On Monday, December 8, 2025, the Aula Leopoldina of the University of Wrocław was filled with members of the Wroclaw Medical University (UMW) community, its friends, and partners. The University Day served as an occasion to celebrate scientific, clinical, educational, and organizational achievements – ranging from breakthrough life-saving therapies to student initiatives that shape the image and sensitivity of the medical community.
The Rector, Prof. Piotr Ponikowski, who officially opened the ceremony, reflected on the passing year, the university’s development, and the significance of the academic community. In his speech, he emphasized the high standing of Wroclaw Medical University and the University Clinical Hospital, reminding the audience that this position is the result of the collective effort of the entire academic community.
“It is with great pride and joy that I welcome you to our University Day,” he said. “We organize this celebration at the end of the year to show appreciation for everyone who has contributed to our success. The year 2025 was exceptional: as we celebrated our 75th anniversary, we demonstrated our university’s European caliber – the gala in the stunning interiors of the National Forum of Music and the lecture specially prepared for us by Nobel laureate Olga Tokarczuk were the best evidence of this.”
The Rector noted that WMU’s position is confirmed by objective international rankings and that the university’s brand is a common good for the entire community.
“The WMU brand is our collective creation, defined by our community. Each of us gains when this position grows and loses when it is undermined. Therefore, the further development of the university and the University Clinical Hospital is our duty,” he emphasized. He referred to the key values that build WMU’s strength: passion, courage, cooperation, empathy, and integrity, as well as the readiness to “look further and demand more of ourselves,” including the creation of a new model for medical education and the pursuit of research university status.
Prof. Ponikowski recalled an excerpt from Theodore Roosevelt’s famous “Citizenship in a Republic” speech, delivered in 1910 at the Sorbonne in Paris. “It is not the critic who counts, but the man who is actually in the arena, who strives,” the Rector quoted. He stressed that these words perfectly capture the path currently taken by Wroclaw Medical University: “We are moving forward as Poland’s top medical university, fully aware of our potential and our responsibility for its continued development.”
Every year, University Day provides an opportunity for expressions of gratitude and the presentation of awards and distinctions.
Names of award winners>>>link
