University of Opole

The University of Opole is a public research university located in Opole, Poland. It is one of the public universities in Poland and one of two public higher education institutions based in the city of Opole. The University of Opole was the first public university established in Poland after the fall of communism and the first to include a theological faculty within its academic structure.

The university’s mission encompasses both research and research-informed teaching, with a strong emphasis on the integration of academic inquiry and education. As an inclusive and open institution, the University of Opole welcomes students from diverse social and educational backgrounds, including those from underrepresented and non-traditional communities.

The University of Opole is a member of the FORTHEM Alliance, a European Universities Initiative funded by the European Commission. Through this alliance, the university actively contributes to international cooperation in higher education, research, innovation, and societal engagement, participating in joint educational initiatives, research collaboration, and mobility schemes for students and staff across partner institutions in Europe.

The university’s distinctive “Opole educational model” is based on the assumption that graduates – including those enrolled in professional and vocational programmes – should possess a solid liberal arts foundation. This model combines the advantages of studying at a research-oriented university with a high level of individual academic support and student-centred teaching, more commonly associated with liberal arts colleges.

One of the hallmarks of the University of Opole is its balanced combination of basic and applied research. The university maintains well-developed links with business, industry, and public administration, resulting in a pioneering model of cooperation between academic and non-academic stakeholders for the benefit of the Opole region.

The University of Opole maintains strong research partnerships with numerous institutions in Poland and abroad. It hosts a UNESCO Chair on Cultural Property Law and supervises a palaeontological excavation site in Krasiejów, regarded as one of the most valuable sites of its kind worldwide. Significant discoveries of Triassic proto-dinosaurs have been made at this location.