The 1st Congress of Rectors and Vice-Rectors brought together nearly 100 female leaders from universities across the country. On 13 November 2025, at the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, women holding the highest management positions in Polish universities discussed equality, leadership and the future of higher education.
The meeting was opened by the Rector of Nicolaus Copernicus University, prof. dr hab. Andrzej Tretyn, who emphasised the importance of the voice of the female vice-rectors: ‘I am very happy that we have such a balanced composition in the rector's college. The vice-rectors show at every step how much they have to offer and how many valuable ideas they have.’
One of the initiators of the Congress was the Vice-Rector for Cooperation and International Relations at the University of Gdańsk, dr hab. Anna Jurkowska-Zeidler, prof. UG, who also chaired one of the panels. In Toruń, in addition to Prof. Anna Jurkowska-Zeidler, the University of Gdańsk was also represented by the Vice-Rector for Education, dr Ewa Szymczak, prof. UG.
‘This conference and the discussions held both during the panels and behind the scenes clearly showed that, as leaders of higher education institutions, we need a space where we can talk about universities, their future and the areas we manage. We also need to support each other,’ emphasised Prof. Anna Jurkowska-Zeidler.
The first part of the Toruń meeting's programme was dominated by the topic of equality, followed by the rectors and vice-rectors discussing women's leadership in higher education, pointing to the dynamics of change in Poland and around the world. They also reviewed the results of research on the experiences and challenges of rectors and vice-rectors, prepared in reference to the report ‘The Masculine Figure of a University Rector in the Narrative of Polish Female Academic Leaders.’ The next part of the meeting was devoted to a discussion on the role and importance of association initiatives in the academic community. The afternoon part of the programme included a Goals and Actions Workshop, followed by a block entitled ‘It's getting serious: Key technicalities’, during which the practical aspects of further work were discussed. The event ended with a summary session entitled ‘Next Step’, setting out the directions for further cooperation between female rectors.
The first vice-rector in the UG authorities was prof. Zofia Sawiczewska, and there have been a total of 15 vice-rectors to date. Most often, they were responsible for education. In the history of the University of Gdańsk, there has been only one female candidate for the position of Rector - prof. Małgorzata Czermińska, who ran in 1999. More information about women in the University of Gdańsk administration can be found here.
In the 2024-2028 term, 12 female rectors head academic universities in Poland, and 10 head vocational universities. Two female rectors and 39 female vice-rectors sit on the governing bodies of the Universities of the Conference of Rectors of Polish Universities.
