Faculty of Physics and Applied Computer Science
AGH University of Science and Technology

About Faculty

Origins

The Faculty of Physics and Applied Computer Science (FPACS) is one of the fifteen Faculties of the AGH University of Science and Technology in Cracow. The origins of the Faculty are dated back to 1919, when the Mining Academy was founded, within which the Chair of Physics was erected. It has undergone several organizational transformations until in 1991 the AGH Senate has decided to form the Faculty of Physics and Nuclear Techniques. In 2004 the name was changed to Faculty of Physics and Applied Computer Science, accordingly to the changes in the fields of scientific and educational activity.

The first Department of Physics at the University of Mining was established in 1919. Its Head, Professor Jan Stock, was also creator of the first physics teaching facilities, i.e. a student laboratory of general physics and a collection of physical experiments used to illustrate lectures.

In 1925, his post was taken over by Professor Mieczysław Jeżewski, who together with his colleagues started research activities focused mainly on the properties of dielectrics and liquid crystals.

In 1934, one of Professor Jeżewski's assistants, Dr Marian Mięsowicz, took up an independent and pioneering research on hydrodynamics of liquid crystals, which resulted in a discovery of anisotropy of viscosity. Professor Mięsowicz's works are commonly recognised as fundamental and ones which constitute a reference for contemporary investigations in this field. At the end of the 1930s, Professor Mięsowicz turned his scientific interests towards nuclear physics. After World War II, the community of University physicists was divided into two Departments. Professor Jeżewski became Head of the 1st Department of Physics and carried on his research on dielectrics and magnetic materials, while Professor Mięsowicz took over the 2nd Department of Physics and started intensive research on cosmic radiation. In the mid-fifties, Professor Mięsowicz headed a group of Krakow elementary-particle physicists of various affiliations. The group, collaborating closely with the University of Mining and Metallurgy, was actually the first Krakow department of the Warsaw Institute of Nuclear Research; at the end of the 1950s the group was incorporated into the structure of the Institute of Nuclear Physics in Krakow. Today, the complex of buildings at Kawiory Street houses the Marian Mięsowicz Centre of High Energy Physics. In this centre, the physicists of the University of Mining and Metallurgy, the Institute of Nuclear Physics in Krakow and the Jagiellonian University work together.

In 1962, the 2nd Department of Physics was transformed into the first University Institute of Nuclear Techniques. Five years later its name was changed into the Inter-branch Institute of Physics and Nuclear Techniques at the University of Mining and Metallurgy. Professor Leopold Jurkiewicz was its first Head. Finally, in 1991, by a decision of the University Senate, the Faculty of Physics and Nuclear Techniques was established. This meant a complete re-integration of the University physicists into one organisation, and resulted in a unification of teaching physics, and in a certain "standardisation" of the profile of University graduates. Also, the possibility of education leading to Master's degree in technical physics could be viewed as a new quality of the University curricula.

The current activities of the Faculty of Physics and Applied Computer Science are two-fold: intensive research in applied and fundamental physics, and education of students. The latter aspect is again of dual nature: the Faculty educates its 'own' students in the field of technical physics, but also provides all other University students with general education in physics.

The Faculty Council is entitled to confer Doctor's and Doctor Habilitatus degrees in Physics, and to apply for conferring the title of Professor. In a recent ranking of the Polish Committee for Scientific Research (KBN), the Faculty has received top grade 'A'. The Faculty staff members hold posts in the Polish Government, in major Polish scientific organisations, and in various international bodies of science.

Scientific research

Scientific activity of the Faculty comprises both basic and applied research in solid state physics,nuclear and elementary particles physics, medical physics and physics of the environment.

Staff

All together 180 persons are employed including 130 scientists and 50 technical and administrative staff. There are 40 full professors and 75 assistant professors or post-docs.

Teaching

Faculty offers several degree programs leading to B.Sc., M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees.

Faculty organizes complementary courses for the 1st year students of the University in physics and mathematics. The aim of the courses is to fill possible gaps in the high-school education that discourage young candidates from electing technical- and science-oriented areas of study and–for the candidates who undertook such studies–increase the efficiency of the training.

Faculty members teach both general physics courses and selected branches of physics for students of twelve Faculties of the AGH-UST. The teaching covers both reading lectures as well as organizing tutorials (physics problems classes) and laboratory work. Faculty's teaching assignments for students of other faculties include both undergraduate and graduate levels. Some of lectures are offered in English.

Faculty offers also a three semester Post-diploma (part-time) Study for Teachers. The studies are intended for primary and secondary school teachers, who want to gain additional qualifications giving them right to teach: physics, mathematics, chemistry, computer science, natural sciences and technical education.

Deans and deputy deans of the Faculty

  • Prof. Dr. Bartłomiej Szafran
    • Dr. Tomasz ¦lęzak, D.Sc.
    • Dr. Krzysztof Malarz, D.Sc.
    • Dr. Katarzyna Matusiak

  • Prof. Dr. Janusz Wolny
    • Prof. Dr. Bartłomiej Szafran
    • Dr. Krzysztof Malarz, D.Sc.
    • Dr. Paweł Armatys

  • Prof. Dr. Janusz Wolny
    • Dr. Bartłomiej Szafran, D.Sc.
    • Dr. Zdzisław Stęgowski, D.Sc. / Dr. Łukasz Gondek, D.Sc.
    • Dr. Paweł Armatys

  • Prof. Dr. Wojciech Łużny
    • Prof. Dr. Marek Przybylski / Prof. Dr. Janusz Wolny
    • Dr. Andrzej Lenda, D.Sc.
    • Dr. Krzysztof Malarz

  • Prof. Dr. Zbigniew K±kol
    • Prof. Dr. Wojciech Łużny
    • Dr. Andrzej Lenda, D.Sc.
    • Dr. Krzysztof Malarz

  • Prof. Dr. Kazimierz Jeleń
    • Prof. Dr. Zbigniew K±kol
    • Prof. Dr. Wojciech Łużny

  • Prof. Dr. Kazimierz Jeleń
    • Dr. Zbignew K±kol, D.Sc.
    • Dr. Janusz Wolny, D.Sc.

  • Prof. Dr. Danuta Kisielewska
    • Dr. Janusz Wolny, D.Sc.
    • Dr. Andrzej Lenda, D.Sc.

  • Prof. Dr. Danuta Kisielewska
    • Prof. Dr. Andrzej Maksymowicz
    • Dr. Andrzej Lenda, D.Sc.

  • Prof. Dr. Jerzy W. Niewodniczański
    • Dr. Kazimierz Jeleń, D.Sc.
    • Dr. Andrzej Kreft, D.Sc.

Directors of institutes from which the Faculty originates

  • Prof. Dr. Jerzy W. Niewodniczański
  • Prof. Dr. Karol Krop
  • Prof. Dr. Kazimierz Przewłocki
  • Dr. Ludwik Górski
  • Prof. Dr. Ludwik Kozłowski (∗1907, +1994)
  • Prof. Dr. Leopold Jurkiewicz (∗1906, +1966)
  • Prof. Dr. Marian Mięsowicz, dr hc UJ, dr hc UW, dr hc AGH (∗1907, +1992)
  • Prof. Dr. Mieczysław Jeżewski (∗1890, +1971)
  • Prof. Dr. Jan Stock (∗1881, +1925)
Faculty of Physics and Applied Computer Science