Wrocław University of Science and Technology

Wrocław University of Science and Technology (Politechnika Wrocławska) is a technological university in Wrocław, Poland. With buildings and infrastructures dispersed throughout the city, its main facilities are gathered at a central location near Plac Grunwaldzki, alongside the Oder river. It operates three regional branches in Jelenia Góra, Legnica, and Wałbrzych. Huffington Post UK named Wrocław University of Science and Technology in the top 15 of the World’s Most Beautiful Universities Rankings.

Students and staff
Currently the university educates almost 26,000 students in over 50 Bachelor, Master, and PhD programs. Every year over 4,000 degrees are conferred with over 80,000 graduates since its foundation. The university staff consists of over 2000 academic employees and another 2,000 administration workers.

Rankings
In 2021, Wrocław University of Science and Technology was among the best universities in the world - according to The Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU), i.e. the Shanghai ranking. The university was classified in places 901–1000, at the same time taking third place among Polish technical universities. Three areas are included in the Global Ranking of Academic Subjects 2021 among the fields of science that are conducted at Wrocław University of Science and Technology. Mathematics was classified in places 201–300, and energy (Energy Science and Engineering) and Mechanical Engineering in places 301-400.

In the prestigious QS World University Rankings by Subject 2021, Wrocław University of Science and Technology has been classified in seven scientific fields: Material Sciences (places between 301–350), Engineering-Mechanical (places between 301–350), Engineering-Electrical and Electronic (places between 351–400), Mathematics (places range 351–400), Chemistry (places range 401–450), Physics & Astronomy (places range 501–550, Computer Sciences and Information Systems (places range 501–550).

In the Regional Rankings Emerging Europe and Central Asia 2020 as part of the QS World University Rankings, in which universities in Eastern, Central and Central Asia are classified, Wrocław University of Science and Technology was ranked 43rd, and among national universities - 4th.

In the most important Polish ranking of universities, "Perspektywy", Wrocław University of Science and Technology took 3rd place among technical universities in 2021 and 6th place among all academic universities in Poland.

History
The Polish Wrocław University of Technology was founded 24 August 1945. A group of 27 professors, originating from the University and Technical University of Lwów, arrived in Wrocław and started the Polish academic society in the destroyed or severely damaged buildings of the Technische Hochschule Breslau. The first lecture was given by Kazimierz Idaszewski on 15 November 1945. Since then that day has been celebrated as Wrocław Science Day.

In 1951 the university was divided into two institutions. The first rector of the newly established Wrocław University of Technology was Dionizy Smoleński. From this moment, the polytechnic developed quickly and underwent numerous organisational changes.

Nowadays students of this university take part in several science programmes such as SSETI Program – developing communication systems and steering for a satellite launched 5 October 2005.

The university is one of the founder of the International University of Logistics and Transport in Wrocław, with the city of Wrocław and the French university École supérieure internationale de commerce in Metz.

Organization
Wrocław University of Science and Technology is managed by a rector and five vice-rectors: for research, education, students' affairs, general affairs and development. Rectors and vice-rectors, as well as deans and directors of the departments are elected by the staff for five-year terms and may be re-elected once. The highest governing body within the university is the Senate, which consists of 75 members: rector, 5 vice-rectors, 12 deans, 12 students and 45 eligible staff representatives.

Faculties
The university offers education in 13 faculties:

Faculty of Architecture (W1)

 * Architecture and Urban Planning
 * Spatial Planning

Faculty of Civil Engineering (W2)

 * Civil Engineering

Faculty of Chemistry (W3)

 * Biotechnology
 * Chemistry and Industrial Analytics
 * Chemical and Process Engineering
 * Materials Science and Engineering
 * Chemical Technology

Faculty of Computer Science and Telecommunication (W4N)

 * Cybersecurity
 * IT Automation Systems
 * Algorithmical Computer Science
 * Applied Computer Science
 * Applied Computer Science in English
 * Technical Computer Science
 * Systems Engineering
 * Teleinformatics
 * Telecommunication

Faculty of Electrical Engineering (W5)

 * Industrial Automation
 * Electrical Mechatronics
 * Electromobility
 * Electrical Engineering

Faculty of Geoengineering, Mining and Geology (W6)

 * Mining and Geology
 * Geodesy and Cartography
 * Geographical Computer Science
 * Geoographical Energy Technology
 * Natural Resources Engineering

Faculty of Environmental Engineering (W7)

 * Environmental Engineering
 * Closed Cycle Economy and Climate Protection

Faculty of Management (W8)

 * Management
 * Management Engineering
 * Management in English

Faculty of Mechanical and Power Engineering (W9)

 * Mechanical Engineering and Machine Building
 * Energy Engineering
 * Aerospace Engineering
 * Renewable Energy Sources

Faculty of Mechanical Engineering (W10)

 * Control Engineering and Robotics
 * Mechanical Engineering
 * Transport
 * Production Engineering and Management
 * Mechatronics
 * Biomechanical Engineering
 * Mechanics and Machine Building

Faculty of Fundamental Problems of Technology (W11)

 * Technical Physics
 * Biomedical Engineering
 * Optics
 * Quantum Engineering

Faculty of Electronics, Microsystems and Photonics (W12)

 * Automation and Robotics
 * Electronic and Computer Engineering
 * Electronics
 * Electronics and Telecommunication
 * Intelligent Electronics
 * Mechatronic Microsystems Engineering

Faculty of Pure and Applied Mathematics (W13)

 * Mathematics
 * Applied mathematics

Research
12195 publications in journals on the ISI Master Journal List.

11345 publications in JCRI indexed journals.

5495 registered inventions, including utility models.

Scientific Journals
1. Optica Applicata 2. Material Science 3. Systems Science

Rectors

 * Stanisław Kulczyński (1945–1951)
 * Dionizy Smoleński (1951–1960)
 * Zygmunt Szparkowski (1960–1969)
 * Tadeusz Porębski (1969–1980)
 * Bogusław Kędzia (1 XII 1980–31 VIII 1981)
 * Tadeusz Zipser (1 IX–29 XII 1981)
 * Jerzy Schroeder (6 I–31 VII 1982)
 * Wacław Kasprzak (1982–1984)
 * Jan Kmita (1984–1990)
 * Andrzej Wiszniewski (1990–1996)
 * Andrzej Mulak (1996–2002)
 * Tadeusz Luty (2002–2008)
 * Tadeusz Więckowski (2008–2016)
 * Cezary Madryas (2016–2020)
 * Arkadiusz Wójs (2020–)

Student life
Students have their own self-government, which controls most of their affairs. At the university works also the Career Office which helps students in transition process from education to work.

Student organizations
Active organizations
 * ASI – University Computer Science Association
 * AZS – University Sport Association
 * AIESEC – International Association of the Economy and Commerce Students'
 * ESN – Erasmus Student Network
 * IAESTE – The International Association for the Exchange of Students for the Technical Experience
 * IACES – International Association of Civil Engineering Students
 * NZS – Independent Students' Union
 * AKM Apanonar – Academic Motors Club

European cooperation networks

 * Neisse University: 2001, in cooperation with the Technical University of Liberec in Czech Republic and the University of Applied Sciences Zittau/Goerlitz in Germany, the Neisse University was established. The academic network provides own study courses using the resources of the partner institutes. In that way students study in three countries and acquire intercultural and interdisciplinary knowledge and experiences.
 * Top Industrial Managers for Europe: The university participate to student mobility and research cooperations with European technology universities through the Top Industrial Managers for Europe (TIME) network.

International cooperation

 * Power Engineering Graduate Program – Double master's degree with Ryerson University
 * Joint Master-Program "Information Technology] with Ostwestfalen-Lippe University of Applied Sciences, Halmstad University and Aalborg University.

Centres

 * Wroclaw Centre for Networking and Supercomputing: Networking and Supercomputing services for local universities
 * Wroclaw Centre for Technology Transfer: to increase the efficiency and the competitiveness of industry through innovation
 * Lower Silesia Centre for Advanced Technology: promotion of clean technologies, hydrogen and fuel cells, food safety
 * Centre of Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology : GaN devices, delta-doped structures, scanning probe microscopy, polymers
 * Centre of Biomedical Engineering
 * Hugo Steinhaus Center :  to organize, encourage and support research on and education in stochastic techniques as applied in science and technology
 * Centre of Advanced Manufacturing Technology (CAMT)
 * Center of Biomonitoring, Biotechnology and Ecosystems Protection in Lower Silesia

Conferences

 * The 7th European Meeting coinciding with the 1st World Meeting in Visual and Physiological Optics, VPOptics 2014
 * Modern Electric Power Systems MEPS
 * International Conference "Experimental Vibration Analysis for Civil Engineering Structures" – EVACES
 * Energy Efficiency and Air Pollutants Control Conference

Notable faculty and alumni

 * Bogdan Baranowski – chemist
 * Krzysztof Baranowski – yachtsman, sailor
 * Leszek Czarnecki – businessman, billionaire and world record holder in diving
 * Rafał Dutkiewicz – former president of the City of Wrocław
 * Jadwiga Grabowska-Hawrylak – architect
 * Wojciech Kurtyka – climber
 * Jan Paweł Nowacki – electrical engineer
 * Wanda Rutkiewicz – mountaineer
 * Hugo Steinhaus – mathematician
 * Władysław Ślebodziński – mathematician
 * Czesław Ryll-Nardzewski – mathematician
 * Włodzimierz Trzebiatowski – physicist, chemist and mathematician
 * Stanisław Tołpa – botanist
 * Stanisław Trybuła – mathematician
 * Krzysztof Wielicki – mountaineer, the fifth man to climb all fourteen eight-thousanders
 * Maja Włoszczowska – World Champion in mountain biking