Gdynia Maritime University GMU

Speech of HM Rector of GMU during the ceremony for the conferral of the degree of

Doctor honoris causa of Gdynia Maritime University on  

Professor Mirosław Jurdziński, PhD(Eng)

Ladies and Gentlemen!

There are not many individuals who have had such a significant influence on the development of maritime education as Professor Mirosław Jurdziński, who this year will celebrate his 92nd birthday and has been connected with the University for 60 years.

A more detailed picture of the professional career and merits of Professor Jurdziński will be presented by Professor Piotr Jędrzejowicz during his laudation, but among the achievements of Professor, Jurdziński is his work at our University, including as the long-serving director of the Maritime Navigation Institute and deputy rector for science, during Professor Jędrzejowicz’s time as rector.

Professor Jurdziński was for 30 years the chair of the Polish delegation to the International Maritime Organisation’s Subcommittee for Safety of Navigation, and later a long-serving professor of the World Maritime University in Malmo. He is the author of several books, academic textbooks, as well as hundreds of scientific papers.

The details of this activity are the subject of a book compiled especially for today’s event, which we will soon present to you, and a copy of which you will all receive to take home.

Ladies and Gentlemen!

The biography of the Professor reads like a screenplay, however, for the Senate of our University to award this prestigious title, various conditions must be met. Foremost, we must receive three positive reviews from titular professors. Such reviewers, in this case, were Professor Andrzej Felski of the Polish Naval Academy, Professor Stanisław Gucma of the Szczecin Maritime Academy, who due to ill health is unable to honour us with his presence but asked that on his behalf we extend warm congratulations today’s esteemed laureate. And the third reviewer was Professor Cezary Specht of our University. 

Ladies and Gentlemen!

Nevertheless, reviews in themselves are not enough. The Articles of Association of Gdynia Maritime University contain the provision that the decision of our Senate must be supported by the resolutions of the Senates of three other institutions of higher education. Support was gained from the Rector of Szczecin Maritime Academy, Professor Wojciech Ślączka. From Professor and Rear Admiral Tomasz Szubrycht of the Polish Naval Academy, who took part in the ceremony for the raising of the flag this morning, but was unable to remain with us for these proceedings. At the third institution from which we requested support, the process was more complicated and required the appointment of a special reviewer. This role was performed by Professor Roman Śmierzchakski. The university in question was the Gdansk University of Technology, which is led by our friend Professor Krzysztof Wilde.

Ladies and Gentlemen!

After fulfilling these six requirements, the decision was put to a vote, and it comes as no surprise that it was unanimously in favour. Therefore, on 31st March of this year, it was clear that Professor Jurdziński would be granted this honour. We considered which would be the most suitable date for the presentation of the honour and decided that University Celebration Day is the most fitting occasion. After checking the calendar, it turned out that 17th June, the day on which each year the University holds its celebration day, coincided with Corpus Christi, a time when many of our staff take annual leave. Therefore, we decided to postpone the occasion to the following week. The date of 21st June was chosen to allow for our technical team to adequately prepare for the ceremony. After this decision was already made, it came to our attention that the Polish Naval Academy also celebrates at this time, so I’d like to thank all those who have gone out of their way to honour us with their presence today.

Ladies and Gentlemen!

I myself am one of Professor Jurdziński’s students.  I wrote my master’s thesis under his supervision, we later worked together, and as I hope he’d agree, with time we became good friends.  For all of this, I am sincerely grateful

Dear Professor! Distinguished Doctor honoris causa!

Please accept my, and on this occasion, our most sincere congratulations.  The conferral of the greatest academic honour is recognition of your exceptional achievements and outstanding service to the development of maritime education in Poland.  You created the scientific and educational foundations on which generations of officers of the Polish Merchant Navy were educated. 

It is no secret that I am very proud to have been one of your students.  It is a great honour and distinction to have cooperated with you for all these years.

Ladies and Gentlemen!

Today, we can say with certainty that Professor Jurdziński is the co-creator of the modern school of navigation.  From the fundamentals which he gained at the Jung School and the State Maritime School, he later developed a system when studying Electrical Engineering at the Gdansk University of Technology and that sense of systematisation, computerisation, and informatisation is noticeable in the work of Professor Jurdziński.  The first works on electronic charts, ARPA systems, on navigation planning, on different phases of navigation - are all parts of the highly significant contribution of the Professor, who is the author of many textbooks, which students use to this day. I must say at this point that last year, at the age of 91, Professor Jurdziński wrote his best textbook, on which I base my lectures to students in the final years of their studies, and as was mentioned a few days ago, he is also is preparing yet another book. The rest of us can only envy this creative verve and wish him all the best!

Esteemed Professor!

Please accept our compliments and thanks for your outstanding achievements in the development of maritime education in Poland, and not only! Professor Jurdziński is also the author of several textbooks published by the World Maritime University in Malmo, which their students also use until today, as well as a textbook published in Portuguese for the Maritime School in Angola.  Therefore, the Professor’s textbooks are known on at least a couple of continents.

Esteemed Professor!

Once again I would like to express my deepest respect for you and your work, and to your family, and your wife, Teresa, I would like to extend my congratulations on such an extraordinary husband, who has given his heart to this University.

Once again, you have my sincere gratitude!