Published on 18 January 2024
The city of Lublin has successfully qualified for the final stage of the prestigious competition for the title of European Capital of Culture for the year 2029. Lublin boasts a rich and diverse cultural heritage, making it one of the oldest and most multifaceted cultural centres in Poland. The city is renowned for its artistic achievements, vibrant festivals, and social initiatives that promote diversity and cultural engagement. The overarching theme of Lublin’s application for the European Capital of Culture title in 2029 is “Re:union.” Lublin’s application was a collaborative effort with the city’s cultural community, involving artists, activists, and organisers. The final selection and the announcement of the winning city are scheduled for mid-2024
Lublin’s major new ecologically-designed train station was opened on 12 January. The impressive facility, which has a striking architecture, has been nominated multiple times for various design awards. As the major new transport hub serving the city and the region, the new station connects different modes of transport and caters for all types of passengers and visitors. The whole project is one of the most significant investments in the city in years and was partly funded by the EU. The project has taken several years to come to fruition and has also involved major work to some of the city’s road network to improve traffic flow and access to the new facility.
Work on creating a student concept for greening the Special Economic Zone Euro-Park Mielec Subzone Lublin is nearing its conclusion. Students and their academic mentors from Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin, the University of Life Sciences in Lublin, and the Catholic University of Lublin John Paul II, had the opportunity to present the results of their work on the project to the company representatives located in the Special Economic Zone, thanks to the hospitality of MEDISEPT Sp. z o.o.. Representatives of the city authorities, including the Mayor of Lublin, Dr. Krzysztof Żuk, also attended the meeting.
As part of the project, an interdisciplinary task force was created, and coordinated by the Department of Strategy and Entrepreneurship of the City of Lublin. It consisted of students from Spatial Economy, Landscape Architecture, Geodesy and Cartography, as well as Art of Gardens and Plant Arrangements, along with academic staff from Lublin’s universities. Based on the inventory, extensive analyses of the project area, and soil studies, the project group proposed a general concept for development, from which detailed planting designs for specific streets within the Zone were developed. The initiative is now in its final phase, with the current focus on creating and completing detailed planting designs for selected streets within the Zone. Planting is due to begin in the spring of 2024.
Lublin University of Technology is embarking on a ground-breaking project, the construction of ‘IT Tower’, set to become a hub for computer science education and the headquarters for the Interfaculty Centre for Cybersecurity and Artificial Intelligence. The hub will drive advancements in technologies that are increasingly vital today, such as cloud technologies, big data, the Internet of Things, robotics, and various aspects of computer science.
The idea behind establishing the Interfaculty Centre for Cybersecurity and Artificial Intelligence was to provide advisory services to industries, offering services related to maintaining digital security, from assessing an entity’s current security measures, to identifying potential cyber threats and devising customised plans for remedial actions and their implementation. Expertise in these domains is already being utilised through initiatives like the Lublin Digital Union and the Regional Centre for Digital Medicine.
The new building will also cater for the education of future engineers and masters students specialising in computer science. The current programme has been active at the university for 23 years, producing 300 new IT specialists annually. However, current and future demand for IT professionals already surpasses capacity, meaning that there are not enough graduates coming through the system to meet the employment opportunities on offer in companies in the region. Thanks to this investment, the university will be able to educate at least 20% more IT students annually. The project is expected to be completed by 2028, marking a transformative milestone for the university, the city, and the region.