Uniwersytet w mieście i regionie. Dwa przykłady historyczne

Abstract

The jubilee year of the University of Białystok and the upcoming reform of higher education in Poland are two occasions for a more general reflection on the idea of university that is deeply rooted in the specificity of its town and region; the idea that seems to offer a desired direction for the development of the major educational institution in Białystok. The article discusses two practical realizations of this idea, namely the universities in Edinburgh and Dorpat, as seen by two Poles: Krystyn Lach Szyrma and Ignacy Baranowski. These two historical examples show how risky a reform of higher education can be if it does not take into account the specificity of the local milieu, such as, for example, long periods of negligence in the field of education in this part of Poland. The 19th century unfolded differently in Poland and in other European countries. While in Western Europe and in some parts of the Russian Empire there could be observed a significant civilizational progress, which, among other things, consisted in creating an easier and more democratic access to higher education, partitioned Poland saw an occasional emergence of ephemeral universities, which lacked any long-term goals.