Prof. James G. Fujimoto received an honorary doctorate from the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń

Awards were presented at the annual university ceremony, celebrating the birthday anniversary of the patron of the university Nicolaus Copernicus (1473-1543). This year\'s celebration was special, as it coincided with the 70th anniversary of the Nicolaus Copernicus University.

"We solemnly celebrate our 70th anniversary, not only out of respect for the passing of time, but also with the awareness that it is a measure of the position and importance of each university. Institution must reach certain maturity to deserve the name of the university. This type of institution must have its own character, defined by the level of research; wide range of studies, tailored to the needs of the labour market" - said the university rector Prof. Andrzej Tretyn.

Rector emphasised that the establishment of the Nicolaus Copernicus University was a difficult process, made possible by the dreams and commitment of its founders, as well as by a special place, which is Toruń.

"(University) was invented by the people of Toruń and those who came here in the spring and summer of 1945. They all shared a dream that the city may have a university, that Toruń can become a centre of science and culture. They built this university in the post-war reality of poverty, in the times in which everything was in short supply: buildings, equipment, fuel, clothing, and food. The founders found enough strength and faith to bring this dream to life" - said the rector.

Prof. Tretyn reported that the Nicolaus Copernicus University employs 4 thousand employees and educates 25 thousand students.

The organizers and participants of the ceremony received commemorative letters from the anniversary patrons: President Bronislaw Komorowski and Minister of Science and Higher Education Lena Kolarska-Bobińska.

Awarded the honorary doctorate Prof. James G. Fujimoto of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a leading specialist in the field of optical tomography.

The scientist and his team were the first in the world to used optical tomography in clinical ophthalmic examination. Currently it is the standard method for eye imaging, useful in the detection and monitoring of progress and treatment of diseases such as glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy and macular degeneration. Researchers from the Nicolaus Copernicus University were among the scientists who received education under his supervision.

Awarded the Copernicana Convallaria (the Copernican Lily) 92-year-old Prof. Andrzej K. Tomczak is a prominent modern history and archival science expert. He is associated with the university since 1946. He graduated in 1948, and received his doctorate two years later. In 1974 he became associate professor in 1981 - professor. He is a member of the Scientific Council of the Polish Academy of Sciences and the Polish Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Prof. Tomczak is an authority in the field of archival science and co-founder of the Toruń school of archival science. His achievements in this area comprise approx. 400 titles, in particular the "Outline of the History of Polish Archives". He is also the author of several papers on the history of Poland in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, the history of cartography, geography, history.

Nicolaus Copernicus University was established by decree of the Council of Ministers on 24 August 1945, approved by the Bureau of the National Council on 11 September 1945. The first lectures on 24 November 1945 were given by a philosopher Prof. Tadeusz Czeżowski and classical philologist Prof. Stefan Srebrny, and the academic year inauguration was held on 5 January 1946.

PAP - Science and Scholarship in Poland

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