Faculty of Automatic Control, Electronics and Computer Science

Jerzy Siwiński was born on 21st November 1908 in Słodków (Turek County, Poznań Province) in an intelligentsia family. In 1918, he enrolled in a secondary school in Łęczyca, from which he graduated in 1927. From 1927 to 1932, he studied at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering of the Warsaw University of Technology, earning a degree in electrical engineering with a specialization in electrical equipment under the supervision of Prof. Wysocki. After receiving his diploma in 1932, he studied the additional specialty of automatic control switchboards under the supervision of Prof. Trechciński.

From 1933 to 1937, he worked as an engineer at the Regional Post and Telegraph Directorate in Poznan, and from 1937 to 1939, as the head and chief engineer of the Telephone and Telegraph Office in Kraków. At the same time, he was employed as a teacher at the Industrial School in Kraków, where he lectured on automatic switchboards and signaling. In 1939, Jerzy Siwiński married Władysława Marfiak. During the occupation, he worked as a teacher at the School of Mechanical Engineering and Electrical Engineering in Kraków, lecturing on electrical equipment and remote signaling and control. Between 1940 and 1944, he also worked as an independent craftsman, a member of the Electrical Installers' Guild in Kraków.

In the period from 1943 to August 1944, Jerzy Siwiński collaborated with the Home Army (AK). His task was to prepare employees from a large group of postal workers displaced from Poznań to Kraków, who would be ready to start the postal and telecommunication service as soon as possible after the country's liberation, in their home offices in Poznań. He also took part in a charity action that consisted in distributing money aids sent by the Home Army from Warsaw to the more needy.

After the occupant (Germans) withdrew from the Upper Silesia region, Jerzy Siwiński was employed as Deputy Director of the District Post and Telecommunications Directorate in Katowice as of 29th January 1945, and as of 1st May 1945 as Director, which he held until 1st March 1952. His vast experience in the field of switching equipment gained thanks to many years of practice made the removal of war damages in communications, launching telephone networks, automatic exchanges, and their extension in the Upper Silesia and Opole Districts take place quickly and efficiently.

On 1st March 1952, Jerzy Siwiński switched to scientific work at the Silesian University of Technology in Gliwice, where he had already been employed part-time (since 1948, initially as a lecturer, and since 1st September 1951 as Deputy Professor in the Department of Mine Electrification at the Faculty of Mining). During this period, he lectured at the Electrical Department of the Mining Faculty, and at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering on many courses in the field of industrial electro-automatics. Among the courses were: "Automation of electric drives", "Principles of Automation and Telemechanics", "Telemechanics", and "Signaling and Automation in Mining". During the years 1948-1952, he was the main lecturer of the specialty "Teletechnics of communication". Since 1952 he conducted newly developed lectures in the field of industrial automation.

In 1955, as a result of his candidacy exam carried out at the Silesian University of Technology, he was awarded the academic degree of Doctor of technical sciences. The topic of his dissertation was "Synteza i analiza schematów przekaźnikowo-stykowych w zastosowaniu do automatyzacji niektórych urządzeń górniczych” (Synthesis and analysis of relay-contact diagrams in the application to automation of some mining equipment). The dissertation was reviewed by Stefan Węgrzyn, Associate Professor at the Silesian University of Technology, and Associate Professor Rajski from the Warsaw University of Technology. In April 1956, upon the request of the Senate of the Silesian University of Technology, the Central Qualification Commission granted him the academic title of Assistant Professor. Positive opinions on that request were prepared by Prof. S. Kuhn from the Warsaw University of Technology and Prof. Z. Szparkowski from the Wrocław University of Technology. During the discussion at the Senate session, Prof. T. Zarański and Prof. S. Fryze expressed very favorable opinions on the thesis and the author. Jerzy Siwiński worked as an independent researcher with the title of docent until 1964, while also holding the position of Head of two research divisions: Division of Automation and Mine Telecommunications of the Department of Mine Electrification at the Faculty of Mining and the Division of Automation of Electrical Drive at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering.

His extensive experience and profound theoretical and practical knowledge in the field of the theory of switching systems of electrical drive automation and industrial automation made him one of the pillars of the newly established Automation Division of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, and then one of the initiators of the creation of an independent Faculty of Automatic Control of the Silesian University of Technology. During 1962-1964, he actively participated in organizational work related to establishing the new faculty. This work was crowned with success when, in 1964, the Minister of Higher Education established the first Faculty of Automatic Control in Poland at the Silesian University of Technology. In the same year, the Council of State awarded Jerzy Siwiński the title of Associate Professor. In 1964-1966, Prof. Siwiński served as Vice-Dean of the newly opened Faculty of Automatic Control. At the same time, he became head of the Department of Industrial Process Automation, which he organized from scratch. In 1971, the State Council bestowed upon him the title of Full Professor. In the same year, 1971, he was appointed director of the newly established Institute of Industrial Automation and Measurements, which was formed by merging three former departments of the Faculty of Automatic Control. In 1972, the Faculty changed its name to the Faculty of Automatic Control and Computer Science, which better reflected the changing nature of research conducted at the Faculty and the profile of students' education. Prof. J. Siwiński conducted for the students of the new course of Informatics, the Theory of Automatons, the course that was giving the theoretical basis for the synthesis and analysis of digital systems. In the years 1971-1977, he was the director of the Industrial Automation specialization at the Faculty of Automatic Control and Computer Science.

In 1977, the authorities of the University reorganized the Faculty of Automatic Control and Computer Science, and Professor Siwiński moved his Division of Automata Theory to the Institute of Real-Time Informatics. In the same year, Prof. Siwiński was employed as a full professor in the Department of Complex Automatic Systems of the Polish Academy of Science in Gliwice. He retired in 1979 but maintained close contact with the Faculty by giving lectures, supervising doctoral theses, and participating in the meetings of the Faculty Council and the scientific seminars of the Institute.

Considering his great academic achievements in the field of the theory of automatics, electric drive automation, and automation of industrial processes, his contribution to the development of national automatics, computer science, and telecommunication, his education of many generations of students and research workers, the Rector and the Senate of the Silesian University of Technology in Gliwice awarded Prof. Jerzy Siwiński the title of honorary doctor honoris causa on 24th May 1986.

Prof. Jerzy Siwinski died on 24th December 1990.