The culmination of four years of intense activity and the beginning of a new collaboration! The University of Gdańsk Library hosted a ceremony to appoint deans for the 2024-2028 term.

‘After four years of intensive work, looking back, I can confidently say that in our role as a community - the academic community of the University of Gdańsk - we have proved ourselves! This was possible thanks to you - because it is not an art to stand at the head of a community, the art is to lead it in such a way that its members walk with us with the feeling that we are walking on the right path, towards the right goal,’ said UG Rector prof. dr hab. Piotr Stepnowski.

During the ceremony, which took place at the UG Library on April 11, 2024, the Rector, on behalf of the entire academic community, thanked the Deans and Vice-Deans for four years of fruitful cooperation. It was during this term that, among other things, our university was successful in the evaluation, significantly advanced in the Perspektywy Foundation ranking and gained the title of academic leader in sustainable development.

Outgoing deanery teams received congratulations and flowers from the Rector and Vice-Rectors of the University of Gdańsk. Guests at the ceremony and viewers of the live online broadcast had the opportunity to watch short videos, produced with the support of the Center for Student and Doctoral Student Activity, in which the deans summed up the passing term, sharing its greatest successes and challenges. They all highlighted the increasing internationalisation of the faculties, the establishment of important national and international collaborations, the academic successes of the staff and the development and modernisation of the educational offer. They evoked the COVID-19 pandemic and the situation surrounding the outbreak of war in Ukraine as the biggest challenges they faced. They repeatedly expressed their gratitude towards their colleagues and emphasised the role of the community, mentioned by the Rector, and the importance of the social aspects of the university, highlighted by the time of pandemic isolation.

‘I wish you - I wish us all - that we derive much joy and satisfaction from being members of our university community. A community that goes far beyond everyday work,’ said the outgoing Dean of the Faculty of Languages dr hab. Urszula Patocka-Sigłowy, prof. UG, addressing the newly nominated deans. On behalf of all those completing their term, the Dean also thanked the Rector and the Vice-Rectors for the past years of inspiring cooperation: - Thanks to the enthusiasm, creativity, and openness of the Vice-Rector Anna Jurkowska-Zeidler, we all believed in the importance of internationalisation. Thanks to the competence, composure and diplomacy of Vice-Rector Arnold Kłonczyński, we have managed to survive all the legislative changes in the field of education and to obtain good, positive evaluations from accreditation commissions. Thanks to the determination of Vice-Rector Wiesław Laskowski, we have achieved such a high academic standing. Thanks to the perseverance, energy, and consistency of Vice-Rector Sylwia Mrozowska, we have established such extensive cooperation with the socio-economic environment. We have also received enormous support from the Chancellor's team! Finally, the person without whom our university ship would not sail the seas and oceans - the Rector, prof. Piotr Stepnowski. Thank you for taking your place on the captain's bridge!

Acknowledgements did not in every case mean the end of cooperation. Of the ten appointees, five held the post in the past term. Appointments for 2024-28 were given to:

• Faculty of Biology - prof. dr hab. Dariusz Szlachetko
• Faculty of Chemistry - dr hab. Beata Grobelna, prof. UG
• Faculty of Economics - dr hab. Wojciech Bizon, prof. UG
• Faculty of Languages - dr hab. Małgorzata Jarmułowicz, prof. UG
• Faculty of History - dr hab. Arkadiusz Janicki, prof. UG
• Faculty of Mathematics - Physics and Informatics - dr hab. Marcin Marciniak, prof. UG
• Faculty of Social Sciences - prof. dr hab. Michał Harciarek
• Faculty of Oceanography and Geography - dr hab. Katarzyna Smolarz, prof. UG
• Faculty of Law and Administration - dr hab. Wojciech Zalewski, prof. UG
• Faculty of Management - dr hab. Angelika Kędzierska-Szczepaniak, prof. UG.

A decision on the appointment of the Dean of the Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology UG and MUG has not yet been taken - this can only be made after the election of the new Rector of the Medical University of Gdańsk, who will be chosen on April 24 this year.

The ceremony was honoured by a performance of the Akade Trio, consisting of Krystyna Dulemba (violin), Patryk Purzycki (viola) and Agata Jankowska (cello). The artists performed a medley of songs by Abba and A. Piazzolla's Libertango.

We wish the new deanery authorities fruitful and rewarding work for the next four years.