Jagiellonian University, Faculty of Pharmacy

About the Jagiellonian University

The Jagiellonian University is the oldest higher education institution in Poland and one of the oldest in Europe. It was founded on 12 May 1364 by the Polish king Casimir the Great. The year 2024 marked the 660th anniversary of this remarkable event.

Since its very beginning, the Jagiellonian University has been an international institution. Poles, Ruthenians, Lithuanians, Hungarians, Germans, Czechs, the Swiss, the English, the Dutch, the French the Spanish, Italians, and even Tatars studied here in the old days.

Further development of the University has been inextricably bound with the turbulent and often tragic history of Poland. The institution managed to survive both the partitions of Poland by Russia, Prussia and Austria, and the two world wars, serving as a guardian of Polish culture and identity and educating successive generations of Poles, as well as members of other nations, significantly contributing to the intellectual heritage of Europe.

Some of the Jagiellonian University students and academics have been major historical figures, including world famous scholars, such as Nicolaus Copernicus or Karol Olszewski, as well as Karol Wojtyła, the future Pope John Paul II.

Today, the Jagiellonian University comprises 16 Faculties, where nearly 5 thousand academic staff conduct research and provide education to almost 40 thousand students, within the framework of more than 150 different fields of study. Eminent researchers and state-of-the-art infrastructure make the JU one of the leading Polish scientific institutions, collaborating with major academic centres from all over the world. The Jagiellonian University is also home to numerous student research societies, where young researchers pursue their academic interests and develop friendships with people who share their passion.

The university's prestige in both Poland and abroad is illustrated by its widely recognised research achievements. Scientists and physicians from the JU Medical College carry out pioneer studies, e.g. in cardiac surgery, urology and neurology, often leading to the development of novel treatment methods. Their findings have been published in some of the most prestigious international journals, for instance European Journal of Cardio-Thoracic Medicine, New England Journal of Medicine, and Lancet. JU archaeologists explore the secrets of ancient sites in various parts of the world, including Egypt, Cyprus, Central America, South Asia and Altay. The astronomers take part in the most important international projects in their field, including H.E.S.S. and VIPERS, whereas the results of research by JU biotechnologists have been published in such reputable specialist journals as Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry, Molecular Ecology Resources or European Journal of Human Genetics. These are only some examples of remarkable successes for which the Jagiellonian University has been famous in recent years.

The most unique large-scale projects run by the Jagiellonian University include the Jagiellonian Centre for Experimental Therapeutics, Małopolska Centre of Biotechnology, OMICRON, and National Synchrotron Radiation Centre SOLARIS.

Yet another advantage of the Jagiellonian University is its location in the historic city of Kraków, the former capital of Poland and a great cultural centre, visited by millions of tourists. Some of the University buildings are major historical sites themselves.