On Monday 30th March, a ceremony was held to officially name the teaching laboratory in Building D-2 in honour of Jerzy Battek. The plaque at Laboratory 107a now commemorates the life and legacy of one of the true pioneers of computer science at Wrocław University of Science and Technology and the founding director of the University's Computing Centre.

The event was organised by professors from the Department of Applied Informatics: Ngoc Thanh Nguyen, Zbigniew Huzar, Dariusz Król and Zygmunt Mazur. The ceremony was attended by the rector of Wrocław University of Science and Technology, Prof. Arkadiusz Wójs, and the dean of the Faculty, Prof. Andrzej Kucharski, along with the family of Prof. Battek and with the Faculty staff.

Following the formal speeches and the unveiling of the commemorative plaque, Laboratory 107a in Building D-2 was officially dedicated to Jerzy Battek. The formal proceedings were followed by a more personal reception, with refreshments and presentations prepared by Prof. Zygmunt Mazur and Prof. Zbigniew Huzar, who revisited significant moments from Prof. Battek's career.

The plaque says: after graduating from the University of Wrocław in 1952, Jerzy Battek joined Wrocław University of Science and Technology. He remained active in the mathematical community of Wrocław. In collaboration with Prof. Julian Perkal and Prof. Hugo Steinhaus, he earned his doctorate in mathematical and physical sciences from the University of Wrocław.

He was a pioneer in solving numerical problems in natural and technical sciences. His name is inextricably linked to the establishment and operation of the Computing Centre, the first university-wide unit at WUST to provide computing services. He served as its director for 12 years. He was also a dedicated lecturer, and his contributions to teaching were formally recognised by the Senate of Wrocław University of Science and Technology.

Prof. Battek also chaired the programme committees for the first computer networking conferences held in Poland. In 1987, he was appointed the vice-dean of the Faculty of Computer Science and Management. The plaque concludes that “his life path served as a bridge connecting mathematics with computer science.”

Based on the article “Jerzy Battek – a Computer Scientist with a Mathematical Lineage' by Prof. Zbigniew Huzar and Prof. Krzysztof J. Szajowski, some of his key accomplishments include:

• co-creating academic foundations of computer science in both Wrocław and Poland,
• establishing and directing the WUST Computing Centre, the first unit of the University dedicated to computing services,
• advancing the University's computing infrastructure, including early mainframe computers (such as the Odra series),
• contributing to the development of the WASK system, one of Poland's first multi-user computer systems,
• integrating computer science into the standard curriculum at WUST (since 1973),
• developing Poland's earliest computer networks (including MSK and KASK, which eventually led to the creation of NASK),
• fostering industry partnerships, particularly in developing mathematical models for the open-cast mining industry,
• teaching and training programming to many of the next generation of engineers,
• serving as deputy dean of the Faculty of Computer Science and Management,

For his work he received numerous honours and awards, including four ministerial awards, over 20 Rector’s Awards, the Knight's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta, the Medal of the National Education Commission, the Golden Cross of Merit, and the Golden Medal of Wrocław University of Science and Technology.