Thus, the number of signatories of Magna Charta Universitatum, which is a declaration and affirmation of the fundamental principles upon which the mission of universities should be based, increased after the MCU conference in Lodz to nearly a thousand universities.
The Magna Charta Universitatum is a document that was originally signed by 388 rectors and heads of universities from all over Europe and beyond in 1988 at the world's oldest University in Bologna (the then Rector of the University of Lodz, Prof. Leszek Wojtczak was among the signatories). Next, it was revised in 2020 to reflect changes in the world faced by universities. The revised Magna Charta Universitatum was signed by the Rector of the University of Lodz, Prof. Elżbieta Żądzińska.
Each year the Magna Charta Observatory organises an international conference to address current challenges in upholding the fundamental values and serving society responsibly and celebrates in a ceremony as more rectors sign the Magna Charta Universitatum. University of Lodz was honoured to organise this year's conference and ceremony. The conference was held for the first time in Poland and only for the second time in history outside Bologna. There were 126 participants from 36 countries, including: Argentina, India, the Philippines, Colombia, Ghana, Brazil and Canada.
On the first day of the MCU meeting in Lodz (Monday, 23 October 2023), a panel providing an introduction to the Higher Education landscape and current issues in Poland and Ukraine was organised. It was attended by, among others: scientists and students from Ukraine, which is experiencing Russian aggression. The speakers (online and stationary) included:
- Arkadiusz Mężyk – President of the Conference of Rectors of Academic Schools in Poland – CRASP
- Petro Kulikov – President of the Union of Rectors of Universities of Ukraine
- Mychailo Wynnyckyj – Deputy Minister of Education and Science Ukraine
- Adam Pustelnik – Deputy Mayor of Lodz
- Vitalii Bilyi – Counsellor of the Embassy of Ukraine in the Republic of Poland, who read a letter from Wasyl Zwarycz, Ambassador of Ukraine in Poland.
On 24 October (Tuesday), the second day of the MCU conference, after being welcomed by the Rector of the University of Lodz, Prof. Elżebieta Żądzińska, the participants, gathered in the Wacław Szubert Auditorium, focused on the issues contained in the theme of this year's leading conference "Universities and Re-Construction of Cities: the Role of Research and Education". The speakers included:
- Patrick Deane – President of the Magna Charta Observatory Governing Council
- Ed Brinksma – President of the Executive Board, Erasmus University of Rotterdam, President of the UNIC European University of Post-industrial cities
- Dr Elfithri Rahmah who represented UNESCO.
Day three, graced by a lecture by Herman van Rompuy entitled "Europe at a crossroads. Also a challenge for our universities", was dedicated to the ceremony for the signature of the Magna Charta Universitatum by the rectors of 36 more universities.
Commemorative photo of the participants in the Magna Charta Universitatum conference in the Wacław Szubert Assembly Hall at the University of Lodz.
Universities – new signatories of Magna Charta Universitatum, whose rectors signed the declaration during the MCU conference on 25 October 2023 in Lodz:
- Universidad Católica de Salta
- Universidad de Sucre
- Masaryk University
- Budapest Business University
- Széchenyi István University
- University of Pécs
- Oslo Metropolitan University
- The AGH University of Krakow
- Collegium Civitas w Warszawie
- Humanitas University
- Jan Dlugosz University in Czestochowa
- Lodz University of Technology
- The Maria Grzegorzewska University
- Medical University of Bialystok
- Koszalin University of Technology
- Poznań University of Economics and Business
- Poznan University of Technology
- SWPS University in Warsaw
- Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland
- University of Gdańsk
- University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn
- Wroclaw University of Economics and Business
- Wrocław University of Environmental and Life sciences
- National University of Science and Technology Politehnica Bucharest
- Matej Bel University in Banská Bystrica
- University of Alicante
- Siam University
- Istinye University
- Lokman Hekim University
- Kryvyi Rih State Pedagogical University
- National Technical University "Kharkiv Polytechnic institute"
- Pavlo Tychyna Uman State Pedagogical University
- Nottingham Trent University
- Royal Holloway, University of London
- Medical University of Lodz
- University of Pais Vasco
The conference ended with a performance by the University of Lodz Choir.
Source: International Hub, University of Lodz
Edit: Communications and PR Centre, University of Lodz
Photos: Bartosz Kałużny and Maciej Andrzejewski (Communications and PR Centre, University of Lodz)