3784503876

Inaugurating the academic year in Rybnik, Rector Prof. Leszek Żabiński said that "we want to and we already educate people for the local economy and business, offer-ing a practically oriented degree course in finance and accounting, the first such programme in Poland. The course will be taught jointly by the university Staff and prominent practitioners, managers and specialists from the business envi-ronment". Addressing newly admitted students, Prof. Żabiński congratulated them warmly on their entering the academic community. He also praised them for choosing economic Sciences, which are not easy and require many talents, hard work and good time management. He wished them to be able to find time to pursue their passions and interests unrelated with economics, to get involved in sport, recreation and culture, "in a nut-shell, to find time for personal life in this beautiful period of life”.

During the inaugural ceremony, the best newly admitted students were matricu-lated. They represented 167 first-year students of the Rybnik Faculty. The Dean's insignia were handed over to dr inż. Tomasz Zieliński, the first Dean of the Faculty of Business, Finance and Administration, elected on 6 October 2015, by the Rector Prof. Leszek Żabiński, Andrzej Żylak, the President of the Rybnik Industrial and Commercial Chamber and the Honorary Consul of Croatia, and Grzegorz Piechaczek, the founder of the Dean's gold Chain.

In his speech, dr Tomasz Zieliński extend-ed his gratitude to everybody who had supported efforts to open the Faculty of Business, Finance and Administration. He compared the Faculty to the Scots pine (the tree underthe patronage of the Faculty in the UniEKO project), saying that "it has the deepest root system of all conifer-ous trees in Poland, ensuring stabiiity, so important for the inhabitants of the Rybnik region, who respect family, sociai and business values".

Other speakers at the ceremony were the former Minister of lustice, dr Borys Budka, The Mayor of Rybnik, Piotr Kucze-ra, the President of the Rybnik Industrial and Commercial Chamber, Andrzej Żylak, and representatives of the business envi-ronment. The University authorities also thanked dr hab. Jan Czempas for his many years of service and valuable contribution to the growth and deveiopment of the Rybnik Research and Education Centre.

Prof. Wojciech Dyduch delivered an inaugural lecture on "Entrepreneurship in creative organisations".

The Uniuersity Choir conducted by Michał Brożek provided the musical setting for

J

'Aręctene    at mi, 1

/ Kantf.-flp over tfie Oeans .nsrpw toir irŁT Tiewsft JOt /photO M ,vzv)ffcc