Ryszard Łazarski was born on 20 September 1926. A Warsaw Uprising soldier, educator, visionary and founder of our University, he was a man whose courage, determination and belief in the power of education laid the foundations for the community we are part of today.
His life story was inextricably linked to his wartime experiences and his profound conviction that the future should be built through education. As a young man, he took up arms and fought in the Warsaw Uprising in the Mokotów district. After the war, he channelled his energy and commitment into educating future generations, determined to prepare young people to shape their own futures with confidence and responsibility.
Throughout his life, he embodied the unique ethos of a “Soldier-Educator”. Exceptionally hard-working and demanding, both of himself and of others, he placed particular importance on integrity, punctuality and respect for others. In education, his priority was quality and the practical application of knowledge. He wanted graduates to be able to use what they had learnt to pursue their professional and personal goals. He also attached great importance to foreign language skills, seeing them as a key to personal development and engagement with the wider world.
In 1993, at the age of 66, he embarked on an undertaking that required exceptional determination in the circumstances of the time: he founded a higher education institution. From the outset, he was guided by a clear objective – to provide students with high-quality education and the opportunity to learn from respected academics and professionals. The University developed rapidly, steadily establishing its position within Polish higher education.
Ryszard Łazarski was supported in bringing this vision to life by his wife, Teresa Łazarska, a long-standing educator and Chancellor of the University. Their shared commitment gave the institution they created a distinctive, close-knit character, rooted in values passed down from one generation to the next.
The location of the University’s present-day campus also carries particular symbolic significance. It was established in Warsaw’s Mokotów district – the same area where, several decades earlier, Ryszard Łazarski had fought for freedom as a young insurgent. A place associated with one of the most difficult experiences of his youth later became a space dedicated to learning, personal development and building a better future for generations to come.
Ryszard Łazarski had a profound belief in young people, their potential and their future. His legacy is not only the University he founded, but also the values that remain an integral part of its identity today.
On the centenary of Ryszard Łazarski’s birth, we remember his remarkable life and pay tribute to our Founder and Patron. His dedication, courage, respect for others and unwavering belief in the power of education remain at the heart of the community we continue to build together.
