On 28 September 2020 we officially opened the new academic year 2020/2021. The ceremony was particularly important for the entire university community, because it was held online. No other part of the academic ceremony was missing – the students took the oath, and CC Rector Prof. Stanisław Mocek gave a speech as well as announcing the beginning of the academic year. The inaugural lecture was given by Grzegorz Ekiert from Harvard University, who is also a member of Concilium Civitas.

The inauguration was attended by such distinguished guests as the ambassadors from the embassies cooperating with Collegium Civitas, rectors and pro-rectors of various universities, the representatives of Warsaw’s municipal authorities, and the representatives of scientific and educational institutions.

The rector received numerous letters and congratulations with wishes for further successes and development. A letter from the Marshal of the Mazovian Voivodeship, Adam Struzik, was read from the stage. The Mayor of the Capital City of Warsaw Rafał Trzaskowski—a lecturer at our university for many years—also took the floor and wished our first year students success in their future education at Collegium Civitas.

The Rector of the University, Prof. Stanisław Mocek summed up the past academic year, especially the summer semester where educational activities were held completely online. He also emphasized that all classes in winter semester will be held entirely online as well. Furthermore, he spoke about the achievements and successes of Collegium Civitas, plans for the future, and the challenges arising from changes in the modern world.

Collegium Civitas – socially responsible university

“The pandemic has dominated our lives and thinking, and has pushed other issues aside for a while, but we must not forget that life in all its social, economic and political manifestations goes on, and we face a number of other, no less important challenges. Our mission statement stipulates that we are a multigenerational and international university, and that we endeavour to provide the highest level of education to future leaders of social, political, and economic life in Poland and abroad. These leaders are an entrepreneurial and creative generation, open to the multicultural heritage and challenges of today, while at the same time perceiving the world in pro-social and common-wealth terms.”

Prof. Stanisław Mocek underlined the unique mission and vision of our university:

“Gender equality is one of the important issues in this context which is currently being widely discussed both in the media and in academia. At Collegium Civitas, we have always treated every person, regardless of gender, nationality, or religion, equally and with respect. What is more, I can say with satisfaction that even without detailed regulations in this area, we are a university where gender equality has been in force since the beginning of our existence. And whether someone is a woman or a man has never been a criterion in any recruitment or job competition. The first rector of the university, and now the president, is Professor Jadwiga Koralewicz. There are 7 women out of 10 people in the rector’s team and 9 women and 5 men among those who manage departments and research institutes.

The world is changing and, before our very eyes, the current model of functioning of societies is beginning to restructure itself, touching on seemingly permanent and unchanging components of the system, such as the free market economy, exploitation of natural resources, or climate issues. In this situation, the voice of the academic community, scientists, and experts plays a significant role. This is why we consistently support actions aimed at bringing about change in thinking and, consequently, in working towards sustainable development,” he added.

CC Rector’s awards for the 2019/2020 academic year

The year 2020 has seen various considerable challenges. Thus, students, lecturers and employees have been forced to make a huge effort in their everyday work. What counts the most is solidarity and an innovative approach to the implementation of the education process, as well as administrative and research work. For that reason, during the part of the speech summarizing the previous year, numerous Rector’s Awards were granted, as a token of appreciation and gratitude for hard work in the past academic year.

Scientific awards for 2019 and the 2019/2020 academic year were given to the following:

• Dr Krzysztof Kasianiuk for intensive research work, and forming a research team (HIVE research centre – Systems Collective Design Lab), and activity in popularising research
• Dr Agnieszka Nitza-Makowska, for great scientific progress, scientific achievements and exceptional activities in projects and publications
• Dr Agnieszka Bukowska, for her activities that have benefited Collegium Civitas by establishing, and popularising the Center for Research on Social and Economic Risks
• Members of the team from the Institute of Sociology, who, at the difficult time of the pandemic, conducted a study on over 11.5 million social media posts and prepared a report entitled “Czas pandemii w polskich mediach społecznościowych” (Pandemic times in Polish social media), which has been mentioned and quoted in the press. The team was composed of Dr Marek Troszyński (coordinator), Dr Jacek Bieliński, Dr Xymena Bukowska, Dr Katarzyna Iwińska, Dr Barbara Markowska, Dr Monika Nowicka, and Dr Marta Sałkowska.

Academic awards for 2019/2020 were given to the following:

• Dr Agata Szyran-Resiak for innovation in teaching in the 2019/2020 academic year
• Kamil Wyszkowski for outstanding educational achievements in the 2019/2020 academic year. This award is based on the results of student evaluation surveys
• Dr Kamil Zubelewicz for outstanding educational achievements in the 2019/2020 academic year. This award is granted by representatives of the Collegium Civitas departments
• Dr Xymena Bukowska for effective management of the sociology specialisation in the 2019/2020 academic year

Distinctions for outstanding educational achievements in the 2019/2020 academic year were given to the following:

• Andrzej Friszke—a distinction granted by representatives of Collegium Civitas departments
• Dr Barbara Markowska—a distinction granted by representatives of Collegium Civitas departments
• Marcin Olkowicz—a distinction granted based on the results of student evaluation surveys
• Dorota Jużak—a distinction granted based on the results of student evaluation surveys

Distinctions for innovation in education in the 2019/2020 academic year were given to:

• Małgorzata Baran
• Aneta Siejka

Awards for effective management of specializations in the 2019/2020 academic year were given to:

• Małgorzata Baran for effective management in the following specializations: Business Management, Internet Marketing and E-commerce, and, Human Capital Management
• Grażyna Skarżyńska for effective management in the following specializations: Integrated Communication – Advertising, Public Relations and Branding at the Sociology and International Relations departments

Congratulations to all the winners!

WNUK for the 20th anniversary of the Department of Journalism and New Media

For the second time in the university’s history, we awarded a unique and special award, which the students refer to as “WNUK”. The Professor Edmund Wnuk-Lipiński Award, named after the co-founder and long-time rector of the university, is awarded to those who have particularly distinguished themselves in their work for Collegium Civitas. The award for the 20th anniversary of the Department of Journalism and New Media at Collegium Civitas (which is represented by the editor Jacek Żakowski – the founder and head of the department, Prof. Michał Komar and the editor Barbara Hrybacz) went to the editor, Jacek Żakowski. Congratulations!

CIVITAS awards – awards for active and talented students

Our students were also recognized for their scientific and sporting achievements and extracurricular activity. They received CIVITAS awards which are granted for outstanding achievements.

In the sports achievements category – CIVITAS awards for great results and representing the University in sports competitions went to:

• Marta Okine – 1st place winner at the Polish University Championships in fencing
• Katarzyna Wąsek – 1st place winner in the AZS Winter Cup in the parallel ski slalom
• Dominika Wasilczuk – 2nd place winner at the Polish University Championships in fencing
• Aleksandra Jeglińska – 3rd place winner at the Polish University Championships in fencing

In the scientific achievements category: Katarzyna Barabasz for her publication in Nature Communications.

CIVITAS awards in the student organisations category were given to:

• Mo Du Thi for the work aimed at developing the Collegium Civitas Student Union and support for the foreign student community
• Karolina Kurek for activities aimed at developing the “Rozgłos“ Marketing Club
• Alina Palamarchuk for establishing and developing a new student organization, “Collegium Procuratio”, during the pandemic

In the special award category, in recognition of their overall activities for the university’s development, as well as that of the student and academic community, the CIVITAS awards were given to:

• Sofiya Chepil for all activities for the university, including: organizing trips as part of the “Hikers” club, co-creating and developing the Buddy programme, assistance in the organization of Adaptation Days, representing Collegium Civitas in competitions and conferences, participating in Concilium Civitas, organising holiday meetings for students, help and support in the University’s daily activities, and her work as an ambassador of the Career Centre
• Michał Tomasik for active participation in organizing and moderating panel discussions for the Young Concilium Grand Final
• Hashuta for co-creating and developing the Buddy programme at Collegium Civitas, for reactivating the Student Erasmus Society, for her commitment to the Collegium Civitas Adaptation Days and for supporting the work of the Career Centre
• Elisa Babkina for creating and running a student organisation working towards peace in the world, organising the Peace Day at Collegium Civitas in co-operation with the “Nigdy więcej” [Never Again] association, conducting numerous interviews with students and lecturers
• Wojciech Frenszkowski for active participation in organizing and moderating panel discussions for the Young Concilium Grand Final
• Mateusz Smyrski for winning the Young Concilium competition.

For commitment to helping students, the CIVITAS award was given to the Scholarship Committee comprising the following: Kateryna Hashuta, Tomasz Orłowski, Mykyta Stefko, Karolina Kurek-Suwała, Wojciech Frenszkowski, Katarzyna Krakowska, Karol Walesiak.

We congratulate the winners and encourage them to continue their activities for Collegium Civitas.

The inauguration was also a good moment to distinguish graduates who had received an excellent grade during the defence of their Master’s thesis. The distinguished graduates were:

• Paulina Drela, a graduate of Journalism and New Media, author of the thesis “The Role of Television in Education. The Use of Turkish Television Series in the Process of Turkish Language Learning”, written under the supervision of Dr Marcin Gajek
• Yaroslava Kotvytska, graduate of international relations, author of the thesis “Confrontation between Iran and Israel: the Cold War of the 21st Century?”, written under the supervision of Dr Kerry Longhurst
• Mia Rizkiana, graduate of international relations, author of the thesis “People’s Republic of China and Soft Power Beyond Its Borders: Where Will It Lead?”, written under the supervision of Dr Kerry Longhurst
• Jemilly Salazar Gil, graduate of sociology, author of the thesis “Wellness Social Media Influencer as a Role Model: Australian Personal Trainer Kayla Itsines – a Case Study”, written under the supervision of Dr Bartłomiej Walczak
• Grzegorz Kmieciński, graduate of international relations, author of the thesis “Sino-African Relations within the Context of the Chinese Vision of International Relations”, written under the supervision of Dr Sławomir Klimkiewicz
• Mateusz Łach, graduate of international relations, author of the thesis “The Influence of the Chinese Diaspora on the International Status and Economic Position of the People’s Republic of China”, written under the supervision of Dr Piotr Łaciński
• Miquel Ribas Llado, graduate of international relations, author of the thesis “Relations between the Federation and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and their Impact on Regional Security”, written under the supervision of Dr Sławomir Klimkiewicz
• Sylwia Płukis, graduate of sociology, author of the thesis “The Impact of Parental Coaching on a Family’s Functioning, Based on a Case Study”, written under the supervision of Prof. Hanna Palska.

Congratulations to all these graduates, whom we wish further success in science.

“I hereby announce that the new academic year at Collegium Civitas has begun!”

First-year students swore that they would “conscientiously and persistently acquire knowledge disseminated by the faculty”. Maria Jakubik gave a speech on behalf of the Student Union.

After Prof. Stanisław Mocek’s official opening of the new academic year 2020/2021, the inaugural lecture entitled: “Alternative world? A Few Words on the Return of History and the Future of Democracy” was delivered online by Prof. Grzegorz Ekiert from Harvard University and the Concilium Civitas Founder’s Group. In his speech he discussed in detail the return of historical phenomena, as well as threats to and opportunities arising from it.