2017 was quite a busy year for higher education and science in Poland. Teams appointed to formulate the draft of the new Higher Education Law Act continued their work throughout the year. The Ministry of Science and Higher Education invited the stakeholders to contribute to the proposed Constitution for Science and held consultations and seminars and provided opportunities to brainstorm ideas and discuss the needs of the scientific community.

At the Warsaw University of Technology there was a ceremonial presentation of three projects of the new bill with the participation of Minister Jarosław Gowina, photo: BPI

The Warsaw University of Technology was actively involved in the process. Our University hosted an official presentation of three bills of the new law with Minister Jarosław Gowin in attendance on March 1, 2017.

The Warsaw University of Technology, or more precisely WUT Center for Advanced Materials and Technologies, was also the host of the official signing of the Second Innovation Act by President of the Republic of Poland Andrzej Duda; the law provides for, e.g., forming companies by institutions of higher education to manage their research infrastructure.

Transfer of science to business

Reflecting back on the passing year, the increasing reach and depth of the University’s activities at the intersection of science and business are something to be very happy about. The numerous memoranda of agreements signed are proof that businesses see our University as a strong partner for many diverse projects. WUT executed a memorandum of agreement with Exatel, a leader in ICT security services in Poland, and launched a partnership with Ursus (plans involve the design of a Polish latest-generation zero-emission electric bus). We have also signed a letter of intent with PKP Energetyka; our cooperation is to cover activities such as commercialization by PKP Energetyka of selected scientific ideas with business potential that have been or will be created by WUT scientists.

Moreover, three cities in Poland are to implement the concepts of “ECO-Mobility”. A smart and autonomous and, more importantly, electrically powered public transport system will soon operate in the streets of Rzeszów, Katowice and Łódź. Those state-of-the-art mobility solutions have been developed by a team headed by Prof. dr hab. inż. Włodzimierz Choromański [DSc Eng.] from WUT Faculty of Transport.

WUT researchers working on artificial blood vessels, photo: Maciej Trzaskowski

Research, inventions and bold ideas

Our staff members and students represented Poland internationally. Scientists of the Faculty of Power and Aeronautical Engineering demonstrated an innovative system for improvement of coal combustion in power boilers during the EXPO Exhibition in Kazakhstan. Innovations delivered by WUT were also showcased during Hannover Messe Trade Fair.

The Warsaw University of Technology students successfully competed in international competitions showing their solutions to global companies and in some cases reaching out to... the space. Michał Kazaniecki, a student of Automation and Robotics at the Faculty of Mechatronics, took part in an all-Polish simulation of a mission to Mars at Mars Desert Research Station in Utah. He fulfilled the role of a flight engineer during the mission.

Three top ranks, one second and two third places are in turn the achievements of SAE AeroDesign Inter-Faculty Student Research Group in the international unmanned aerial vehicles competition in Lakeland.

Throughout the year, our eyes were also on the activities of Hyper Poland University Team, a team of mainly WUT students supported by their peers from Wrocław University of Science and Technology. They competed in the Hyperloop Pod Competition held at the headquarters of XSpace in Hawthorne, California. Hyper Poland University Team was among 25 teams from all over the world to qualify for the finals. During the event, the young engineers demonstrated the capabilities of their single-man Hyperloop pods tested in a purpose-built mile-long and ca. 2-meter (72 in)-diameter steel tube

Hyper Poland University Team at the competition in the USA, photo: Hyper Poland

In addition, WUT students were runners-up in 2017 Valeo Innovation Challenge. The road ice sensing system invented by Maksymilian Krajewski, Krystian Rosłon and Mateusz Zaborski impressed the judging panel. Their invention ranked second as a Technology Innovation earning our students a prize worth EUR 10,000.

Technically the best!

The Warsaw University of Technology has been ranked the best technical university in Poland for the 12th time in the Higher Education University Ranking put together by the “Perspektywy” monthly and, simultaneously, moved up to the third place of all universities in Poland (after the University of Warsaw and the Jagiellonian University).

WUT representatives with distinctions for the best technical courses in the country, photo: BPI

The first 2017 “Perspektywy” Engineering Degree Program Ranking, which rated 21 most popular technical programs awarding the degree of Engineer or Master of Science in Engineering, respectively, was also a big success for us. Our University topped the ranking for as many as 13 programs. Besides, programs run at WUT came second in seven other listings and third in three further ones.

Outside the labs

But life at the Warsaw University of Technology is not confined to science and research.

We had thrilling performances from our athletes too. Damian Czykier (a student of Construction at the Faculty of Civil Engineering), who specializes in 110m hurdles won a bronze medal in this event during the Taipei City 2017 Summer Universiade. He also reached semi-finals in the 2017 World Championships in Athletics in London. We were proud to see Wojciech Bógdał (a student of the Płock Branch) winning a gold medal in The World Games 2017 and the 6th European Powered Paragliding Championships.

Wojtek Bógdał on the podium of The World Games 2017, photo: Facebook, Wolfgang Lintl

For more information about the life passions of our students and staff go to our blog, WUT square, at any time.

Promotion

We launched an online store of the Warsaw University of Technology for outside customers selling the official WUT merchandise in March 2017. All WUT students, staff or graduates can now buy our University collectables.

Our students actively promote the University at educational events and festivals, including WUT’s Educational Picnic. We continue our partnerships with schools and a new addition to the group of schools under the patronage of the Warsaw University of Technology is II Stefan Batory Lyceum with Bilingual Classes in Warsaw. At this point, the Promoter of Science title for the Flogiston Chemistry Student Research Group and their intense efforts in this realm also deserve a mention.

Our social media footprint is recognized and appreciated by the community as well. The Warsaw University of Technology won two awards in this year’s Genius Universitatis competition for its creative enrollment campaign. We were the proud winners of the competition for the best enrollment campaign run in social media and the judging panel appreciated our enrollment website. The Association for PR and Promotion of Polish Universities “PRom” (Stowarzyszenie PR i Promocji Uczelni Polskich PRom) awarded our campaign “Take WUT on Holiday” / “Zabierz PW na wakacje”.

All winners of Dobry Wzór competition, photo: FB Dobry Wzór

Crowning our efforts in implementation of the WUT Corporate Identity, we took home the Good Design Award for Functional and Packaging Graphics. It is a prestigious award of the Institute of Industrial Design (IWP).

The competition judges noted that the revamp of the Warsaw University of Technology corporate identity was an outright bold and radical makeover of the institution’s brand image. “The geometrically-shaped WUT initials evoke associations with drafting templates and the technical profile of the University finds reflection in the proprietary Radikal WUT font. Extra credit to WUT authorities for their aesthetic boldness!”, praised the judging panel.

Our implementation work will be continued into 2018.

We wish you and ourselves new exciting challenges, success and continuous growth in the coming year!