1. Jagiellonian University - short presentation
The University of
Kraków (Alma Mater Cracoviensis) was established in the
center of the city, by a Royal Act of King Casimier the
Great with three faculties (Liberal Arts, Law and
Medicine) in 1364. The thirty-eighth university in Europe
and the second (after Prague) in the East-Central part of
the continent, the Kraków Academy was the easternmost of
European universities for more than two hundred years.
The current name of the Jagiellonian University derived from King Wladyslaw
Jagiello who reorganized the University in 1400.
At present
the University is divided into 14 faculties which conduct
research, teaching and academic training in fields such
as: Law and Administration, Philosophy, History,
Philology, Mathematics, Informatics and Physics,
Biotechnology, Biology and Earth Sciences, Chemistry,
Management and Social Studies, Astronomy and Applied
Informatics, Medicine, Pharmacy, and Nursing. The last
three faculties and the State Clinical Hospital form
Collegium Medicum. Faculties are generally divided into
institutes, chairs and departments. At present, the
University employs 3252 academic staff, which consists of
more than 459 professors, about 456 associate professors
and 2400 assistant professors and teaching assistants. It
is one of Poland’s largest institutions of college
education, with about 38 000 students. The Jagiellonian
Library gathers over three million volumes, and the 42
subsidiary institute libraries almost one million and a
half. The University is a center not only of research and
teaching but also of cultural activities. Regular
concerts in the Assembly Hall, known as "University
Evenings", are organized in cooperation with the
Kraków Philharmonic. Numerous performances are given by
the University Choir, a chamber music group Consortium
Iagellonicum, and the renowned Slowianki folk dance
group. Students can also choose from the program of the
Rotunda Student Cultural Center.
The
Jagiellonian University is an autonomous state
institution and is governed by the Rector and Senate, and
each faculty by Dean and Faculty Board. The Rector and
Vice-Rectors are elected for three-year’ terms by
Board of Electors representing the whole academic
community. Deans are elected for the same period of time
by representative Faculty Boards.
For more information see: http://www.uj.edu.pl
2. Faculty of Biotechnology
The Faculty of Biotechnology has been estabilished on the
1st of October 2002 by the decision of the Senate of the
Jagiellonian University and it is the youngest new
Faculty of the University. The Faculty grew from the
Institute of Molecular Biology which was created in 1970
within the Faculty of Biology and Earth Sciences by two
professors, Jan Zurzycki and Maria Sarnecka-Keller, who
were also its first directors. After the first decade in
the medieval building of Collegium Iuridicum, in 1980 the
Institute was moved to a larger building at Mickiewicza
Avenue # 3 and reorganized, seven departmens and several
laboratories were created. At present the Faculty of
Biotechnology is located at the III'rd Campus of the
Jagiellonian University.The Faculty employs 125
individuals, including 71 academic staff and 54
supporting personnel (technicians, engineers,
administration, etc.). Each year, approximately 80
students prepare MSc theses and 70 graduates work toward
their PhD degrees during a four-year’ postgraduate
course of study. The Faculty are involved in research
supported by approximately 30 grants. By and large, the
research has an interdisciplinary character and is
carried out in collaboration with over 80 Polish and
foreign academic institutions and research laboratories.
Formal agreements about scientific collaboration were
signed with several institutions from the U.S.A. and
Europe, including National Biomedical ESR Center in
Milwaukee (Wisconsin, U.S.A.), or the Department of
Biochemistry of the University of Georgia in Athens
(Georgia, U.S.A.). Each year, the Institut’s staff
publish approximately 80 papers, predominantly in
international academic journals. The principal subjects
of research are the methods of electron paramagnetic
resonance in biological and medical applications, the
influence of physicochemical factors on the structure and
dynamics of biological membranes, the regulation of acute
phase protein synthesis by cytokine and cellular growth
and differentiation factors, mediators of inflammation
and angiogenesis, gene therapy, the regulation of the
induced expression on nitric oxide synthesis, B-group
vitamin protein bonding, the structure and function of
proteinase and its inhibitors, the bactericidal peptides,
the prevention and treatment of biochemical and clinical
changes of model diabetes, the molecular aspects of
pathogenesis, chloroplast movement mechanisms, the
regulation of the growth and differentiation of normal
and cancerous cells in vitro, and the molecular dynamics
of protein.
The Institute
Library, a branch of the Jagiellonian Library, gathers
over 10,000 books and 33 international and 30 Polish
journals. At present, it is also possible to search the
data base in the ISIS program.The library is connected to
the information network based on the VTLS system. Also
data bases such as MEDLINE and LIFE SCIENCES COLLECTION
are available.on CD-ROM.
The Faculty
of Biotechnology takes part in SOCRATES/ERASMUS
program which gives students an opportunity to study
abroad.
For more information see: http://www.mol.uj.edu.pl
3. Academic calendar
In Poland the academic year is divided into two semesters as follows:
Fall
semester: October-January (with
Christmas vacation)
Spring
semester:
February-June
Examinations are held in January/February and May/June sessions
Public and University Holidays:
Matriculation Day
- 1st October
All Saints
Day - 1st November
Independence
Day -11th November
Christmas
Break - 23rd December - 4th January
Labor Day -
1st May
Constitution
Day - 3rd May
Corpus
Christi - 15th June
Summer
Vacation -July to September
4. The Polish grading scale
The result is given on a scale from 2 to 5. The following is the marking system used:
2
fail (niedostatecznie)
3 sufficient (dostatecznie)
+ 3 satisfactory
(+dostatecznie)
4
good (dobrze)
+ 4 very good
(+dobrze)
5 very
good (bardzo dobrze)
5. The ECTS grading scale
A Excellent
(outstanding performance with only minor errors)
B Very good (above
the average standard but with some errors)
C Good (generally
sound work with a number of notable errors)
D Satisfactory
(fair but with significant shortcamings)
E Sufficient
(performance meets the minimum criteria)
FX Fail (some more
work required before the credit can be avaroled)
F Fail
(considerable further work is required)
For ECTS students the results may be given in both Polish and ECTS grades.
6. Course structure
Undertaking the course of study in the Faculty of Biotechnology leads to the following three degrees: a Bachelor degree, BSc (Bachelor of Science - "Licencjat" - is available from academic year 1999/2000), based on a full-time three-year’ curriculum; a Master degree, MSc (Master of Science - "Magister") which requires completing a full-time five-year’ course; and a PhD degree (Doctor of Philosophy), based on a full-time nine-year’ study program. Students need not choose the degree they want to obtain immediately after admission. They can make the decission later according to their own plans, skills and interests. During the first two years students are introduced to the basic knowledge of the subjects they have chosen. At the end of fourth semester students should decide whether they want to continue along the Master track or graduate with a Bachelor degree. The Bachelor degree is a proof of basic, all-round proficiency within the chosen subject. Biotechnology students who want to obtain the Master degree choose one of the following specializations: medical biotechnology, plant biotechnology, biochemistry and biophysics. The Master degree is a proof of all-round proficiency combined with a higher understanding of the basic relations within the chosen subject(s) and also proves that the holder is capable of carrying out scientific investigation at an advanced level. Only selected students are invited to apply for admission to the Graduate (PhD) School.
7. What is ECTS?
ECTS, the European Community Course Credit Transfer System, was developed by the Commission of the European Committees in order to provide common procedures to guarantee academic recognition of studies abroad. It provides a way of grading and comparing learning achievements, and transferring them from one institution to another. ECTS credits are values allocated to course units to describe a student’s workload required to complete them. They reflect the quantity of work each course required in relation to the total quantity of work required to complete a full year of academic study at a given institution, e.g. lectures, practical work, seminars, private work ( in the library or at home ) and examinations or other assessment activities. ECTS credits express a relative value.
8. The pilot scheme
ECTS was tested as a pilot project forming part of the TEMPUS (Trans-European Mobility Program for University Studies) program. The pilot scheme employed by our Institute operated in the field of biotechnology and involved the following seven college education institutions (on faculty or department levels) which was partners of JEP 11113-96:
Aarhus University (DK)
Amsterdam
University (NL)
Jagiellonian
University (P)
Lund University (S)
Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitat
and Max-Planck Institute for Biochemistry (D)
Orleans University
(F)
Uppsala University
(S)
During the first three
years of their studies, students are not eligible for
receiving Socrates grants. The selection of students who
will receive these grants will be carried out by home
institution, that is the Faculty of Biotechnology, of the
Jagiellonian University. Students participating in ECTS
will receive full credit for all academic work carried
out successfully at any of the ECTS partner institutions.
They will also be able to transfer these academic credits
from one participating institution to another, on the
basis of prior agreement between students and the
institutions involved, up on the content of the program
of the study abroad. AlI students of the participating
departments who are willing to take part in the ETCS
pilot scheme may do s o within the limits of available
places, if their .home institution agrees. Most students
participating in ECTS will go to one host institution in
one EC Member State, study there for a specified period
of time (five months) and then return to their home
institution. The Socrates grant will provide above 20,
five- month student mobility grants during each academic
year.
9. The allocation of credit points to courses
The basic allocation of academic credits in ECTS is 60 credits per year of study, or 30 credits per semester. No special courses are set up for ECTS purposes, all ECTS courses are mainstream courses held by participating institutions and followed by home students under normal regulations. Credits are allocated for all courses by participating institutions. Practical experience and optional courses that form an integral part of the course of study receive academic credit. Practical experience and optional courses that do not form an integral part of the course of study do not receive academic credit (e.g. physical training, etc.). Courses to which no credit is attached may, however, be included on a student’s transcript. Students attending additional practice courses (eg. summer Biotechnology School, laboratory of industrial practice in biotechnology) may receive additional points after approval by vice-dean of the Faculty.
10. ECTS students
Students of the
participating departments who are willing to take part in
ECTS program will be selected by departmental ECTS
coordinator, on the bases of their practical knowledge of
English and grades of all examinations from first three
years. Selected students will have to fill a student
application form after becoming familiar with the study
program and course units available in receiving
institutions. Departmental ECTS coordinator will
negotiate learning agreement between home and host
institutions fill in appropriate forms and prepare
student transcript of records.
When participating
students have successfully completed the study program
previously agreed between the home and the host
institutions and return to the home institution, credit
transfer will take place, and students will continue to
study at home institution without any loss of time or
credit. Credits are awarded only after the course has
been completed and all necessary examinations passed.
Students who have obtained less credits than required may
be requested to complete the requirements in their home
institution before proceeding to the next year, or term
of study.