The 30th Anniversary of the University of Information Technology and Management in Rzeszow.

The University of Information Technology and Management in Rzeszow (UITM) celebrates its 30th anniversary today. Such a jubilee is a unique opportunity to look back and summarize the university’s achievements so far. It is also a special moment to consciously and boldly outline plans for the future. UITM continues to move forward, embracing new challenges and changes.

The Beginning of the Journey

Everything really began in May 1990 with the establishment of the Rzeszow School of Management, which since 1995 had been located in a building on Sucharskiego Street.

The application to establish a university was approved in March 1996. Thus, on March 8, 1996, the University of Information Technology and Management in Rzeszow was officially founded, and the gradual development of the Rzeszow campus began.

The First Students

More than 2,500 students began their studies in the fields of:

  • Computer Science and Econometrics
  • Economics
  • Administration

Classes were conducted by more than 110 academic teachers from Warsaw, Krakow, Lublin and Rzeszow, as well as 37 English and German language instructors.

As recalled by Prof. Tadeusz Pomianek, President of UITM:

“What was striking was that students did not need motivation; rather, they motivated us to provide education faster, more broadly, and in greater scope. Those were incomparable times — more joyful. I would not say problem-free, but the wind of history pushed us forward and we simply had to keep up with the expectations of our students.”

A New UITM Campus

In 2001, construction of the university’s second campus began in Kielnarowa near Rzeszow. The architectural design and spatial development were prepared by Urszula Pomianek.

Construction of the facilities lasted until 2010 and included:

  • teaching buildings

  • the Center for International Education

  • a sports hall

  • tennis courts

  • a dormitory

  • a hotel

  • a traditional restaurant (karczma)

An interesting detail is that the bricks used to build the restaurant came from the demolition of old buildings in the Bieszczady Mountains.

Today, the campus is a beautifully located complex where UITM effectively combines education with business cooperation.

UITM in Numbers

Over the past 30 years:

  • 50,000 graduates completed bachelor’s and master’s degree programs

  • 20,000 graduates completed postgraduate programs

From the very beginning, the university has emphasized practical education, confirming specific competencies through professional certificates.

UITM has issued over 120,000 international certificates in:

  • foreign languages

  • management

  • logistics

  • IT.

Approximately 50% of the university’s revenue comes from teaching activities, while the rest comes from:

  • scientific research

  • services for the economy

  • project implementation.

For 20 years, UITM has also offered programs taught in English.

Currently:

  • almost 1,500 international students study at UITM

  • about half of them study entirely in English

In 2025, the university also introduced programs taught in French.

Over these three decades, nearly 5,000 international graduates from dozens of countries worldwide have completed their studies at UITM.

 

Infrastructure and Projects

The infrastructure of the University of Information Technology and Management in Rzeszow is worth over PLN 400 million and includes 2 campuses and more than 50 laboratories

During the last 30 years, the university has implemented projects worth PLN 250 million, many of which were focused on education, scientific research, cooperation with the socio-economic environment.

30 Years Have Passed

It is impossible to briefly describe 30 years of the university’s history. Looking back, it is difficult to select only a few key events. However, several important milestones are worth highlighting:

The university successfully navigated one of the most challenging periods in its history by effectively adapting to the realities of the COVID-19 pandemic.

After the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, UITM organized a day-care space for women and children fleeing the conflict.

In response to climate challenges, the university adopted a sustainable development strategy.

UITM implemented one of the largest Cisco projects in the Europe, Middle East and Africa region – the Start IT – Cisco4Ukraine program, dedicated to Ukrainian citizens, especially refugees staying in the EU. For this initiative, the university received the Golden Bridge Award.

Together with eight foreign universities, UITM participates in the SUNRISE project, which is part of the European Universities Initiative, a flagship European Union program in higher education.