1033 - that's how much information about what's happening at the University of Gdańsk has been published by the Press Team on ug.edu.pl in 2022. We invite you on a journey to recall the events - from the massive mobilisation of the entire university in aid of Ukraine to a research cruise along the west coast of Europe, to all the changes that have taken place in this challenging year.

UNIVERSITY OF GDAŃSK COMMUNITY

At the beginning of 2022, the UG academic community was still suffering from pandemic anxiety. 'Remote or stationary?' wondered lecturers, students and university staff. However, as early as January 11, the vaccination figures became known. The University of Gdańsk then ranked third among Polish universities. The vaccination rate among students was 81.2 per cent and among staff as high as 91 per cent. 

Such a high percentage was probably influenced, among other things, by the popular science activities of prof. dr hab. Krystyna Bieńkowska-Szewczyk, who shared her reliable knowledge on vaccination against COVID-19 in such media as TVN and TOK FM, but also on the ug.edu.pl website.

IN SOLIDARITY WITH UKRAINE

Quickly, the world moved from one crisis to another. Our eastern neighbours were attacked by Russia. Millions of refugees appeared at the border. The authorities and the University of Gdańsk academic community reacted immediately. 

On February 24, a declaration of solidarity with Ukraine was passed by the UG Senate; a day later, collections of donations for refugees in need were launched across the university. Both of these events were only the beginning of a huge mobilisation across the university. 

In the past year, hundreds of transports have set off from the UG campus to the Polish-Ukrainian border and even further into the war-ridden country. The 'Students for Ukraine' collection also offered help to those who came to Gdańsk. Psychological support was provided by academics from the Faculty of Social Sciences, and a place for the youngest - a common room - was prepared by the UG Academic Cultural Centre. Social initiatives at the UG were described by, among others, the Times Higher Education.

The language barrier was helped to be broken down by staff and students from the Faculty of Philology, who conducted Polish language lessons for refugees. An extension of these activities was a 4-month course for 116 Ukrainian teachers organised by the Teacher Education Centre. It aimed to prepare the trainees to teach in Polish schools.

Meanwhile, an event for refugee children was prepared by the Academic Cultural Centre. The twelve-day summer school for Ukrainian youth included a presentation of the tourist and cultural attractions of Pomerania and a presentation of the UG's offer to potential future Ukrainian students.

In the first few months, we also saw a lot of individual initiatives. Dr Maciej Rychłowski from the Inter-University Faculty of Biotechnology spent a week transporting people from Lviv to the Polish-Ukrainian border. UG student Joanna Mazzocchi, who lives in Wishaw, ran a remote course for refugees in Łeba; her work was noticed and appreciated by the Scottish Parliament. 

A trio of female psychologists from the UG Institute of Psychology came up with initiatives to ensure that Ukrainians received adequate support after their dramatic experiences. Dr hab. Małgorzata Lipowska, prof. UG co-created a Ukrainian-Polish psychological questionnaire for children. Dr Magdalena Chrzan-Dętkoś made sure that her project Przystanek MAMA was also accessible to Ukrainian mothers. Finally, the Director of the UG Academic Psychological Support Centre, dr Agata Rudnik, prepared special hours during which Ukrainian students could call in to talk about their problems.

The University of Gdańsk also provided a forum to discuss further assistance to Ukraine. Thanks to the cooperation between the UG authorities and the National Agency for Academic Exchange (NAWA), a two-day conference entitled 'Solidarity with Ukraine' was organised in the Neophilology building, attended by scientists from all over Poland, including the President of the Foundation for Polish Science prof. dr hab. Maciej Żylicz, the Deputy Minister of Education and Science prof. dr hab. Włodzimierz Bernacki and the then Director of NAWA dr Grażyna Żebrowska.

The university authorities also donated two unused student residences in Sopot for refugees, initiated cooperation between Odesa's Ilya Mechnikov National University and SEA-EU universities, and organised a collection of over PLN 50,000 for scholarships for scientists and students from Ukraine.

All these activities attracted the attention not only of foreign media but also of major social activists in the world. On March 15, the Faculty of Social Sciences was visited by Roberta Gbowee, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. 

- 'If you can do something to change our world, then do it. Let history judge you. Be remembered like Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela, not like Vladimir Putin,' - said the Liberian Nobel laureate at the end of the meeting.

Of course, it is impossible to describe all the initiatives for Ukraine at the University of Gdańsk. Firstly, there are too many, and secondly, they are ongoing all the time, as the aid from the UG community has never stopped flowing.

SUSTAINABLE GREEN UNIVERSITY  

Last year, the University of Gdańsk received the highest sustainability score among Polish universities in the Times Higher Education ranking. Our university got the highest marks in the implementation of Goal 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions; Goal 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities; and Goal 14 Living Underwater. Behind this high rating is a range of activities and strategies implemented by various UG units.

Within the UG Centre for Sustainable Development, two courses related to environmental education have been launched: 'Mitigation and Adaptation to Climate Change' and 'Offshore Wind Energy'. The unit also organised an international conference entitled. 'Science and Education for Sustainable Development', attended by, among others, scientists from Spain, Malta and Norway.

The University of Gdańsk, together with the University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn and the Maria Skłodowska-Curie University in Lublin, established the Green Universities Forum. Together, the universities will take action to promote sustainable development. 

There were also initiatives by our scientists. Prof. dr hab. Jacek Zaucha co-wrote the position paper of the Polish Academy of Sciences on October 14, 2022, on the spatial planning of our country, and dr hab. Sylwia Mrozowska became a member of the Coordination Council for Offshore Wind Energy.

At the end of 2022, UG's environmental initiatives were recognised by the Green Metric ranking. In it, the University of Gdańsk received more than 1,000 points more than last year. This represents an improvement of 20%. 

Gender equality measures at the university have been consistently implemented by, among others, members of the MINDtheGEPs project, headed by prof. dr hab. Ewa Łojkowska. In September 2022, the Rector of the UG, prof. Piotr Stepnowski, together with the director of the International Centre for Cancer Vaccine Research (ICCVS), prof. dr hab. Natalia Marek-Trzonkowska opened the Family Room for ICCVS employees, and at the beginning of the 2022/2023 academic year, a competition for the best master's and doctoral theses addressing gender issues was launched.

The contribution of women in shaping and developing the University of Gdańsk was summed up by the exhibition 'Pioneers, researchers, leaders. Women of Gdańsk science'. At the opening of the exhibition, there was a discussion about, among other things, whether Gdańsk universities are ready for a woman rector and what stands in their way of professional success. 

Some of the initiatives from last year will only bear fruit during 2023. In January, Hiboxes, which are solar-powered lockers, will be placed at the UG campus. And thanks to the first edition of the UG Academic Citizens' Budget, a pocket park will appear near the Faculty of Philology already this year, and exercise equipment will be built near the University of Gdańsk Library.

A CAMPUS FULL OF CULTURE

In 2022, the University of Gdańsk was not just a place for education and academic work. There were meetings with artists, theatre performances and film screenings on campus in the evenings. 2022 was also the first full year of operation for the Andrzej Wajda UG Film Centre, the UG Vocal Studio and the UG Academic Orchestra. 

As recently as the first month of last year, an exhibition of the director's artistic works could be seen. In March, it was replaced by an exhibition of watercolours depicting Polish manor houses of the nobility by dr Maciej Rydel, a retired economist from UG, and in May, in memory of prof. Jerzy Limon, an exhibition of the collections of the late creator of the Gdańsk Shakespeare Theatre and engravings by Daniel Chodowiecki was opened. The UG authorities also honoured the theatre hall in the Neophilology building with the name of the late Professor. The initiative was part of a cultural series entitled. 'JERZY LIMON: INSPIRATION - DIALOGUE - POLEMICS'.

At the beginning of the 2022/23 academic year, a series of paintings entitled 'SEA-EU by the Sea' by dr hab. Aneta Oniszczuk-Jastrząbek, prof. UG documenting the first stage of the SEA-EU alliance was displayed in the BUG hall. The head of the Department of Transport and Maritime Trade transferred on canvas her experiences from visits to member universities and Brussels, the city where it all began. The exhibition was a perfect summary of the first part of the alliance and an exciting start to SEA-EU 2.0.

Members of the UG academic community were also involved in cultivating culture outside the university. A report on the Warsaw Uprising from the perspective of a 9-year-old by Polish Philology students was published in 'Duży Format', a supplement to Gazeta Wyborcza. Prof. dr hab. Marcin Tomczak was awarded the Prize of the Minister of Culture and National Heritage and dr hab. Grzegorz Berendt, prof. UG became director of the World War II Museum in Gdańsk and chairman of the International Auschwitz Council. 

There was also a host of distinguished guests. Among those who visited the University of Gdańsk last year were the singer Marek Piekarczyk, the actress Dorota Kolak, the Carabinieri commander gen. Roberto Riccardi, the film director Paweł Łoziński, or participants in the student strike following the imposition of martial law in 1981, including Deputy Speaker of the Senate Bogdan Borusewicz. 

Many distinguished travellers were attracted to the 7th Nordic Focus Festival - the Festival of Nordic Culture. The following talked about their expeditions: Rafał Król or Zbigniew Szwoch. The Shalom Polin Festival of Jewish Culture took participants south to Israel. The UG Academic Cultural Centre also prepared the 'musical setting' for the year 2022 at the UG in the form of many concerts. Here it is worth mentioning events such as the Adele Songbook, James Bond Symphonically or performances by the academic choir.

One of the important events in the UG cultural calendar was Grassing, a celebration of the 95th birthday of the Gdańsk Nobel Prize winner. In October 2022, fans of Günter Grass's work could take part in walks, performances, lectures or a field game inspired by the jubilarian's oeuvre. The series of events was organised by dr hab. Miłosława Borzyszkowska-Szewczyk, prof. UG.

By the decision of the Sejm of the Third Republic of Poland, 2022 was also the year of Józef Wybicki. This inspired members of a newly established UG unit - the prof. Jan Ciechowicz Theatre Centre under the direction of dr hab. Małgorzata Jarmułowicz, prof. UG - to prepare an exhibition devoted to the playwrighting activities of the author of the national anthem and staging of his performance entitled 'Kulig'.

While previous years were characterised by a preponderance of remote over stationary events, 2022 was a breath of fresh air. Almost all of the performances, screenings and other cultural activities took place on-site, and tools such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams opened up new possibilities for communicating with visitors who otherwise would not have been able to attend the event.

SEA-EU - 9 UNIVERSITIES, 5 SEAS AND ONE OCEAN

From beginning to end. 2022 has been a year full of change, new acquaintances and cooperation at the highest level for the SEA-EU alliance of European coastal universities. Six universities were joined by three new ones, and for the joint activities of these nine entities in July 2022, the European Commission has allocated €14 million. 

Three years of cooperation between the universities of Gdańsk, Cadiz, Brest, Kiel, Split and Malta were crowned by a research cruise from Poland to Spain. The UG ship - RV Oceanograf - sailed more than 4,500 nautical miles. Its international team of SEA-EU universities' scientists collected material for three major scientific projects. At practically every stop, the researchers met with the local media to talk about their amazing expedition.

Dr Aleksandra Brodecka-Goluch from the Faculty of Oceanography and Geography UG was responsible for the scientific part of the trip. 

At the end of the trip, the authorities of all member universities met at the SEA-EU DAY, during which the participants summed up three years of cooperation from joint scientific projects through know-how exchange to student mobility.

- 'We summarise the first phase of our activities in an amazing atmosphere. We look to the future full of hope and enthusiasm. We are expanding our alliance with several new partners who are full of new ideas. I am convinced that SEA-EU 2.0 will be even more effective,' - said Rector prof. Piotr Stepnowski.

FAHRENHEIT UNIVERSITIES

The University of Gdańsk has also been strengthening ties with universities in the region. In March 2022. The Daniel Fahrenheit Association of Universities in Gdańsk transformed itself into the 'Fahrenheit Universities' community. The effect of this agreement was soon seen by all the citizens of Gdańsk. On May 24, 2022, the anniversary of the community's patron's birthday, a tram symbolising the cooperation between the University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk University of Technology and Medical University of Gdańsk rolled onto the tracks in Gdańsk.

The Fahrenheit universities were also involved in the creation of a new line of the Pomeranian Metropolitan Railway - PKM South. The result of this cooperation is, among other things, a series of designs for new stops prepared by students from PG, UG and GUMed. 

The community also encouraged students from the three universities to work together in the 'Fahrenheit Collaboration Champions' competition. FarU scientists did not lag behind and jointly patented a new method of creating and delivering proteins to the body.

The gem in this year's collaboration between UG, PG and GUMed was the joint march of Rectors, Vice-Rectors, scientists, staff and students through the centre of Gdańsk as part of the inauguration of the new academic year. The event, initiated by Fahrenheit Universities, was attended by 14 universities. - 'Long live science!' - chanted the academic community of Gdansk's universities.

COOPERATION, COOPERATION AND ONCE MORE COOPERATION

Representatives of Pomeranian universities were also attracted by the establishment of the Erasmus+ InnHUB innovation centre. Twelve rectors and patrons of universities signed a cooperation agreement with the unit. - 'Cooperation with InnHUB Gdańsk is certainly a great challenge, but it is also an opportunity to go beyond the established framework of a university,' - said prof. Piotr Stepnowski at the opening of the unit. Since September 2022, the Erasmus+ InnHUB Gdańsk has been operating in the UG Main Library. 

In 2022, the University of Gdańsk has collaborated with, among others: 

• CURRENDA company
• Brzeski County
• Polish Offshore Wind-Co
• Santander Bank Polska S.A
• Institute of Fluid Flow Machinery, PAS
• Centre for Contemporary Art Łaźnia
• Supreme Bar Council
• Baltic Sea Culture Centre
• Shakespeare Theatre of Gdańsk

VISITING PROFESSORS 

International cooperation outside the alliance of European universities has been supported by, among others, the Visiting Professors programme. The second edition of the initiative took place in 2022. UG researchers were able to invite experts from all over the world. Prof. Dany Azar talked about the unique Lebanese amber, and a theatre workshop was led by prof. Paul Allain from the University of Kent in Canterbury. Nine scientists visited the University of Gdańsk as part of the second edition of the initiative. 

Representatives of foreign governments also paid a visit to our university. The Ambassador of Romania, Cosmin Onisii, talked to UG authorities about cooperation with Romanian universities. The Ambassador of the Republic of Rwanda, prof. Anastase Shyaka, discussed academic collaborations and the Ambassador of Bangladesh, Sultana Laila Hossain, proposed joint academic activities. 

The year 2022 ended on a significant note regarding collaborations. Vice-Rector for International Cooperation, dr hab. Anna Jurkowska-Zeidler, prof. UG, was appointed the first Chair of the newly established University Internationalisation Committee of the Conference of Rectors of Polish Universities. In December 2022, the first meeting was held at the team's new headquarters, the University of Gdańsk. 

- 'The University of Gdańsk is a place that brings together not only universities but also institutions supporting higher education in Poland: Erasmus, Nawa, Perspektywy Educational Foundation. We are here together to talk about challenges, to find strategic paths for the development of our universities, to pass safely through times of crisis,' - said prof. Anna Jurkowska-Zeilder during the first UKU meeting.

DISCOVERIES, SUCCESSES AND AWARDS

NAWA, the Foundation for Polish Science, the National Science Centre and Horizon Europe - are just some of the sources of funding for projects by the University of Gdańsk researchers. In 2022, scientists from the UG, among other things, discovered new parasites of the European bison, invented a solution for drug-resistant strains of bacteria and investigated the source of pollution in the Oder River. 

It was in this year that the University of Gdańsk became for the first time ever the coordinator of a project supported by Horizon Europe. Under the leadership of the new Director, prof. dr hab. Natalia Marek-Trzonkowska, the International Centre for Cancer Vaccine Research officially opened the CANVAS project in October 2022. 

It is worth mentioning that a few months earlier, in August, the unit, in collaboration with six European centres, discovered that elephants are more resistant to cancer than humans. A publication on this topic appeared in Molecular Biology and Evolution.

In 2022, articles by UG scientists also appeared in the Journal of the American Chemical Society (JACS), Chemical Engineering Journal, Scientific Reports from the Nature group, and Royal Entomological Journal.

We also witnessed many individual successes. Last year, two female scientists from UG became winners of the so-called Pomeranian Nobel Prize, the Jan Hevelius Science Prize of the City of Gdańsk. Prof. dr hab. Małgorzata Omilanowska-Kiljańczyk was awarded for her outstanding achievements at home and abroad in the field of art sciences, and prof. dr hab. Ewa Łojkowska for her outstanding scientific achievements in phytopathological research, in particular genetics and diagnostics of bacterial plant pathogens.

The Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to prof. Anton Zeilinger, honoris causa doctor of the University of Gdańsk. The Austrian physicist is a long-standing collaborator of prof. dr hab. Marek Żukowski from the International Centre for Quantum Theory at the UG. The UG scientist took part in the award ceremony for prof. Zeilinger. 

As many as three female scientists from UG were honoured by the chapter of the 'Pomeranian Women of the Year'. The first place in the competition went to prof. Krystyna Bieńkowska-Szewczyk, the third place went to dr hab. Natasza Kosakowska-Berezecka, prof. UG and the tenth place went to dr Karolina Pierzynowska.

After 2022, UG academics also have a greater influence on decisions made in the most important bodies of the state. Dr hab. Małgorzata Lipowska, prof. UG has joined a new team of the Minister of Health. Prof. Artur Hugo-Świergiel headed the Council for Higher Education, Science and Innovation of the President of the Third Republic of Poland, and prof. dr hab. Grzegorz Węgrzyn took over as president of the Gdańsk branch of the Polish Academy of Sciences. 

Major changes also took place at the university itself. As of March 2022, three newly named departments were established at UG. - 'This is a historic moment,' - said prof. Piotr Stepnowski during the appointment of new units' heads.

As part of the UG celebrations, the first Eugeniusz Kwiatkowski Department at the Faculty of Economics was assumed by prof. Leszek Balcerowicz, former Minister of Finance. The next unit, named after prof. Maria Janion, this time at the Faculty of Philology, was held by dr hab. Agata Bielik-Robson, prof. of IFiS PAS. Meanwhile, the Wacław Szybalski Chair at the Inter-University Faculty of Biotechnology UG and MUG will be headed by prof. dr hab. Andrzej Dziembowski.

HR CHANGES 

2022 was a difficult year for the Faculty of Social Sciences in terms of personnel, with the successive deaths of the Dean of the Faculty, dr hab. Tadeusz Dmochowski, prof. UG, and the Vice-Dean for Student Affairs, dr hab. Jacek Taraszkiewicz, prof. UG, within just a few months. 

In May, dr hab. Michał Harciarek, prof. UG, took over as Dean of WNS. - 'This is a gigantic commitment and I will do everything to ensure that the faculty develops successfully. Thank you for your trust,' - said the newly appointed dean. 

The management of the University of Gdańsk Library has also changed. Grażyna Jaśkowiak retired after years of service. She was replaced as director of the BUG by Roman Tabisz.  

Similar changes took place at the UG Centre for Sustainable Development. After the appointment of the previous director of the unit, dr hab. Sylwia Mrozowska, prof. UG, as Vice-Rector for Cooperation and Development, the vacancy at the CZR UG was filled by dr Krzysztof Szczepaniak.

Several new units have also been established in 2022. Dr hab. Dorota Pyć heads the Centre for Marine Research. As part of the unit's activities, the UG lawyer has already organised, among other things, the first meeting with members of WISTA Poland.

The Memling Research Centre will be headed by prof. dr hab. Beata Możejko. The unit's activities will focus on several research contexts. Among others, on the historical thread, the legal-historical-philosophical discourse, the contemporary history of the triptych (from 1945 to the 21st century), the artistic discourse and the philosophical-legal discourse. 

A new initiative related to the environment, on the other hand, is the Institute for the Conservation of the Pomeranian Landscape. Dr hab. Miłosława Borzyszkowska-Szewczyk became the President of the IOKP UG. The unit's members are united by their concern for the protection of the natural and cultural landscape of our region.

The previously mentioned prof. Jan Ciechowicz Theatre Centre was also established in 2022. 

We wish the new unit managers fulfilment and great satisfaction in their new work.

RANKINGS

All the above measures are reflected in the rankings. The previously mentioned Times Higher Education ranked the University of Gdańsk highest among Polish universities in terms of sustainability. According to the Leiden Ranking, UG is the 10th university in the world in terms of the ratio of female authors to male authors in scientific publications. 

In the classification of Polish universities prepared by Perspektywy, our university moved up 7 places compared to the previous year. And in the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings, the University of Gdańsk 'jumped up' by 200 positions. 

UG's promotions in the rankings are changes on a macro scale, but they are the result of many small actions, which we have written about, among others, over the past year. A total of 1,033 articles were published on our website in 2022 about what was happening at UG. It is these initiatives and the protagonists of these texts that make it possible for so much good to happen at the University of Gdańsk in 2022, despite many challenges and difficulties.