The University of Cambridge marked its close bonds with Poland with the unveiling of a new statue - the Sierpinski Tree - in the presence of Vice-Chancellor Sir Leszek Borysiewicz and Polish Ambassador Witold Sobków. Also attended by Lecturer in Polish Studies Dr Stanley Bill, the event celebrated the achievements of Polish science and the recent launch of the new initiative in Polish Studies at the Department of Slavonic Studies. 

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The Sierpinski Tree is based on the geometric figure devised by Polish mathematician Waclaw Sierpinski who did pioneering work in the early 20th Century on the field of fractals. A fractal is a geometric figure in which each part possesses the same statistical properties as the whole.

The Polish Ambassador, His Excellency Witold Sobkow, was welcomed to Cambridge by the Vice-Chancellor Professor Sir Leszek Borysiewicz, himself of Polish descent. 

Unveiling the statue, the Ambassador said: "As ties between Poland and the University of Cambridge are stronger than ever before, there is no better place in Britain to celebrate the growing importance of Polish science. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is proud of the establishment of the Polish Studies programme at the Department of Slavonic Studies, partly financed by the Foundation for Polish Science."

In reply the Vice-Chancellor said: “I am delighted to see a new home for the Sierpinski Tree in the Centre for Mathematical Sciences. The tree has been installed by the University of Cambridge and the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in London to mark the centenary of Wacław Sierpiński’s achievement. It is a fitting symbol of the long history of mathematical excellence that is enjoyed by both Poland and Cambridge."

In response to growing interest in Poland, the University’s Department of Slavonic Studies launched a new initiative in Polish Studies in October 2014. The initiative aims to make Cambridge a key centre for the study of Poland in the UK and beyond.

Dr Stanley Bill, the new Lecturer in Polish Studies, said: “It is high time for new visions of Poland and Polish culture in the UK. Poland is a rising economic power on the crucially important eastern border of the European Union, while Polish immigrants continue to make a powerful contribution to the fabric of life in Britain. Above all, the academic programme and public events of Cambridge Polish Studies aim to convey the dynamism of contemporary Polish cultural, social and economic life, while also disseminating broader understanding of Poland’s role in European history.”

Lecturer in Polish Studies Dr Stanley Bill and Cambridge students at the unveiling of the Sierpinski Tree.