Changes in the act on higher education and in the evaluation system were the main topics discussed during the meeting between Prof. Maria Mrówczyńska, the Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education, and the authorities of Wrocław University of Science and Technology. The Deputy Minister also visited our Faculty. She visited the Accredited Laboratory of Electromagnetic Compatibility.

The visit began with a meeting between the Deputy Minister and MP Anna Sobolak, Paweł Gancarz, the Marshal of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship, and Arkadiusz Wójs, rector of Wrocław University of Science and Technology.

– At present, we are working very intensively in the ministry on new solutions related to legislation and executive regulations. They concern, among other things, the evaluation and amendments to the Act on Higher Education and Science – said Prof. Maria Mrówczyńska.

She added that matters concerning evaluation include for example the publication achievements of doctoral students or changes in the assessment rules of disciplines, as in the case of category A+. On the other hand, amendments to the act will be related to e-diplomas and are intended to prevent their falsification.

During the meeting, Prof. Arkadiusz Wójs, rector of Wrocław University of Science and Technology, presented the key elements of the university's development strategy. Meanwhile, Professor Katarzyna Chojnacka, vice-rector for external relations, discussed issues related to our university's national and international cooperation, while Prof. Karolina Jaklewicz and vice-rector for community development and integration, addressed matters concerning the development of the academic community.

Prof. Andrzej Kucharski, dean of our Faculty, Prof. Celina Pezowicz, dean of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, and Prof. Waldemar Banasiak from the Faculty of Medicine, the chairman of the Medical Science Discipline Council, spoke about the most important research and development plans.

Prof. Maria Mrówczyńska is a graduate of the Agricultural University in Wrocław and has been associated with the University of Zielona Góra since 1999. She is the author or co-author of monographs and textbooks, as well as over 130 publications on the use of artificial intelligence in solving engineering geodesy issues and AI applications in construction, spatial planning, and environmental engineering.

In the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, she is responsible for matters concerning innovation and development, as well as for the organisation of universities, education, and student affairs.

WUST from the inside

The Deputy Minister's visit included a tour of the university's laboratories. At our Faculty, Prof. Mrówczyńska visited the Accredited Electromagnetic Compatibility Laboratory, which is located in building C-15. The Laboratory conducts research in the field of electromagnetic compatibility and shielding effectiveness. It has the research laboratory accreditation of the Polish Centre for Accreditation.

The deputy minister viewed two chambers of the laboratory. One of them is a semi-anechoic chamber. The floor reflects the waves, but the walls and ceiling do not. It is used to examine objects that are expected not emit radiation. The second chamber is fully anechoic. It is used to examine objects that are expected to radiate.

In the chambers, researchers check whether the devices introduced into a system will operate correctly and whether they may cause other devices to malfunction. Such tests should be performed on anything that requires the processing of energy, e.g. a phone, microwave, or TV remote control.

The Deputy Minister also visited the laboratories at the Mechanical and Medical Faculties as well as the Wrocław Centre for Networking and Supercomputing.

The Centre operates as a technology partner for the scientific community. It offers a wide range of IT solutions for public entities, it collaborates with the academic and business communities, including in areas such as access to supercomputers, virtual machines, network and telecommunications services, and cybersecurity. Operating at the intersection of science and industry, it also focuses on scientific research and research processes.

In 2024, the Lem cluster, the Centre's latest computing machine, was launched, and by June 2024, it ranked 80th on the TOP500 list of the world's fastest computers.