The award in the category 'Distinguished Star' of the peer-juried competition 'Stars of Internationalization' was decided by the competition's jury panel presided over by professor Jan Szmidt, Rector of Warsaw University of Technology, President of CRASP.
Professor Jan Krysiński was in office as rector of TUL for four terms. He also served as president of the Conference of Rectors of Polish Universities of Technology. The Star of Internationalization was awarded to him in particular in recognition of the establishment of the International Faculty of Engineering - a unique organizational unit of Lodz University of Technology providing degree programmes taught in English and French - in 1992 at Lodz University of Technology.
I am deeply satisfied to see the seed sown 25 years ago yield such fine crop, to hear foreign languages spoken at the TUL's campus. IFE has become a magnet for international students. Lodz University of Technology is one of international exchange leaders among Polish universities', professor Krysiński said in his speech during the IFE anniversary last October.
Professor Jan Krysiński has always emphasized the important role doc. dr inż. Tomasz Saryusz - Wolski, IFE director, has had in the development of IFE since its very conception. - His drive and commitment have resulted in, among others, the IFE building, and spurred IFE's spectacularly swift rise to prominence. In 1993, 25 students were enrolled in programmes taught in English. In 1997, programmes with French as the language of instruction were launched, the only such programmes in Poland', the former rector reminisced.
Professor Jan Krysiński remembers the first IFE admission process to be difficult.
In those times, English was not a widely spoken foreign language. 24 students started the programme. To encourage our academic teaching staff to design course modules in English, I established a rule that in calculating the total number of mandatory teaching hours for each academic teacher, each class hour taught in English was counted as two class hours taught in Polish, which had excellent results. Quickly, new degree programmes were designed, the number of students increased. We welcomed visiting professor from Australia, USA, Scotland. I should mention professor Lityński from the well-known American military academy West Point who spent two years in Łódź teaching information technology. In 1996, after two terms in office, when I was no longer rector of the university, I took the decision to create at IFE degree programmes taught in French. In establishing the teaching staff, I relied on my colleagues who worked at universities of the Maghreb. I myself had taught at the University Paris VI and, for 5 years, at the university in Oran.
After one year's preparation, in 1997, a degree programme in Gestion et technologie was launched. The first round of admission was very successful. 25 students were admitted. - I have fond memories of each one of them. They were excellent students and one of them was dr inż. Dorota Piotrowska, currently deputy director of IFE and director of the International Cooperation Center - professor Krysiński explained. - the French Embassy in Warsaw has always supported us greatly.
Degree programmes taught in French have facilitated student exchange with French universities. On average, 50 Poles go from TUL to France each year out of the 400 students who take part in Erasmus exchange programmes. Whereas the average number of French students coming to TUL each year is 130 out of the 350 international students we host annually. 2017 data show that close to 300 students have graduated from TUL with a degree taught in French.
The first edition of the peer-juried Stars of Internationalization Awards was organized by the Education Foundation Perspektywy and the Conference of Rectors of Academic Schools in Poland.
116 Żeromskiego Street
90-924 Lodz, Poland
NIP: 727 002 18 95
