Jagiellonian University

Jagiellonian University, also known as the University of Kraków (Polish Uniwersytet Jagielloński), institution of higher learning located in Kraków, Poland. It was founded in 1364 by Kazimierz III, king of Poland, and is the second oldest university in central Europe, after Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic. When it was founded, the university comprised three faculties—law, liberal arts, and medicine—and was known as the Academy of Kraków. After Kazimierz's death in 1370, his successor, King Ludvic, allowed the university to fall out of service. In 1400 the university was restored and the faculty of theology was added by Queen Jadwiga and her husband, Vladislaus Jagiełło. When the queen died, the king made every effort to keep the university open. In the 19th century the school was named after him. The university was well known in the 15th century for its schools of alchemy, astrology, geography, international law, and mathematics. In the 18th century many new facilities were established, including an astronomical observatory, botanical gardens, clinical hospitals, and laboratories. During the German occupation of Poland in World War II (1939-1945), the university operated secretly, graduating about 800 students.

The university currently has faculties of biology and earth sciences, chemistry, history, law and administration, mathematics and physics, medicine, nursing, pharmacy, philology, and philosophy. The faculties of medicine, nursing, and pharmacy form the Collegium Medicum, which has considerable independence. All classes are taught in Polish, although special courses for international students are conducted in English. The university offers the degrees of magister (equivalent to the United States master's degree), doctor (doctoral), and doctor habilitatus (post-doctoral). The astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus, known for his heliocentric theory of the planetary system, and Pope John Paul II are among the university's noted alumni.

Reviewed by: Jagiellonian University