Over 300 people are participating in the pilot edition of Transform4Europe Week in Katowice organised by the University of Silesia. The programme includes debates, workshops, shows, and meetings, as well as the opportunity to get to know the region and socialise – this is what the participants of this unique event celebrating the T4EU alliance, can expect from 9 to 13 May 2022. The event programme and photo reports are available at www.transform4europe.eu.
The first day is over!
This one-of-a-kind event started at 9 a.m. in the pedestrian area on ul. Bankowa in Katowice, where more than a hundred people from all alliance universities sang the “Ode to Joy”. The guests also listened to a short speech by Prof. Ryszard Koziołek, Rector of the University of Silesia, and danced the polonaise with the Student Song and Dance Ensemble “Katowice” to the music of Wojciech Kilar.
Photo by Małgorzata Dymowska
Then the rectors, scientists and doctoral students representing our European University took part in a debate concerning the challenges for science in Europe in the 21st century. The discussion was followed by less formal meetings where researchers, administrators, and doctoral students could get to know each other better and talk about the opportunities offered by the T4EU alliance.
Photo by Małgorzata Dymowska
A significant point on the Monday schedule was the Executive Board meeting, attended by the rectors and vice-rectors of the allied universities, as well as representatives of the Student Council. During the meeting, a letter of intent for an agreement with two more European universities: Universidade Católica Portuguesa (Portugal) and Univerza na Primorskem / University of Primorska (Slovenia) was also signed. Prof. Mykola Trofymenko, Rector of Mariupol State University, joined the meeting online. That is because this Ukrainian university has been invited to cooperate with the T4EU alliance and will become our associated partner.
On the first day of T4EU Week, classes for students of our European University and pilot meetings of Languages for Lunch were also launched, allowing participants to learn the basics of different languages.
In addition, Roberto Della Marina, the founder and Managing Partner of Venture Factory Srl, gave a lecture entitled “The importance of translational education for contemporary careers paths: a testimony”.
Photo by Małgorzata Dymowska
The inaugural ceremony of Transform4Europe Week – Europe Day was held at 6 p.m. at the Silesian Parliament building in Katowice. The guests were welcomed by Małgorzata Myśliwiec, PhD, DLitt, Associate Professor, the coordinator of the T4EU project on the side of the University of Silesia.
Afterwards, the guests listened to “Ode to Joy” performed by the Choir of the Institute of Music Arts under the direction of Aleksandra Zeman, PhD, DLitt, Associate Professor.
Among the participants were rectors and vice-rectors of the T4EU alliance universities, representatives of the authorities of the universities cooperating with the University of Silesia – the University of Economics in Katowice, the Silesian University of Technology and the Jerzy Kukuczka Academy of Physical Education, representatives of the regional authorities and the consular corps as well as members of the academic community of the universities associated in the alliance. The opening speeches were given by Prof. Ryszard Koziołek, Rector of the University of Silesia and Prof. Manfred J. Schmitt, Rector of Saarland University, the consortium leader. Waldemar Bojarun, Deputy Mayor of Katowice, also took the floor.
The participants of the ceremony watched a short film summarising 18 months of the operation of our European University. Afterwards, representatives of the allied universities and the Student Council signed the Declaration For Europe Day 2022 in honour of Europe Day celebrated on 9 May.
The representatives of the two universities who on that day signed the letter of intent for the cooperation agreement within the Transform4Europe alliance also spoke: Prof. Klavdija Kutnar from Univerza na Primorskem (Slovenia) and Prof. Peter Hanenberg from Universidade Católica Portuguesa (Portugal).
Another item on the schedule was the screening of a short video sent to us by Prof. Mykola Trofymenko, Rector of Mariupol State University. This Ukrainian university will become an associated partner of the Transform4Europe alliance.
On that day, the participants also listened to the piece entitled “Hymn of the Third Millennium”, composed by Mirosław Gałęski, and the rectors and vice-rectors representing the alliance universities received personalised graphics designed by Krzysztof M. Bąek, PhD, DLitt, Associate Professor, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Educational Science of the University of Silesia.
The closing speech was delivered by Prof. Tomasz Pietrzykowski, Vice-Rector for International and Domestic Cooperation of the University of Silesia. The ceremony ended with a concert by the University of Silesia students directed by Agata Hołdyk, PhD, and Bartosz Listwan, PhD, DLitt, Associate Professor.
The event was broadcast on the YouTube channel of the University of Silesia in Katowice.
Photo by Tomasz Kiełkowski
Photo by Tomasz Kiełkowski
Photo by Tomasz Kiełkowski
Photo by Tomasz Kiełkowski