University Day. Honorary doctorates awarded
Two honorary doctorates were awarded on March 10, 2022, the day of the 28th anniversary of the founding of the University of Opole. Prof. Jana Hoffmannova and Prof. Julian Kornhauser were conferred with honorary doctorates during the ceremony which took place in the auditorium hall of the Faculty of Theology.
The Rector of Opole University, Prof. Marek Masnyk, began his speech with a reference to the war in Ukraine.
“On 24 February Russia attacked Ukraine, said the rector. “Today we are witnessing genocide committed before the eyes of the world. Thousands of people are seeking refuge with us and we have opened our doors and hearts to them. We believe that they will come out of this war victorious, and that they will return home and rebuild their country. Over two hundred refugees have found shelter in our halls of residence. Our students and lecturers from Ukraine are here with us today. Let us applaud them, they are our friends. Let the applause be a token of our support. We welcome you warmly! Today we are all Ukrainians!”
Next, the Rector welcomed the guests who had come to the ceremony. Among them were: Vice Marshal Zuzanna Donath-Kasiura, Director of the Legal Department of the VO Barbara Zwierzewicz, Mayor of Opole Arkadiusz Wiśniewski, Vice-Mayor of Opole Maciej Wujec, former rectors of the University of Opole: Prof. Stanisław S. Nicieja and Prof. Józef Musielok, Bishop of Opole Rev. Andrzej Czaja, an outstanding actor Andrzej Seweryn, General Director of the University Hospital Dariusz Madera, rectors of befriended universities, representatives of cultural and educational institutions, business, as well as guests of honorary doctors: Dr Jakub Kornhauser - poet, essayist, translator, Magdalena Piotrowska-Grot, Andrzej and Bogumiła Wowkostryl, Marek and Marcelina Wowkostryl, Associate Professor Celina Juda, and Prof. Martin Prosek and Prof. Petr Nejedly from Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prof. Petr Mares from the Charles University in Prague, Prof. Jiří Zeman from Hradec Králové University, Prof. Olga Muellerová, and Prof. Bohuslav Hoffmann.
In his address, Rector Marek Masnyk briefly outlined the history of the University of Opole and its plans for the near future. “The University is an institution suspended between the past and the future. It is therefore sustained both by its conservative past - history, tradition, values - and by its innovative future - professionalism, efficiency, knowledge and technology transfer,” said the rector.
The
rector's speech was followed by laudations in honour of the ceremony's
protagonists. Prof. Jana Hoffmannova’s laudation was presented by Prof. Jolanta
Nocoń from the Institute of Linguistics, and a laudation in honour of Prof.
Julian Kornhauser was given by Prof. Adrian Gleń, from the Institute of
Literatures.
The awarding of honorary doctorates to the laureates was the culminating moment of the ceremony. Professor Jana Hoffmannova received her diploma in person and on behalf of Professor Julian Kornhauser, the diploma was collected by his son, Dr Jakub Kornhauser.
“It is a great honour for me to participate in today's ceremony. I thank my colleagues, Polish language scholars, for their initiative and care, I thank the authorities of the university and all of you," said Professor Jana Hoffmannova as she began her lecture.
Selected poems by Julian Kornhauser were presented by an excellent actor, Andrzej Seweryn.
Congratulations, letters, acknowledgements
In the part of the ceremony dedicated to the speeches of guests, among others, the Deputy Marshal of the Opole Voivodeship, Zuzanna Donath-Kasiura took the floor.
“Today, the University of Opole has honoured people who restore the memory of fundamental things - the importance of words and communication in times when there are more and more pictures and fewer and fewer words," said Zuzanna Donath-Kasiura.
She warmly thanked the university community for taking care of the refugees from Afghanistan and now from Ukraine: - Thank you for having welcomed so many refugees from Ukraine into your halls of residence.
On the occasion of the ceremony, the OU rector received congratulatory letters from the Maria Curie-Skłodowska University, the University of Olsztyn, the JP II University in Krakow, the Pontifical Faculty of Theology of the University of Wrocław, the Catholic University of Lublin, the Medical University of Wrocław, the Stefan Wyszyński University and others.
The musical setting was provided by the University Choir ‘Dramma per musica’ conducted by Dr Elżbieta Trylnik.