in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.-Basic facts:The UQAM is the largest constituent element of the Université du Québec , a public university system with other branches in Gatineau , Rimouski, Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec City, Chicoutimi, and...
, Heilongjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences
Northeast Agricultural University
Northeast Agricultural University was established in 1948 in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, People's Republic of China.-History:It was first called Northeast Agricultural College and in 1994 it was renamed NEAU...
, University of Zagreb
University of Zagreb
The University of Zagreb is the biggest Croatian university and the oldest continuously operating university in the area covering Central Europe south of Vienna and all of Southeastern Europe...
, Ostravá University
University of Ostrava
The University of Ostrava , is in the city of Ostrava, Moravian-Silesian Region, Czech Republic. Founded in 1991, it has 6 Faculties.-Organization:The university is divided into these 6 faculties and 1 institute:...
, Silesian University in Opava
Silesian University (Opava)
Silesian University in Opava, is one of the youngest universities in the Czech Republic, established in 1989.Silesian University in Opava should not be confused with a similarly named university in Polish-administered part of Silesia .Silesian University had about 4 000 students in 2006.-External...
, Masaryk University
Masaryk University
Masaryk University is the second largest university in the Czech Republic, a member of the Compostela Group and the Utrecht Network. Founded in 1919 in Brno as the third Czech university , it now consists of nine faculties and 42,182 students...
, Aarhus University, University of Paris III: Sorbonne Nouvelle
University of Paris III: Sorbonne Nouvelle
The New Sorbonne University is a public university in Paris, France.The Université de la Sorbonne Nouvelle is a founding member of the Paris Universitas, a union of 6 Parisian universities....
, University of Leipzig
University of Leipzig
The University of Leipzig , located in Leipzig in the Free State of Saxony, Germany, is one of the oldest universities in the world and the second-oldest university in Germany...
, University of Dortmund, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
The Aristotle University of Thessaloniki is the largest Greek university, and the largest university in the Balkans. It was named after the philosopher Aristotle, who was born in Stageira, Chalcidice, about 55 km east of Thessaloniki, in Central Macedonia...
, M. V. Lomonosov Moscow State University
Moscow State University
Lomonosov Moscow State University , previously known as Lomonosov University or MSU , is the largest university in Russia. Founded in 1755, it also claims to be one of the oldest university in Russia and to have the tallest educational building in the world. Its current rector is Viktor Sadovnichiy...
, and others.
International teaching units
- The Silesian International Business School was set up in 1991 as a joint enterprise of the Academy of Economics and the University of Silesia, in collaboration with École Supérieure de Commerce in Toulouse (France), University of Strathclyde (UK) and other European academic institutions. The main idea behind its establishment was to provide the most gifted students with an opportunity to carve out a career suitable to their potential capabilities.
- The International School of Political Science was set up 10 years ago, its main objective being education in the field. The institution plays a significant role in the academic cooperation between Poland and France. The system of instruction is modeled on institutes of political science in France. It is the first undertaking of this kind in Central Europe.
Faculties
The University of Silesia has schools of modern languageLanguage
Language may refer either to the specifically human capacity for acquiring and using complex systems of communication, or to a specific instance of such a system of complex communication...
s, natural science
Natural science
The natural sciences are branches of science that seek to elucidate the rules that govern the natural world by using empirical and scientific methods...
, technology
Technology
Technology is the making, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems or methods of organization in order to solve a problem or perform a specific function. It can also refer to the collection of such tools, machinery, and procedures. The word technology comes ;...
and a language teacher training college.
It is divided into the following faculties:
- Faculty of Earth ScienceEarth scienceEarth science is an all-embracing term for the sciences related to the planet Earth. It is arguably a special case in planetary science, the Earth being the only known life-bearing planet. There are both reductionist and holistic approaches to Earth sciences...
- Faculty of ComputerComputer scienceComputer science or computing science is the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and of practical techniques for their implementation and application in computer systems...
and Materials ScienceMaterials scienceMaterials science is an interdisciplinary field applying the properties of matter to various areas of science and engineering. This scientific field investigates the relationship between the structure of materials at atomic or molecular scales and their macroscopic properties. It incorporates... - Faculty of PhilologyPhilologyPhilology is the study of language in written historical sources; it is a combination of literary studies, history and linguistics.Classical philology is the philology of Greek and Classical Latin...
- Faculty of MathematicsMathematicsMathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
PhysicsPhysicsPhysics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
and ChemistryChemistryChemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds.... - Faculty of LawLawLaw is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
and AdministrationManagementManagement in all business and organizational activities is the act of getting people together to accomplish desired goals and objectives using available resources efficiently and effectively... - Faculty of BiologyBiologyBiology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
and Environmental ProtectionEnvironmental protectionEnvironmental protection is a practice of protecting the environment, on individual, organizational or governmental level, for the benefit of the natural environment and humans. Due to the pressures of population and our technology the biophysical environment is being degraded, sometimes permanently... - Faculty of Social SciencesSocial sciencesSocial science is the field of study concerned with society. "Social science" is commonly used as an umbrella term to refer to a plurality of fields outside of the natural sciences usually exclusive of the administrative or managerial sciences...
- Faculty of Pedagogics & PsychologyPsychologyPsychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
- Krzysztof Kieślowski Faculty of Radio and Television, also named Katowice Film SchoolKatowice Film SchoolThe Katowice Film School is publicly funded film school in Katowice, Silesia Province, Poland. WRiTV belongs to University of Silesia as Krzysztof Kieślowski Faculty of Radio and Television .-History:The Krzysztof Kieślowski Faculty of Radio and Television was set up in 1978...
or Krzysztof Kieślowski Film School in Katowice - Faculty of TheologyTheologyTheology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
- Faculty of ArtArtArt is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....
- Faculty of EthnologyEthnologyEthnology is the branch of anthropology that compares and analyzes the origins, distribution, technology, religion, language, and social structure of the ethnic, racial, and/or national divisions of humanity.-Scientific discipline:Compared to ethnography, the study of single groups through direct...
and Sciences of EducationEducational researchEducational research refers to a variety of methods, in which individuals evaluate different aspects of education including but not limited to: “student learning, teaching methods, teacher training, and classroom dynamics”....
Rectors
- prof. dr hab. Kazimierz Popiołek (1968-07-02 – 1972-09-30)
- prof. dr hab. Henryk Rechowicz (1972-10-01 – 1980-07-05)
- prof. dr hab. Sędzimir Klimaszewski (1980-12-05 – 1980-12-15, 1980-12-16 – 1981-09-30, 1982-06-01 – 1984-09-30, 1984-10-01 – 1987-09-30, 1987-10-01 – 1990-11-30)
- prof. dr hab. August Chełkowski (1981-10-01 – 1982-01-16)
- prof. dr hab. Maksymilian Pazdan (1990-12-01 – 1993-08-31, 1993-09-01 – 1996-08-31)
- prof. dr hab. Tadeusz Sławek (1996-09-01 – 1999-08-31, 1999-09-01 – 2002-08-31)
- prof. dr hab. Janusz Janeczek(2002-09-01 – 2005-08-31, 2005-09-01 – 2008-08-31)
- prof. dr hab. Wiesław Banyś (current rector)
Notable professors
- Krzysztof KieślowskiKrzysztof KieslowskiKrzysztof Kieślowski was an Academy Award nominated influential Polish film director and screenwriter, known internationally for The Double Life of Veronique and his film cycles The Decalogue and Three Colors.-Early life:...
- Krzysztof ZanussiKrzysztof ZanussiKrzysztof Zanussi, is a Polish producer and film director.He is a professor of European film at the European Graduate School in Saas-Fee, Switzerland where he conducts a summer workshop...
- Jerzy StuhrJerzy StuhrJerzy Stuhr is one of the most popular, influential and versatile Polish actors. He also works as a screenwriter, film director and drama professor...
- Andrzej FidykAndrzej FidykAndrzej Fidyk is a Polish documentary filmmaker and producer. His best-known work is his 1989 documentary Defilada , which depicts the mass parades choreographed to celebrate the fortieth anniversary of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in 1988.Initially Fidyk planned to be an economist...
- Marcin KoszałkaMarcin KoszałkaMarcin Koszałka is a Polish cinematographer and documentary films director.He received two awards for best cinematography on Polish Film Festival for movies Pręgi and Rewers .-References:...
- Marcin Wrona
- Bogdan Dziworski
- Filip Bajon
Notable students
- Renata PrzemykRenata PrzemykRenata Przemyk is Polish singer and song writer. In Bielsko-Biała she attended primary and secondary school. She enjoyed her childhood together with her parents, grandmother and brothers...
, singer - Krystyna BochenekKrystyna BochenekKrystyna Maria Bochenek, née Neuman was a Polish politician, Vice-Marshal of the Senate of the Republic of Poland representing Civic Platform...
, politician - Michał Rosa, movie director
- Bartosz Konopka, movie director, Academy Award nomination