Ceremonial Opening of the Convention
The three-day Convention was opened on May 15 at the Faculty of Electrical, Electronic, Computer and Control Engineering (EEIA). Representatives from 39 faculties of 25 technical universities and universities from across Poland participated. The guests were welcomed by the Rector of Lodz University of Technology, Prof. Krzysztof Jóźwik. The event took place at a special moment - the 80th jubilee year of both Lodz University of Technology and the EEIA Faculty.
The Dean of the Faculty of Electrical, Electronic, Computer and Control Engineering, Assoc. Prof. Jacek Kucharski, warmly welcomed his predecessors, emphasizing their role in the development of the faculty and his own professional growth. These were: Prof. Maciej Pawlik (1987–1990), Prof. Andrzej Materka (2002–2008), Prof. Sławomir Wiak (2008–2012), and Prof. Sławomir Hausman (2012–2020).
Symbolic Passing of the Trophy
Traditionally, the Convention began with the passing of the trophy to the organizers of the next edition. Assoc. Prof Paweł Węgierek, Professor of Lublin University of Technology, Dean of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, handed the trophy to Prof. Jacek Kucharski. They were accompanied during this ceremonial moment by Prof. Krzysztof Kluszczyński - the initiator of these annual meetings - and the Rector of Lodz University of Technology, Prof. Krzysztof Jóźwik.
The Strength of the Faculty of Electrical, Electronic, Computer and Control Engineering
The Convention was also an opportunity to get to know the EEIA Faculty better - one of the pillars of Lodz University of Technology, with a history dating back to 1945. Today, it is a modern scientific and educational center with full academic rights in two disciplines: technical computer science and telecommunications, as well as automation, electronics, electrical engineering, and space technologies.
The faculty employs 210 academic teachers (including 27 professors and 34 post doctoral fellows), and its structure comprises 6 institutes and 3 departments. It educates over 2,100 students in full-time and part-time programs in both Polish and English.
Students are actively involved in scientific clubs, creating, among other things, Mars rovers, autonomous vehicles, multimodal interfaces, biometric systems, and applications using artificial intelligence.
To date, the faculty has awarded nearly 11,900 bachelor's degrees in engineering, 14,250 master's degrees in engineering, 667 doctoral degrees, and 132 habilitations in technical sciences.
Convention guests had the opportunity to visit modern laboratories and learn about ongoing research.
Time for Discussion…
The following days of the Convention will be devoted to substantive discussions - on the quality of education, the evaluation of scientific disciplines, the activities of the Council of Scientific Excellence, and the challenges facing the academic community.
The first discussion was led by Assoc. Prof. Ewa Raj, from Lodz University of Technology, with panelists Prof. Janusz Uriasz, Chairman of the Polish Accreditation Committee (PKA), and Prof. Bohdan Macukow, representative of the Accreditation Committee for Technical Universities (KAUT). The discussion was dominated by the topic of comprehensive PKA accreditation, which is likely to be introduced next year and, at the university's request, will cover the entirety of its operations.
Meanwhile, Prof. Andrzej Bartoszewicz, member of the Council of Scientific Excellence (RDN), spoke about the Council’s tasks and composition, outlined the legal requirements related to academic promotions, and highlighted what the Council pays particular attention to in its activities.
In the panel devoted to the Evaluation of Scientific Disciplines, participants included Katarzyna Świerk, PhD from the University of Gdańsk, as well as Prof. Rafał Stanisławski and Assoc. Prof Kamil Jonak, representatives of the Scientific Evaluation Committee. The panel was moderated by Assoc. Prof. Łukasz Szymański, from Lodz University of Technology. The discussion addressed current evaluation rules, pointed out the system’s flaws, and considered possible improvements.
…and Integration
There will also be time to discover Lodz - its cinematic heritage and unique atmosphere - which fostered the strengthening of relationships and integration within the academic community.