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1. The Catholic University of Lublin (KUL) was founded in 1918 by the
Episcopate of Poland and is the oldest Catholic higher education institution in
this region of Europe. In 1938, KUL was granted full state status for academic
schools. The university’s name and its motto Deo et Patriae, chosen in
the memorable year 1918 and tested in the dramatic events of contemporary
Poland, point to important elements of its identity. These include:
a) persistence in a high level of academic research and academic formation,
b) deepening and promoting a Catholic vision of people and the world in the
context of modern challenges,
c) care in keeping and developing the most valuable traditions of the
fatherland and a formation in this spirit of the young generation of citizens,
and d) accomplishing tasks related to the university’s location in Lublin:
the city of the Union, located near the eastern border of Poland.
2. KUL is primarily a university. As such, it offers a broad spectrum of
academic disciplines, within which academics carry out research and hand on
their knowledge and skills to students in a specifically academic form. The
university inspires those in its ranks to concentrate on creative academic work,
cares for its integrity and appropriate standards as well as for a high quality
of education. It also aims to show both in research and didactic work the
interrelation of individual aspects of the truth of reality, in this way
developing and propagating its universal knowledge.
3. The Catholic character of the university is expressed in respecting a
Christian system of values and forming students’ spirit through it, with
consideration for the Church’s Magisterium, and at the same time – stemming
from the essence of Catholicism – openness to all truth and all fair ways to
finding it, including those ways lead by researchers independent from the
Catholic Church. In particular, the university, in its own unique academic
method, accepts the challenges which face the Church in this present era of
history.
Studies undertaken in this spirit as well as didactic work are inspired by
the additional calling of the university: Veritas in caritate, which
points to the significance of a common search for truth in building a community
of people, and at the same time, to how mutual openness, respect and courtesy,
eliminating any kind of discrimination based on sex, origin, social status or
other factors, help to get to know and properly grasp truth. On account of its
Catholic character, KUL is also a particularly appropriate place to carry out
reflections on the issues in the sphere of academic research ethics.
4. Patriotism written into the university’s name means that the research
it carries out primarily concentrates on the rich heritage of the native
culture, especially humanistic, and the challenges which Poland currently faces.
This also means that in the didactic process there is a strong emphasis on
ensuring that the studying youth are shown the great culture of Poland and are
given education in the spirit of love for the fatherland, as well as readiness
to take on civic duties. Finally, it means that the specific task of the
university is to promote knowledge of national heritage and propagate
patriotism throughout the whole of society. Such patriotism – as Poland’s
history shows – not only keeps us from being cut off from the achievements of
other nations, but even provides a stimulus to become better acquainted with
them and join in a creative and mutually enriching intercultural dialogue.
5. The university is situated in Lublin. Consequently, it has commitments
connected with the Lublin region, where the university functions, as well as
with the historical heritage of Lublin city. The university carries out –
oftentimes in cooperation with other Lublin universities or non-academic
institutions - diverse research important for the region, and also participates
in initiatives and projects aimed at developing this region. The significance
of the Lublin Union of 1569, as well as the city’s location near the eastern
border of Poland, are stimuli for intense international cooperation, especially
with the universities of our neighboring countries. This cooperation –
already envisaged by the university founders – has both research and didactic
character. It leads to the strengthening of mutual bonds among individual
nations of the Old Continent and to showing the links between the achievements
of this European region with the rich cultural tradition of the entire Europe.
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