THE UNIVERSITY of Santo Tomas recently hosted Poland’s Secretary of State for the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, Dr. Tomasz Rzymkowski.

Rzymkowski visited Manila to discuss further collaboration and new scholarship opportunities.

He also serves as the Government Plenipotentiary for the Development and Internationalization of Education and Science. He is also a member of Parliament.

The official was accompanied by the deputy director of the Ministry of Education and Science Przemysław Skrodzki, Charge d’Affaires of the Embassy of the Poland in Manila Jarosław Szczepankiewicz, and Embassy Intern Isabel Borwoska.

The delegation was welcomed by UST Secretary General Rev. Fr. Louie Coronel, UST Office of Public Affairs Director Asst. Prof. Joreen Rocamora, Executive Assistant of the Office of Secretary-General Dr. Emmanuel Batulan, and Assistant to the Director for Public Affairs Michaella Lagniton.

They also met with UST Prefect of Libraries Rev. Fr. Ángel Aparicio, Assistant Prefect of Libraries and Acting Archivist Rev. Fr. Gaspar Sigaya, Miguel de Benavides Library Chief Librarian Ma. Cecilia Lobo, and Head Book Restorer Ginalyn Santiago.

UST said Aparicio updated the delegation on the ongoing collaboration between the university and the Embassy of Poland on the restoration of a rare first edition copy of Nicolaus Copernicus’ book on heliocentrism, which is a Polish cultural treasure housed within the UST Archives.