The Opening Ceremony of the 2018/2019 academic year for English language studies took place on Friday, 12th October 2018 at 10:30 a.m. at the J. Chłopecki assembly hall at the university’s headquarters.
Nearly 1,500 students from 40 countries worldwide will study at UITM this year. For the first time students from such countries as Bangladesh, Barbados, Yemen, Kenya, Colombia, Congo, Nepal, Romania, Rwanda and Slovakia have chosen Aviation Management, International Management or General Aviation to study.
Dr Andrzej Rozmus, the Vice-Rector for Teaching, opened the ceremony and welcomed everyone on behalf of the University’s authorities. Following that, dr Andrzej Szelc, Vice-President for International Relations, delivered a speech in which he spoke about courage and enthusiasm, making friends, asking questions, being inquisitive, and improving English. Dr Szelc also talked about his own experiences and encouraged young people to open up to others. He assured students that they can count on the university and get support from the university in every situation. He emphasized the fact, that the UITM gives a lot of opportunities for students and encouraged them to set their goals. He also expressed hope that they would not take shortcuts and would not treat studies as a stage of life that they have to „pass”, but follow a path that has one signpost – “Sky is the limit.” At the end of his speech, dr Szelc said: “ Work hard and find a balance between learning and having fun. You can achieve anything. Appreciate your freedom of choice.”
The matriculation ceremony was led by dr Izabela Cichocka, Vice-Dean for English-language Studies, and dr Andrzej Rozmus, Vice-Rector for Teaching.
Following it, Patrycja Hajkowicz, a second year Aviation Management student, welcomed all freshmen on behalf of the UITM Students’ Union.
The keynote speech entitled ‘Leading with Integrity’ was delivered by Ms Sylwia K. Mazur from the Institute for Research on Civilisations. During her speech, Ms Mazur put a special emphasis on the word “Integrity”. She warned students against cheating and lying and underlined, that such behaviour would not be tolerated, because it kills the mission of the University: “You have become part of our community and from now on you represent us! I want you to remember that. Set a goal, join interest groups, and do something for others. And most importantly, work on your character and become a role model for others,” she concluded.
