We translate challenges into success

Distinguished guests, Dear Students,

Doctoral Students, Ladies and Gentlemen!

The inauguration of the new academic year is the most important event for the community of each university. This day becomes one of the key days in the lives of the first year students. This is the first conscious, adult choice and important responsibility.

This is the 113th time when young people come to SGH Warsaw School of Economics, entrusting themselves to our care - kind tutors and scientific mentors. This is the reason for treating the start of the academic year as a solemn ceremony, highlighted by unusual, ceremonious setting and symbolism.

At the beginning of my speech, I would like to address the main beneficiaries of this celebration. I welcome you to SGH Warsaw School of Economics, a university with a very rich tradition, ambitious, open with scientists, experts, practitioners of economic life and authorities recognised at international level rallied around university colleges.

I wish you success in the fulfillment of your dreams, in acquiring knowledge, skills and experience that will allow you to properly and thoroughly prepare for your future professional life. Use your student years’ privileges wisely but also take your responsibilities seriously and responsibly. This upcoming intellectual adventure should be an important stage in your life, and the time spent here will prove to be fruitful for your future, because according to our slogan SGH Warsaw School of Economics shapes leaders.

SGH Warsaw School of Economics focuses its activity on creating the best didactic and research programmes, which on the one hand is to facilitate the development of science, and on the other hand is to help build the foundation for comprehensive education of successive generations of talented young people. The indicated tasks are ambitious and we perceive them as building better and better conditions for acquiring education by improving the offer and adjusting it to current economic needs, it is taking care for the highest quality of education and devising modern organisational and legal solutions allowing us to operate and develop efficiently. Our faculty of finance and accounting received a distinction in accreditation granted by the Polish Accreditation Commission.

Our efforts bring measurable results. I am proud to announce that our university has just been granted the prestigious European Commission award, the so-called HR logo. The indicated distinction is awarded to European institutions that create a friendly scientific work environment in accordance with the guidelines of the European Charter for Researchers and i the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers..

We must translate the challenges related to the new legal order into our success. We must use the reform to improve ourselves, while maintaining our academic traditions and values.
Prof. of SGH Warsaw School of Economics dr hab. Marek Rocki, His Magnificence Rector of SGH Warsaw School of Economics in Warsaw

Another success we can observe this week is the grant of the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange (NAWA) provided for international exchange of doctoral students. We will host young scientists from both Europe and Australia. We will also send our most talented PhD students there for educational and research workshops. Yesterday, together with the Medical University of Warsaw, we collected a diploma for taking the first place in the Ranking of Schools for Training Health Managers in the category of postgraduate education for MBA SGH-UM studies.

In addition, bearing in mind the benefits of scientific cooperation with other academic centres, I signed a letter of intent with Professor Andrzej Kaleta, rector of the Wrocław University of Economics, regarding the conduct of joint research projects by academics from our universities.

Considering the future of our pupils, the Warsaw School of Economics develops cooperation with business practice. We strive to take the labour market expectations into account as far as possible in our education programmes. I am proud to announce that our university has just been granted the official Partner status of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA), which associates over 230 thousand members and students from around the world.

The cooperation with business practice is facilitated by new activities undertaken by companies that constitute the SGH Partner Club. This year is particularly important to us – we celebrate the 20th anniversary of developing cooperation with our strategic economic partners. Importantly, we not only deepen relationships with individual members of the Club, but we also expand. Right now, the world leader on the market of modern technologies joins our group – the Samsung Company. We welcome and thank you for the declaration of active cooperation.

In addition to high ambitions and designing projects tailored not only to our expectations but also to the needs of future generations, we have to face everyday reality challenges. The Parliament of the Republic of Poland adopted a law reforming the area of higher education and science. We must translate the challenges related to the new legal order into our success. We must use the indicated reform to improve ourselves, while maintaining our academic traditions and values. Let me remind you - only for the sake of clarity - that these values are:

• primarily around issues relevant to all members of our community;
• openness - that is, close links with external stakeholders and maintaining relationships with business practice;
• scientific excellence - strengthening our position in research, popularising its results and extensive cooperation in the aforementioned area;
• leadership in economic education - by creating ambitious, modern and expected education programmes for students, doctoral students and post-graduate students;
• organisational efficiency - that is, the ability to respond to changing reality, reach for modern technologies and invest in development.

The SGH development strategy is clear and precise. It relates to the tradition and achievements of the university but above all ambitious and real plans for the future are formulated. We will use the new law as an opportunity for the university further development. At the same time, we will maintain our unique structure of colleges, strengthening the SGH scientific development through scientific councils for particular disciplines, including all independent employees of a given discipline, and one strong doctoral school with specialisations related to individual disciplines of science. In order to improve the quality of didactics, we want to establish study programme boards. We are starting the work on a new statute and I invite all members of the SGH academic community to co-create it!

On the new academic year inauguration day, I want to wish you all the best: perseverance, ingenuity and persistence in acquiring knowledge, skills and valuable experience. I wish all employees implemented their goals this year.

I wish a good new academic year to the entire SGH community! .

Gaudeamus igitur!

PROF. DR HAB. MAREK ROCKI, His Magnificence of SGH Warsaw School of Economics