Quod bonum, felix, faustum fortunatumque sit! Academic year 2025/2026 officially inaugurated at University of Opole
Matriculation, speeches, congratulations – on 3 October 2025, the Auditorium of the Faculty of Theology at the University of Opole witnessed all the elements that make up the ritual of the academic beginning. Quod bonum, felix, faustum fortunatumque sit! – a Latin formula heralding prosperity and good fortune, with which Rector Prof. Jacek Lipok officially inaugurated the new academic year, sounded like a bridge between tradition and the future – a tribute to heritage, but also a declaration of success in the ongoing process of dynamic changes.
The start of the academic year at the University of Opole is not only a ceremony, but also a moment of reflection on the academic community, the role of education and the intellectual value that the university brings to the life of the region. The matriculation of students was their symbolic inclusion into the university community, and the wishes for success and congratulatory letters read were reminders that the University of Opole is part of a broad network of institutions and partnerships supporting the development of science and education.
Prof. Jacek Lipok, Rector of the University of Opole, opened the ceremony by emphasising the role of the university as a guardian of values and an intellectual centre of the region. He also stressed the importance of students, PhD candidates and members of staff as creators of ideas that go far beyond the walls of the university. In his address, he referred to the most important achievements in the areas of science and teaching, projects undertaken and organisational changes implemented, but he did not forget to mention the challenges facing the university.
“It is difficult not to notice that the economic situation in the country is becoming increasingly challenging and that the government’s list of priorities for financing specific areas of the economy and social activity is changing dramatically. Science and higher education are still waiting for the position they deserve. This expectation is not supported by demographic conditions, which mean that the number of candidates for studies, and consequently the number of students, will gradually decrease, and for the time being there are no signs of any reversal of this trend,” said the Rector.
However, there was also a note of optimism. “Fortunately, our community also includes people who, by linking their personal development with the development of the University, have already learned to leave their comfort zones,” emphasised Prof. Lipok. “I trust that the number of people involved and actively participating in the process of necessary changes will grow dynamically. This is what my optimism is based on – the commitment and readiness to introduce positive changes by a growing number of people from our community.”
Szymon Ogłaza, Marshal of the Opole Voivodeship, addressed the audience with a personal touch, recalling his own experiences as a student and emphasising the importance of values in social life. He underlined the role of the University in shaping the intellectual potential of the region and fostering respect for high ethical and moral standards. “Today, we are living in difficult times, at a moment of crisis of values. The fact that they are accentuated so strongly at the university is extremely important.”
The Deputy Mayor of Opole, Maciej Wujec, drew attention to the importance of synergy between the university and the city. “Without the University in this dimension, without the academic nature of Opole’s universities, our city simply would not exist and could not develop. This is a model solution in which this causality can be demonstrated – without strong science and academia, there would be no development,” he said. His words smoothly intertwined gratitude for the work done so far with reflections on the place of science in the city’s structure.
In his reflection on the spiritual dimension of education, Bishop Andrzej Czaja emphasised the importance of faith and reason. “We live in a world where we feel more and more helpless in the face of certain changes. We are paying an increasingly bitter price for the modern abandonment of faith in God, this supernatural faith, considered a threat to human freedom. Innate faith has never ceased to be rational. It is built on and grows out of the truth revealed by God, and this truth demands reason”, he said. His words reminded us that the University is also a place where both intellectual and spiritual development go hand in hand.
Aleksandra Krupop, President of the Students’ Union at the University of Opole, appealed to students to make the most of their time at university, get involved in academic life and discover their own potential. “What we will remember and think back on in a year’s time will depend on our cooperation, commitment and courage. Each of you can gain something more than just an education during your studies, if only you dare to try,” she argued.
Aleksandra Krupop, President of the Students’ Union at the University of Opole, appealed to students to make the most of their time at university, get involved in academic life and discover their own potential. “What we will remember and think back on in a year’s time will depend on our cooperation, commitment and courage. Each of you can gain something more than just an education during your studies, if only you dare to try,” she argued.
In her speech, Prof. Joanna Ryszka, Vice-Rector for Student Affairs, read a letter of congratulations from Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence, addressed to the University authorities, and listed the institutions that had sent written congratulations to the University of Opole on the occasion of the inauguration.
The highlight of the ceremony was the matriculation of newly admitted students and doctoral students – a symbolic act of joining the university community. The oath-taking ceremony for representatives of students from all faculties of the UO and doctoral students from the Doctoral School was led by Prof. Anna Weissbrot-Koziarska, Vice-Rector for Education.
Dr Natalia Krawczyk from the Faculty of Art finished the ceremony with an inaugural lecture entitled ‘The Sensitive Knowledge of Art’, encouraging us to look at art as a source of sensitivity, reflection and inspiration.
The artistic setting for the event was provided by the Academic Choir of the University of Opole, conducted by Dr Anna Sikora, and the whole event was hosted by Anna Maczura from the Foreign Language Centre.
Quod bonum, felix, faustum fortunatumque sit! – May this academic year be good, propitious, lucky and successful’.
Congratulatory letters we received on the occasion of the inauguration of the 2025/26 academic year:
Listy-gratulacyjne-inauguracja-roku-akacemickiego-2025-26-na-UODownload
