History
Research and teaching of wood science at the academic level was initiated as early as 1923 with lectures in wood technology given at the Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry of the Poznań University. The Faculty of Wood Technology was established on 11 October 1954, as a result of the transformation of the Division of Wood Technology at the Faculty of Forestry, the Higher School of Agriculture in Poznań, into chronologically the fourth independentFaculty of the University. It was the second faculty founded in Poland conducting research and teaching activity in wood science.
In 1963 the Faculty of Wood Technology was given the right to confer doctoral degrees in forestry sciences in the field of wood science, while in 1970 it was granted the right to confer post-doctoral degrees. By the end of 2009 the Faculty conferred a total of 187scientific degrees of a doctor and 63 post-doctoral degrees.
Starting from 1973 the Faculty has been housed in its own building, which contains shops and laboratories in which research is conducted and classes are taught. The present organizational structure of the Faculty comprises one Institute and six Departments.
Mission
• to educate staff prepared to meet present and future needs of wood, furniture, pulp and paper industries with related branches of economy,
• to conduct pure and applied research in wood science,
• to transfer knowledge and technology to economic units,
• to cooperate in the improvement of qualifications by staff employed in industry.
Research potential
The Faculty of Wood Technology employs 125 workers, including 81 academic teachers, giving classes and lectures to 700 students. The Faculty staff consists of 22 professors and assistant professors, 56 employees with the doctoral degree and 3 junior lecturers.
Teaching offer
STUDIES:
Field of study: Wood technology
Specializations: Mechanical wood technology
Chemical wood technology
Furniture manufacturing
Wood protection and modification
Field of study: Furniture design
Field of study: Biomaterials engineering
POSTGRADUATE STUDIES:
• Computer integrated furniture design and manufacturing
• Wood and wood-based materials in construction industry
DOCTORAL STUDIES - Regular Studies and Extramural Programme:
• Chemical wood technology
• Mechanical wood technology
Courses and training offer:
- physico-chemical properties of wood of different species and quality of wood as a construction material,
- technology and raw materials used in wood-based material manufacture,
- properties and application of wood-based materials, hygienic status analysis and environmental impact of technologies,
- operation, selection and maintenance of woodworking machines and tools,
- operation of computer software: Autodesk AutoCAD, Autodesk Inventor,
- criteria of classification of softwood and hardwood timber and sawnwood according to European Standards PN-EN,
- theory and practice of timber drying, optimization of drier processes and operation,
- mycology in construction industry and chemical wood preservatives,
- foundations of preservation of archeological wood,
- environmentally-friendly binding and refining agents in different branches of wood industry,
- nanotechnologies in lacquered products,
- chemization of wicker conversion processes,
- application of chromatography and spectroscopy in analyses of bioorganic products,
- environmental protection and waste management in wood industry.
Scientific research activity:
- anatomical structure and properties of wood,
- chemistry, ultrastructure and reactions of wood,
- physico-chemical modification of wood,
- wood drying,
- glueing and refining technologies,
- wood protection methods and agents,
- wood biodegradation,
- composite materials made from wood and thermoplastic polymers,
- chemical and physico-chemical conversion of wood and other lignocellulose materials,
- cellulose and paper technology,
- active fibrous carbon materials from cellulose and lignocellulose materials,
- optimisation of wood conversion and wood structures,
- rheology and mechanics of wood and wood structure failure,
- strength testing and structure testing in furniture,
- identification of properties of wood and wood-based materials connected with heat and mass exchange,
- operation of woodworking machines,
- testing and evaluation of machines and woodworking machines in terms of compliance with currently binding regulations,
- technological and ecological aspects of utilisation and disposal of wood waste products.
Cooperation with foreign institutions:
- realisation of about fifteen research tasks annually within the framework contract with the Faculty of Wood Technology, the Technical University of Zvolen (Slovakia),
- bilateral cooperation with foreign scientific centres, e.g. the SP Swedish National Testing and Research Institute, VTT Building and Transport in Finland, the University of Life Sciences in Prague, the Czech Republic; CNR/IVALSA Trees and Timber Institute San Michele all’Adige in Italy, the Shimane University in Japan, the University of Melbourne, Australia,
- research within the framework of agreements between governments of Poland and Austria, Poland and Italy,
- cooperation within the framework of the programme for European Cooperation in the Field of Scientific and Technological Research (COST), including: Action FP 0904 Thermo-Hydro- Mechanical Wood Behaviour and Processing, IE 601 Wood Science for Conservation of Cultural Heritage,
- membership of Faculty staff in international organizations and scientific associations, e.g. the International Association of Wood Anatomists (IAWA), the International Academy of Wood Science (IAWS), the International Research Group on Wood Preservation (IRG/WP) and the Max Planck Society,
- The Faculty is a member of IUFRO (the International Union of Forest Research Organisation), it is represented in the National Committee of IUFRO,
- cooperation with foreign producers of wood preservatives and producers of active substances.