20-th of February 2021.  Thirty years ago, in April 1991, the Senates of the Jagiellonian University and the Nicolaus Copernicus Medical Academy in Krakow passed a resolution to establish an interdepartmental unit named the School of Public Health of the Medical Academy and the Jagiellonian University. This far-sighted and pioneering decision de facto marked the beginning of the academic public health and the public health education at the university level in Poland. First, postgraduate studies were launched, being from the very start shaped and run within international cooperation, aiming to prepare modernly educated managers for the Polish health care system. At that time, the system was still operating in the so-called Semashko model, in force in many countries of the Eastern Bloc after World War II, and characterized by centralized organization and financing of health care. In Poland, however, there were already heated social debates regarding the reform and modernization of the Polish health care system, which was plagued by numerous problems, inefficiency and lack of social acceptance. The need to train the old managerial cadres and prepare new ones that would be substantially prepared to function in the post-communist system of health care, seemed to be one of the most urgent.

In 1993, the Jagiellonian University incorporated the faculties related to medicine and health care, separated from it in 1950, according to the Soviet model, and forming the then established Nicolaus Copernicus Medical Academy. The School of Public Health thus became the Institute of Public Health and a part of the Faculty of Health Protection of the Jagiellonian University Medical College (later – Faculty of Health Sciences). Postgraduate education was soon followed by graduate and later also undergraduate education, after the implementation of the Bologna system. Krakow was followed by other Polish cities where academic units teaching public health were established.

Thus, in 2021 we celebrate the XXX-th anniversary of starting the university-level education in public health, not only in the Krakow’s Alma Mater, but also in Poland. The honorary patronage over the XXX-th anniversary of the Academic Public Health in Poland was assumed by Prof. Tomasz Grodzicki – the Jagiellonian University Vice-Rector for Medical College. On the occasion of the anniversary, the Institute of Public Health of the Faculty of Health Sciences of the Jagiellonian University Medical College prepared a series of open scientific webinars for the health care professionals, researchers and students. The topics of the webinars are closely related to current challenges being faced by the modern society.

The first webinar entitled “Governance and management during the COVID-19 pandemic – the twilight of the old world?” will be held already on 09-th of March 2021. The next ones are as follows: “Public health in the context of healthy eating and access to pharmacotherapy” (13-th of April 2021); “Prevention of cardiovascular disease in the current era” (11-th of May 2021); “Contemporary Issues in medical law. Scientific session of the Students’ Scientific Unit “Law in Health” dedicated to the sainted memory of Dr. Stefan Poździoch” (1-st of June 2021); “Health – Economics – Prosperity” (8-th of June 2021); “Health competencies, internet and commercial pressure as the new determinants of health” (29-th of June 2021); “Public health in evolutionary perspective” (19-th October 2021).

Below you can find a link to the webinar topics with brief descriptions and possibility of registration, to which we cordially invite you just now!

https://izp.wnz.cm.uj.edu.pl/pl/30izp/

In addition to the webinars, among other events, an international scientific conference is being prepared on 07-th and 08-th of October 2021. We kindly invite you to follow the anniversary events on the website and social media of the Institute of Public Health FHS JU MC, where we will successively post detailed information on all upcoming events.

Dr habil. Iwona Kowalska-Bobko, Prof. JU, Director of IPH FHS JU MC

Dr Tomasz Bochenek, Deputy Director of IPH FHS JU MC

Links to websites and social media of the IPH FHS JU MC are provided in the icons below: