our University

General information

The AGH University of Science and Technology (AGH-UST, Polish Akademia Gorniczo-Hutnicza) in Cracow is one of the largest Polish technical universities. It has over 4000 teachers, including 600 professors. Currently AGH educates nearly 30,000 students at 15 faculties at over 100 specializations and 20 fields of study, ranging from Engineering, Computer Science to Physics and Materials Science. Our university is one of the most prestigious technical universities in Poland and, according to national rankings, one of the country’s leaders in the field of modern technology.

Both the university buildings and the campus are located near the city centre. The University AGH-UST Campus is the largest academic campus in Poland. It provides accommodation as well as spaces for cultural and sport activities for the students of AGH-UST and other Cracow’s universities. Apart from 17 Students Dormitories offering accommodation for nearly 8,000 people, on the grounds of the Campus there are a number of facilities, such as students clubs, football pitches, billiards club, tennis courts, shops, fitness club, post office and bank. During the academic year, the highly favourable location of the Campus is appreciated very much by students of all Cracow’s universities.

Brief history

Before the University was founded, Polish miners and metallurgists had been expressing the need to establish the Academy of Mining in Cracow, which should educate mining and metallurgy engineers. Therefore on 1 May 1919, the Head of the State, Jozef Pilsudski, nominated six professors and established the Academy of Mining. In the autumn of 1919, 80 students started their education at the first and the only Faculty of Mining in Poland. As a next the Faculty of Metallurgy was opened in the academic year 1922/23. In 1939 the Academy had about 600 students and 30 professors. On 6 November, 1939, the task forces of the Nazi police and security service arrested 183 people, including 132 professors and assistant professors. 21 professors and assistant professors of the Academy of Mining were detained at that time and sent to a Nazi concentration camp at Sachsenhausen by Oranienburg, in the vicinity of Berlin. The main building was occupied by the German General Government. Return to education took place immediately after the war. Following the Germans escape from Cracow (18.01.1945), a group of professors, other staff members and students secured the ruined main building. More than 500 students started their courses in the academic year 1944/45 (April-October 1945, with no holidays). After 1945 the Academy played a major role in the establishment and reconstruction of the other technical universities in Poland. In 1946 new faculties were opened: the Faculty of Geology and Surveying, and the Faculty of Ceramics. Academy authorities and syllabus were broadening quickly, particularly in the field of natural science, high technologies and materials engineering. In 1949 the Academy was renamed and henceforth has been known as Academy (and later University) of Mining and Metallurgy. In years 1980 – 1995 the University developed research in field of Computer Science, Electronics, Telecommunication, Robotics, Bioengineering and Modern Material Science. In 2003 the name of the University was changed to the AGH University of Science and Technology (AGH-UST). Despite a lot of changes, history and retaining the AGH-UST identity was regarded as a matter of key importance and is now reflected by mining and metallurgical traditions that are still observed at the University.