The Fahrenheit University Association begins the new academic year with an expanded membership. Two art schools have joined the Gdańsk University of Technology, the University of Gdańsk and the Medical University of Gdańsk: the Academy of Fine Arts and the Academy of Music in Gdańsk.
We are overjoyed that artists will also function together with us in this system. This is the Academy of Music and the Academy of Fine Arts in Gdańsk - says Prof. Krzysztof Wilde.
As he points out, the main activities of the union are to serve students and university employees and to implement the broader concept of creating a "metropolis of knowledge and innovation" in Tricity.
However, cooperation with art universities does not start from scratch. The Academy of Fine Arts participated in joint ventures even before formally joining the association. One example is the Pomeranian Academy of Public Space Planning.
Students from all universities of the Fahrenheit Association are given a problem to solve together. For example, how to support a specific region, a specific city, a specific village and what solutions to propose to the authorities for the development of this local community. The Academy of Fine Arts was an active, main participant in this program even before it was formally a member of the Association of Fahrenheit Universities - explains the rector of the Gdańsk University of Technology.
From union to federation
The most important change planned for the coming period is the further formal integration of five universities. Prof. Wilde announces the commencement of work aimed at establishing the Federation of Fahrenheit Universities.
From October 1, we will start the sprint to the Federation - declares Prof. Wilde.
The federation would be the next stage of this cooperation. According to the GUT rector, it is to be called Fahrenheit University, and in English - Fahrenheit University.
If the Federation of Fahrenheit Universities is opened, we will be able to represent it de facto as one university. We are independent, we have separate ways of functioning at each of the universities that form the federation, but we still have the opportunity to present ourselves as one entity on the international, especially scientific, higher education market - says Prof. Wilde.
This means that the universities forming the federation are to retain their own identity and way of functioning, but they will be able to act together in certain areas. However, the path to creating a new structure will not be short.
There must be significant preparations here. We need to write a statute and apply to the authorities of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education. It is also possible that other ministries will be involved. So this process will take some time, but the most important thing is to initiate this procedure as soon as possible - admits Prof. Wilde.
The field of study has already been accepted by five universities. This was confirmed by the senates of each university. This was confirmed by the community that accepted it, emphasizes the president of the Fahrenheit Universities Association.
Joint research is already underway
However, integration is not limited to plans for a future federation. One of the specific examples of cooperation is the Fahrenheit Synergy Program, a program for financing joint research by scientists from universities that make up the Association.
We managed to create a Synergy Grant. A scientific program in which the condition for obtaining funding is the participation of scientists from three universities that founded the Fahrenheit Universities Association. Each of them must have its representatives in the project - explains prof. Wilde.
The annual budget of the program is currently PLN 2 million. The Rector emphasizes that this is an example of cooperation that goes beyond joint events or promotion.
In the first edition of Synergy Grant, scientists submitted 41 projects. Four received funding. One of the winners is a project on early cancer diagnosis and platelet RNA analysis using Spin Glass models. He received 750 thousand. PLN for research.
The next one concerns healthy aging and personalized behavioral and communication interventions in the prevention of lifestyle diseases.
There were 41 projects submitted, four won the competition, received financing and are being implemented. They will be accounted for, their results will be analyzed and, of course, presented to our community - announces Prof. Wilde.
On Saturday, October 10, the ceremonial opening of the academic year will take place, i.e. the annual parade of Pomeranian universities, organized by Fahrenheit University and the City of Gdańsk.
