The history of the Faculty of Animal Bioengineering dates back to 31 May 1950, when the Higher Schools of Rural Management in Cieszyn and Łódź were closed down, and the Higher School of Agriculture in Olsztyn was established pursuant to a Regulation of the Council of Ministers (Journal of Laws No. 24/50 of 10 June 1950). The following regulation (Journal of Laws No. 57/50 of 27 November 1950) paved the way to the establishment of the first three faculties: Faculty of Agriculture, Faculty of Animal Husbandry, and Faculty of Dairy Science, as well as the Military College and the School of Physical Education.
   The Faculty of Animal Husbandry faced numerous challenges in its early years. The Higher School of Agriculture was established on the premises of a former German psychiatric hospital comprising several war-damaged buildings. Building 36, currently situated at 1 Prawocheńskiego Street, was entrusted to the Faculty of Animal Husbandry. The Faculty’s meager staff, composed of scientists from different parts of the country, were tasked with organizing academic and scientific facilities. The first four departments to open were: Department of Animal Biology, Department of General Companion Animal Breeding, Department of Specialized Companion Animal Breeding, and Department of Companion Animal Nutrition. 

 Figure 1. The Faculty’s first headquarters at 1 Prawocheńskiego Street.

  New divisions, departments, and research teams were created over the years. The number of scientific, academic, and technical personnel continued to increase. The Department of Biology was split into the Department of Zoology and the Division of Animal Anatomy and Physiology, and the Department of Specialized Animal Breeding was transformed into several animal breeding centers specializing in different livestock species. As a result of its rapid development, the Faculty quickly outgrew its premises. Already in 1956, the Faculty of Animal Husbandry was relocated to a new building at 5 Oczapowskiego Street, which became known as the New Animal Husbandry Building. The Faculty is still housed in the same building, which is one of the most prominent structures on the academic campus in Kortowo.

Figure 2. The present headquarters of the Faculty of Animal Bioengineering at 5 Oczapowskiego Street.

  In recognition of its rapid development, the Faculty received full academic rights to grant the degrees of doctor and habilitated doctor in the field of Agricultural Sciences already in 1966. The Regulation of the Minister of Science and Higher Education of 20 September 2018 introduced a two-tier system of scientific fields and scientific disciplines. As a result, two separate disciplines, Animal Science and Fisheries were combined into a single scientific discipline. On 1 October 2019, the employees of the Faculty of Environmental Sciences conducting research in fisheries and students pursuing a degree in this scientific discipline were merged with the Faculty of Animal Bioengineering. Since 2006, the Faculty has maintained category A in the system of evaluating the quality of scientific activity introduced by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education.
The Faculty’s name has been changed four times since inception. The original name of the Faculty of Animal Husbandry (1950-1961) was changed to the Faculty of Animal Breeding (1961-1966), but then it was restored (1966-1998). In 1998, this organizational unit was renamed to the Faculty of Animal Bioengineering to adequately represent the growing scope of research and academic duties.
The Faculty’s scientific personnel hold important positions in national organizations, committees, and expert teams that advise the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Committees of the Polish Academy of Sciences, and international scientific organizations.
Since its establishment, the Faculty has been an important national center for education in the field of Animal Science. Over the years, the Faculty has continued to attract candidates due to its high-quality curriculum and high academic standards. Animals in Recreation, Education and Therapy, a study program that was introduced in recent years and the only program of its kind in Poland, is also enjoying considerable popularity.
   The Faculty has recently introduced two new degree programs: Ichthyology and Aquaculture in the 2021/2022 academic year and Fisheries Bioeconomics in the 2024/2025 academic year. The graduates can enroll in graduate programs, including in the Doctoral School. The Faculty offers graduate programs in Ichthyology and Aquaculture, Industrial Feed Production, Animal Nutrition Consulting, Apiculture and Wild Apidae Keeping.
High standards of education in the field of Animal Science were recognized by the National Accreditation Committee in 2011 and by its legal successor, the Polish Accreditation Committee, in 2018, which granted the highest rating to this field of study as the first one in Poland. In 2012, the field of Animal Science was awarded the title of the “Best Study Program” by the Minister of Science and Higher Education. Over the years, the field of Animal Science has also been rated as one of the top three fields of study in the ranking of Perspektywy Journal.
   To date, a total of 425 doctors and 141 habilitated doctors have been promoted at the Faculty, and the title of professor has been conferred on 75 scientists. In addition, the Faculty has awarded eight honorary doctorates, and four of the Faculty’s professors have been granted this degree by other institutions. Four members of the Polish Academy of Sciences and three members of the Central Committee for Academic Degrees and Titles/Council for Scientific Excellence come from the Faculty of Animal Bioengineering. Ten Faculty’s employees have also become rectors or vice-rectors of the University of Warmia and Mazury. The Faculty’s staff provided the University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn and other scientific institutions with support during organizational and restructuring projects. Some staff members and facilities were transferred to new faculties, including the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, the Faculty of Environmental Sciences, and the Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, as well as the Agrotechnology Center of the Polish Academy of Sciences and the Academy of Technology and Agriculture in Bydgoszcz.
To date, a total of 16,500 full-time and part-time students have graduated from the Faculty of Animal Bioengineering and found employment in the agri-food sector.
   In the course of its 70-year history, the Faculty has established its reputation as a leading scientific and academic center, including in the international arena. The results of many research studies conducted at the Faculty, including as part of national and international research projects, have found practical applications and have contributed to the development of the agri-food sector in Poland and in other countries. The Faculty owes its renown to the hard work of its acclaimed scientists, engineers, technicians, and administrative personnel, both past and present. The faculty also maintains close links with its graduates and collaborates with other Polish and foreign scientific institutions in the constant pursuit of academic excellence.

Prof. dr hab. Urszula Czarnik