A joint initiative of the University and the city and regional authorities—“Study in Białystok. Study in Podlaskie”—was launched; after many years of efforts, the Psychology degree programme was opened; and three more academic staff members of the University of Białystok were awarded the title of professor. The University also conferred an honorary doctorate on an outstanding legal scholar, received ministerial funding for the expansion of its sports centre, and served as an important venue for nationwide and international debates.
The year 2025 at the University of Białystok (UwB) was rich in noteworthy scientific, educational, social, promotional and cultural events.
We begin this summary with an important meeting at the University of Białystok that inaugurated the joint initiative of UwB, the Białystok University of Technology, the Medical University of Białystok, and the City of Białystok together with the Podlaskie Voivodeship, entitled “Study in Białystok. Study in Podlaskie”. Thanks to this initiative, throughout the past year representatives of the three universities, the city and the region, using a specially branded bus and a joint exhibition stand, promoted studying in our region in selected Polish cities, including Warsaw, Łódź, Katowice and Gdańsk.
Another major event and a significant success was the launch, after many years of efforts, of the Psychology degree programme at the Faculty of Education. The extent to which this programme was needed is best illustrated by the admissions data: as many as 17 candidates applied for each available place.
Further staffing highlights: in the past year, three academic staff members were awarded the title of professor: Prof. Andrzej Bajguz from the Faculty of Biology, Prof. Adam Tylicki, also from the Faculty of Biology, and Prof. Zbigniew Kaźmierczak from the Faculty of Philosophy and Cognitive Science. In total, the largest university in the Podlaskie region currently employs 73 professors, 197 habilitated doctors and 395 doctors.
The University’s academics, doctoral candidates, and students are involved in grants, projects, research, publications, conferences and social initiatives. This activity translated into tangible results in 2025, more than 90 projects with a total value of nearly PLN 39 million were implemented at the largest university in the region.
The past year also featured numerous important academic events. The title of Doctor Honoris Causa of the University of Białystok was conferred on Professor Piotr Józef Hofmański, an outstanding scholar and internationally renowned lawyer who served as judge and President of the International Criminal Court in The Hague in 2021–2024.
Another eminent lawyer, Prof. Dr hab. Leonard Etel - a specialist in tax and financial law at the Faculty of Law of UwB and former Rector of the largest university in the Podlaskie region - was awarded the title of Doctor Honoris Causa of Masaryk University in Brno.
Throughout the year, UwB once again served as a venue for major international and nationwide debates. Among others, we hosted participants of the 19th National Congress of Sociology, the 10th Forum of Polish Mathematicians, the Summer School for Young Pedagogues, the KOSAT 2025 Analytical Spectrometry Colloquium, the National Congress of Ancient History Scholars, as well as the symposium “A Quarter Century after Giedroyc. Poland’s Strategy for the Coming Decades”, which was also attended by former President of the Republic of Poland— Aleksander Kwaśniewski.
The year coming to a close also brought changes to the University’s infrastructure. At the beginning of the academic year, the University of Białystok Archives moved from Pogodna Street to new premises at Świerkowa Street.
The Rectorate of UwB acquired a more academic character: the University banner, insignia and the rector’s ceremonial robe were prominently displayed. An ornamental plaque listing the names of former rectors of the largest university in the region was also installed. “All these symbols, displayed in such a unique way, remind us that we are a community in which tradition meets modernity and history inspires action. This is the foundation on which we build our future. I warmly invite the entire University community to visit the Rectorate and see this unique exhibition,” emphasised Rector Prof. Dr hab. Mariusz Popławski in a video invitation.
At the same time, acoustic booths and armchairs appeared in faculties and libraries, providing spaces for quiet, helping to reduce negative stimuli and improve concentration.
Further changes lie ahead, as in the past year the University of Białystok received over PLN 8.2 million in funding from the Ministry of Science and Higher Education for the implementation of the project “Expansion of the Sports Centre”. As part of this investment, the sports hall at Świerkowa Street will be expanded, and tennis courts and pétanque courts will also be built on the same site.
What else happened in 2025?
The University of Białystok signed the Magna Charta Universitatum in London one of the most important documents of the international academic community. Hundreds of secondary school students from across the region took part in the University of Białystok Open Day held on the UwB campus (for the first time, all faculties and units of the largest university in the region presented themselves in one place). Meanwhile, the ceremonial graduation of graduates of the UwB Branch in Vilnius was held for the first time in the new premises of the Branch at Makowa Street.
A full of passion, positive energy and outstanding shots film promoting the University, titled “It All Started Here,” was also produced. The premiere of the extraordinary performance “Ferrando AI”, presented by the Student Theatre Circle StuKoT, took place. During the 21st Podlaskie Festival of Science and Art, we organised the UwB Culture Day. A life-size model of Homo erectus appeared at the University Centre for Natural Sciences, and the mural “Zaczytani” (“Lost in Books”) was unveiled at the University Library.
We concluded the year with the initiative “A University Brick for the ‘Help Them’ Foundation,” a Christmas fundraising campaign for a new roof for the Otulone Hosipicjum (Wrapped Hospice) for Children in Sochonie.
There were also important continuations. The fourth edition of the Tutoring Programme “The Student as Researcher, Scientist and Explorer” was launched, and we continued meeting with pupils as part of the “Study with UwB” initiative.
For more information, please visit the University of Białystok website and UwB’s social media channels: Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
