Excellence Initiative - Research University
Contact ul. Gagarina 7, 87-100 Toruń
tel.: +48 56 611 31 31
e-mail: idub@umk.pl

Implementation

A Coordinating Team appointed by the Rector is responsible for the management and implementation of the programme at the University. 4 Working Teams are the executive apparatus responsible for the substantive tasks defined in the programme plan. Each team consists of staff members from the Torun and Bydgoszcz campuses, academic teachers and administrative staff. The current composition of the teams and detailed tasks are available on the IDUB website.

Activities undertaken as part of the implementation of the research university strategy:

  1. 5 University Centers of Excellence representing Priority Research Areas were set up and directors of these Centers were appointed
    • Astrophysics and Astrochemistry,
    • From Fundamental Optics to Applied Biophotonics,
    • Dynamics, Mathematical Analysis & Artificial Intelligence,
    • Towards Personalised Medicine,
    • Interacting Minds, Societies, Environment.
  2. 12 research teams with high potential for development in Emerging Fields and 35 Priority Research Teams were set up.
  3. Three scientific councils (Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, Physical Sciences and Engineering, Life Sciences) were set up, to which experts from Polish universities were invited. The Councils are responsible for the substantive assessment of proposals submitted in competitions organised under the programme and giving opinions on the progress made by research teams set up under the programme.
  4. The International Advisory Board was established as an advisory body to the Rector on matters concerning the entire project. The role of the Board is to evaluate the overall scientific results, coordinate the evaluation of the NCU, monitor the Centers of Excellence.
  5. The organisation of university-wide competitions addressed to employees, doctoral students and students, in which proposals are evaluated by external experts. The schedule of competitions and detailed regulations of calls for proposals are available on the IDUB website.
  6. Substantive activities in the area of education – new fields of study provided in English; courses in existing fields of study delivered as an extended pathway, i.e. at an advanced level, a scholarship programme for students and doctoral students funded under the programme, Students Summer Programs, Co-op internship programme.
  7. Substantive activities in the area of professional development of University staff and the quality of University management – soft skills training for academic and administrative staff and doctoral students; Excellence Initiative – Expert, Excellence Initiative –Debuts; statistical support for the NCU staff; recruiting new staff to strengthen the content-related departments and administration.
  8. Initiatives focused on innovation and cooperation with the socio-economic environment, including TRIZ training, INCOOP 2020 – micro-grant competition, My company – my startup initiative, NCU Innovator 2020, organisation of Hackathons, the INNStart club for building pro-innovative and entrepreneurial attitudes among students and PhD students.

Report on the implementation of the “Excellence Initiative -Research University” programme at the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń in 2020