Strategy of the University of Lodz 2021-2030, i.e., knowledge and courage
Rector of the University of Lodz, prof. Elżbieta Żądzińska says:
We are pursuing a specific goal – undisputed advancement in the field of science. It should be followed by development in other areas – this is a feature of good universities, without strong science we will not be able to provide better and better education, social support or cultural offer from the University of Lodz at a high level. We are currently working on a system for verification of the implementation of the adopted assumptions. While 2021 was a good prelude to building a strong research University of Lodz, 2022 will be the first year when we say "I check". I believe that together we will be able to deal with everything.
The strategy serves to introduce changes that are to strengthen the University of Lodz in the role of a strong research centre, a centre of modern education, a university influencing the reality and an integrated academic community – we read in the introduction to the document adopted by the UL Senate in June 2021.
The work on the Strategy 2021-2030 was led by the Vice-Rector for External Relations, dr hab. Agnieszka Kurczewska, prof. UL However, the document was created by the community of the University of Lodz itself, and many groups that are part of it participated in the consultations – academic and administrative staff, doctoral students and students. All this to include as many points of view as possible. Knowledge was and undoubtedly is their common denominator:
Science is the continuous development of knowledge, education is its systematics and dissemination, cooperation with the outside world – efficient implementation of the formulated conclusions.
Values of the University, i.e., curiosity, courage, commitment, cooperation and respect are also important elements that unite the community of the University of Lodz giving it a direction of development.
The UL Vice-Rector, dr hab. Agnieszka Kurczewska, prof. UL lists:
We indicate knowledge and science as the main direction of the University's development. We add to it the courage, strength of diversity, the framework of the classical university and we have an outline of our uniqueness.
Rector of the University of Lodz, prof. Elżbieta Żądzińska talks about values at the University of Lodz in the recording. More about the new strategy of the University of Lodz: Values and knowledge as the foundation of the University of Lodz.
Prestigious orchids, the return of graphene and cooperation with Oxford, i.e., some scientific successes of 2021
In 2021, we could enjoy great awards for our researchers, joint lectures with the world's largest universities or scientific projects that may change our reality.
Dr hab. Marta Kolanowska, prof. UL from the Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection of the University of Lodz received an award from the American Maxwell/Hanrahan Foundation for important research on orchids. She has discovered 370 unknown to science species of orchids. She often works in the field, mostly in South America. Among others, thanks to this, she is among 5 researchers in the world who were awarded by the Foundation with an amount of USD 100 000 in the field research category. The researcher was previously nominated for the Heisig Award, now called the Polish equivalent of the Nobel Prize, and was also on the Forbes list of 100 inspiring women of 2021.
The ENABLE project, led at the University of Lodz by prof. Jakub Kronenberg from the Faculty of Economics and Sociology, received the "BiodivERsA for Excellence and Impact" award. This has been the second project awarded by the BiodivERsA programme that prof. Kronenberg was involved in. The award was granted in recognition of the development of a comprehensive model for the operation and planning of the so-called blue and green infrastructure (including greenery and water in cities, green areas, water reservoirs, green roofs, rain gardens) to unleash its full potential.
Lawyers from the Department of Labour Law, Faculty of Law and Administration at the University of Lodz – dr Izabela Florczak and dr Marta Otto were invited to give guest lectures at Oxford. Delivering a lecture at the University of Oxford – the most renowned university in the UK and one of the best in the world, is a huge honour. Researchers from the University of Lodz took part in discussions concerning international research on algorithms used in employment. We were also appreciated by the United States – researchers from two Faculties of #UniLodz – dr hab. Magdalena Urbaniak (Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection) and dr Łukasz Szkopiński (Faculty of Philology) received the Fulbright Senior Award grant.
Mgr Elżbieta Mierzejewska,a doctoral student from the Department of UNESCO Chair on Ecohydrology and Applied Ecology at the University of Łódź, won the 5th edition of the Polish Intelligent Development Award in the category: Scientist of the Future for her project on soil cleaning using plants. For the same project, dr Magdalena Urbaniak, prof. UL and mgr Elżbieta Mierzejewska received a distinction in the Science category of the "Łódzkie Eureka" 2020 award. The researchers have indicated that especially cucurbits (cucumber, pumpkin, zucchini, melon or watermelon) have outstanding cleansing properties that simultaneously do not harm the environment, in which they grow.
Scientists from the Faculty of Physics and Applied Informatics of the University of Lodz – dr hab. Paweł Kowalczyk and dr Paweł Krukowski have created a prototype of a display in OLED technology (the technology using self-contained organic light sources) with a graphene electrode. Thanks to the plasticity and transparency of graphene, it may be a breakthrough in the development of the so-called flexible electronics, enabling the construction of plastic (freely bending) monitors, screens and displays. This is the first such a device in Poland and one of the few worldwide.
Science in cooperation with Real Madrid and other European football clubs? The year 2021 proved that it is possible, and it is possible under the guidance of the University of Lodz. The CBRN (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear) Defence project began last year. Last year, a project on defence against CBRN threats (chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear) was launched. Fourteen institutions involved in the CBRN Defence programme have created an international Safe Stadium consortium, the works of which are managed by a biologist, dr hab. Michał Bijak, prof. UL. The first visit was to the Lech Poznań stadium. The experts are already working in Lodz and at a stadium in Zilina, Slovakia. This year work is scheduled at the facility of the famous Real Madrid. Creating an integrated security system for European sports arenas is to be the final effect of the works.
In 2021 we also dealt with our own “backyard”. Archaeologists and enthusiasts under the supervision of dr inż. Artur Ginter from the Laboratory of Dating and Conservation of Artifacts at the Institute of Archaeology, University of Lodz, conducted field research in the Old Town Square in Lodz. In successively discovered layers that are traces of ancient human activity in the Old Town Square, archaeologists encountered objects made it possible to describe the history of this place more fully. The archaeological laboratory of the University of Lodz is a unique laboratory on a national scale, distinguished, among others, by the fact that in addition to the conservation of artifacts, it also carries out luminescent dating of bricks, antique ceramics, tiles and other objects made of clay.
The year 2021 was also extremely successful for one of the fastest growing units of our university – the BioBank Laboratory of the University of Lodz. The team led by dr Dominik Strapagiel, prof. UL has not only opened a new office, but also has had other large projects underway, including the creation of a genetic map of Poles. The year 2022 is going to be no less intense for Biobank, we are keeping our fingers crossed. Prof. Dominik Strapagiel also received a nomination for the ministerial team for open science resources in 2021 and is working on including the University of Lodz in the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC).
Deepjyoti Nath, a computer science student from the Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science,University of Lodz, is working on the construction and introduction to the market of an efficient robot for automatic disinfection of hospitals, which is to provide effective assistance to healthcare during the pandemic. The first Robo-UV prototype won the first prize at the "Development Vision Forum" in Gdynia. Currently, the robot is being tested in hospitals all over the country.
You can read more about the so far and new successes of our scientists on the university's website in the tabs: Science and research and News.
Support for the researchers from the University of Lodz
The year 2021 will go down in the history of the University of Lodz as the year in which the largest number of international researchers were recruited at one time. This is due to the funding the University obtained for its participation in the Excellence Initiative - Research University (IDUB) competition. University of Lodz uses the funds from the subsidy increased by 2% on implementing internal grant competitions. The funds are one of the most important tools for building research excellence at the University of Lodz. It is as part of the financial resources that the University of Lodz funds research ideas of its scientists and doctoral students. Thanks to the internal grants, for the next few years, researchers from Japan, Argentina, Denmark or India will conduct research together with Polish scientists, enriching us scientifically and creating new relationships that will certainly be beneficial the future. We keep our fingers crossed for them to stay with us longer.
More than PLN 3 million was awarded to the winning projects under the 2nd edition of IDUB #UniLodz internal grant competitions "Grants for young and experienced researchers" and "Doctoral research grants". Among the winning projects, there are, inter alia: a project by prof. Monika Talarowska – borderline; i.e., personality disorders, that by dr Mateusz Piątkowski – computer games and international humanitarian law, the one by prof. Grażyna Chwatko – bakuchiol as a new cosmetic ingredient or the one by dr Andrzej Śliwerski – research on the determinants of depressive and anxiety disorders in children with Type 1 diabetes (CT1). This confirms that the University of Lodz consistently focuses on practical projects that serve people but also build research excellence. Internal competitions carried out in 2021 also include Doctoral Research Grants, Bonuses for grants obtained from external funds, Bonuses for publications and patents, Grants for increasing the application potential, or Rector's Awards. You can read more about the #UniLodz IDUB competitions on the University's website.
Last year also meetings of the Rector of the University of Lodz, prof. Elżbieta Żądzińska with assistant professors were initiated. We want to help build a path of scientific development. The first meetings with young and experienced assistant professors took place at the turn of April and May 2021. They were devoted to the available tools and pro-quality initiatives implemented by the university. The November edition of the meetings was devoted to external grants as tools for building and developing a scientific career. Prof. Elżbieta Żądzińska assured that the University of Lodz would do everything to support researchers who have well-defined development paths, and the meetings would be continued. The Rector also talked about the development of young researchers in one of her speeches.
The Young Scientists Development Council has been operating at the University of Lodz for more than a year now. It brings together representatives of young researchers from twelve Faculties of the University of Lodz. Activities of the Council focus on the mobility and grant activity of young scientists, the quality of education and training, or the promotion of researchers and research on the national and international stage. The Council supports the International Hub, UL in obtaining and disseminating information on the mobility programmes, grants and scholarships. So far, it has prepared a folder describing mobility grants and research grants dedicated to young researchers, it has analyzed the evaluation process of teaching activity of young researchers in order to develop recommendations on how to organize teaching work that would support employees at the beginning of their scientific career. The Council also consults with the Service Centre for Students and PhD Candidates in preparing a training package for students on various aspects of scholarly activity.
In June 2021, ceremonial doctoral and habilitation promotions took place. One hundred and twenty five scientists representing 3 fields (humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences), 18 disciplines, from 12 Faculties. The research of each of them demonstrates the strength of the University of Lodz, built by diversity and curiosity about the world around us. We can safely call the effort and commitment put by our scientists "a good job".
In 2021, 16 academic teachers from the University of Lodz received professorial nominations from the hands of President Andrzej Duda. Employees of the Faculty of Philology of the University of Lodz received the greatest number of nominations. The conferment of the title of professor to subsequent employees of the University of Lodz is a confirmation of their consistent pursuit of research excellence in their disciplines and their significant contribution to the development of science, also in the international perspective.
Professor Elżbieta Żądzińska, Rector of the University of Lodz, referred to the issue of science, its management, the Lodz experience of diversity and the challenges of evaluation in the CRASP podcast.
Highly ranked!
Last year was also about the University's successes measured by its high positions in rankings by the Polish and international scientific world. As one of the few Polish universities, the University of Lodz is listed in international rankings, including: QS World University Rankings: EECA, WEBOMETRICS or Round University Ranking (RUR).
In 2021 the University of Lodz took 4th place in terms of the number of MINIATURES that it received – grants from the National Science Centre (NCN). Researchers from the University of Lodz obtained funding for 22 projects. University of Warsaw was slightly ahead of us – it came third with 23 grants. This is yet another proof of the strong research position developed by scientists from the University of Lodz in Poland. It is also worth mentioning the significant financial success achieved in the MINIATURE grants. University of Lodz was in the 5th place in this ranking with financing in the amount of PLN 720,730, ahead of, among others, University of Warsaw, which took the 7th place.
Researchers from the University of Lodz were included in the TOP 2% of the prestigious ranking – The most highly cited scientists in the world. The lists of the most influential authors have been elaborated by the analysts from Stanford University, Elsevier Publishing Group and SciTech Strategies. Among the most highly cited scientists in the world there are 23 researchers from the University of Lodz, which is a better result than the one last year (18 scientists).
In the published QS World University Rankings: EECA The University of Lodz is among 20% of the best universities of this ranking. We ranked 78th, going up from 83rd. The high position of our university is a result of, among others, very good reputation among employers and high evaluation of research conducted by our scientists.
We have also moved up in the international WEBOMETRICS ranking. In January, we took the 12th place among universities in Poland. This is an advance of as many as 18 positions compared to the ranking from July 2020. The study by Cybermetrics Lab – the largest research group in Spain –examines the visibility of universities and their achievements online. The University of Lodz owes its growing position on the Internet, among others, to the policy of open access, which has been implemented for several years and promotion of our scientists' research on the Internet.
We have also significantly improved our position in the Round University Ranking (RUR) in Natural Sciences. In the latest ranking, the University of Lodz was ranked 4th among Polish research units in the internationalisation category. Meanwhile, in the overall RUR ranking, the University moved up 21 positions in the world ranking.
You can read more about science and research on the website of the University. We also encourage you to follow the profile of the University of Lodz on FB, the Quality Science group and the YouTube channel of the University of Lodz.
Edit: Promotion Centre, UL