Prof. Maciej Duszczyk, who has served as Chairman of the University of Gdansk Council since 2020, was appointed Secretary of State at the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Administration on December 22, 2023. He has thus completed his work at the Council.

‘I warmly congratulate the Professor on his appointment as Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Interior and Administration. Professor is an internationally respected specialist in migration issues, and I believe he will expertly shape state policy in this area,' said UG Rector prof. dr hab. Piotr Stepnowski. ‘Of course, from the university's point of view, this is somewhat worse news, as an excellent President of the University Council is leaving us.’

Dr hab. Maciej Duszczyk, prof. UW is a researcher at the Centre for Migration Research and the Faculty of Political Science and International Studies at the University of Warsaw. From 2016 to 2020, he served as the UW Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs and International Cooperation. Between 2008 and 2011, he was a member of the team of strategic advisors to Prime Minister Donald Tusk. Between 2012 and 2014, he led the substantive work of the team for the development of Polish migration policy in the Chancellery of the President of the Republic of Poland.

In 2020, he was elected the President of the Council of the University of Gdańsk. He held this position until he was appointed Secretary of State at the Ministry of the Interior and Administration.

‘Presiding of the Council of the University of Gdańsk from 2020 to 2023 came at a very difficult time. On the one hand, it was a period of restoring the normal functioning of the university after the coronavirus pandemic, and on the other, it was a time of very high inflation, which had a significant impact on many planned activities. However, we managed to get through this period successfully,' prof. Maciej Duszczyk summarises his work at the University Council. ‘There was no need to introduce radical measures, although some investments were not without postponement. I would like to emphasise the immense and beneficial involvement of the UG Council and Rectors' Authorities in two projects of strategic importance, namely the SEA-EU Alliance and the Fahrenheit University Union. Both of these projects have very good development prospects. During these three years, the Council has put forward numerous initiatives. I would like to mention, among others, the proposal to create and implement rules for avoiding conflicts of interest, which has become a model for other universities, and the rules for developing the UG strategy. The Council remained open to meetings with the university community. Meetings were held with the authorities of individual faculties, non-faculty units, and student and doctoral student government. Very strongly, as a Council, we supported the unprecedented efforts of the university community to help refugees from Ukraine. Once again, thank you very much for this!’ 

Due to the change in the Council, the Chairman of the UG University Electoral Commission, dr hab. Mariusz Bogusz, prof. UG, ordered a by-election to the UG Council for the period until the end of the term 2021-2024 to fill one seat of a UG Council member coming from outside the University community. Following the by-election, it will be necessary for the UG Senate to elect a new President of the UG Council. The Rector of the University of Gdańsk, Prof. Piotr Stepnowski, has set the deadline for the Senate to approve candidates for the University of Gdańsk Council as January 25, 2024, so the deadline for nominations is January 11, 2024.

‘Professor Maciej Duszczyk, having chaired the Council for the past three years, has shown how the Council can constructively support our activities while at the same time having the strict supervisory and control competencies of this body. On behalf of our community, I would like to thank Professor Maciej Duszczyk wholeheartedly for this time!’ added the Rector, prof. Piotr Stepnowski.

Prof. Maciej Duszczyk also thanked for three years of cooperation: ‘The University of Gdańsk is on a path of rapid development both in the area of science and didactics and in collaboration with the socio-economic environment. It has been an honour to chair the Council and be part of the University of Gdansk community. Despite having to resign from the chairmanship of the Council due to my becoming Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs and Administration, these three years will remain in my memory as a beautiful period in my life. I hope to stay in the kind, positive memory of the members and members of the University of Gdansk community.’