Last Friday, February 7, 2025, the Tadeusz Ocioszyński Aula at the Faculty of Economics of the University of Gdańsk turned into an extraordinary place - a ballroom where the jubilee ball celebrating the 55th anniversary of the university took place.

The event gathered over 200 distinguished guests: employees, graduates and friends of the University of Gdańsk, representatives of both the world of science and business.

The history of the university painted in sand

The evening began with a spectacular sand painting show by Magdalena Suszek-Bąk from SaltAnimation. The works created before the guests' eyes depicted the history of the University of Gdańsk from its foundation in the 1970s, through its dynamic development, to the present day. The key moments in the history of the university evoked reflection, emotion and admiration among the gathered guests for the artist's skills.

Ball as part of the 55th anniversary celebrations

The ball celebrating the 55th anniversary of the University of Gdańsk was organised by the Rector of the University of Gdańsk and the Foundation for the Development of the University of Gdańsk (FRUG - Fundacja Rozwoju Uniwersytetu Gdańskiego). On behalf of the organisers, the guests were welcomed by the President of FRUG, Marzena Chojnacka, the Rector of the University of Gdańsk, prof. Piotr Stepnowski, and the host of the event, the Dean of the Faculty of Economics, dr hab. Wojciech Bizon, prof. UG.

‘We have entered the 55th anniversary year with verve and joy. The ball is one of the elements of the celebrations. We have already organised a wonderful conference “Study in Poland. Foreign Students in Poland”, one of the most important events promoting the internationalisation of universities in Poland, and there are many other extraordinary events ahead, to which we would like to invite you today - said the Rector, prof. Piotr Stepnowski. ‘Today, we are celebrating the university's anniversary in carnival style. We always wanted the number of participants at our ball to reach 200, and today we have a ball for a hundred couples,’ – concluded the Rector, evoking a popular Polish song from the 1960s.

The President of FRUG thanked the sponsors who made it possible to organise this anniversary event, welcoming their representatives:

• Emilia Urich and Tomasz Jakubowski (Autopay)
• Dariusz Gdaniec and Krzysztof Krygier (Global)
• Joanna Mariańska (EuroConsulting)
• Tomasz Karpowicz (Autorska Pracownia Projektowa Architeka)

‘Dear Academia, let this evening be full of joy, dance and unforgettable experiences! Have fun!’ said Marzena Chojnacka.

An evening full of attractions

After the official welcome and the opening of the Ball, a gala dinner was held, followed by a musical surprise in the form of a performance by the Midana band, made up of students from the III LO secondary school in Gdynia. Jacek Wicek, musician, instrumentalist and trumpeter, took care of the musical setting for the rest of the evening. The specially prepared 360 photo booth was also very popular, allowing guests to create dynamic recordings that will be a unique souvenir for years to come.

This year's Ball was an opportunity to have fun and to experience together the pride in the past and present of the university celebrating its 55th anniversary.

See you next year!