The ceremonial opening of the 2025/2026 academic year was exceptional in that the deans, vice-deans, and chairs of the academic senates of all UPJŠ faculties were presented for the first time in new academic attire, which follows the design of the university management’s gowns that were presented at the opening of the previous academic year. Košice fashion designer Louisa Dvorak prepared the new robes from the graphic design to the actual sewing: “The choice of material itself was crucial for me, given the requirement that the robe should be comfortable for its owners even during hot summer weather. The robes are sewn from crepe satin. The material is double-sided, one side is shiny and cool, the other is matte with a ribbed weave. The basic colour of the gowns is black. The individual faculties are distinguished by the colour of their logo, which was used on the dean’s coats and on the trim of the vice-dean’s gowns. The gowns are soft, pleasant to the touch, and resistant to wrinkling.
The university management’s gowns were made in wine red and decorated with gold embroidery featuring the Anjou lily motif in a flaming oval, which was also used on the dean’s gowns, thus achieving a uniform appearance for all academic attire. The symbols on the embroidery refer to the historical roots of the university: the flaming oval refers to the Jesuit university tradition, as UPJŠ proudly claims the legacy of Universitas Cassoviensis – the University of Košice founded in 1657. One of the heraldic figures of the Košice city coat of arms is the Anjou lily, which represents the symbol of the city on academic gowns, where university and academic institutions have been developing for 367 years. The gowns of the chairpersons of the faculty academic senates have a uniform burgundy trim. The designers of the academic gowns drew on historical context and university tradition. A five-member commission worked on the design of the new academic garments, consisting of:
Prof. MVDr. Monika Halánová, PhD., Vice-Rector for Academic Qualifications and Doctoral Studies,
Prof. PaedDr. Martin Pekár, PhD., Head of the Department of History, Faculty of Arts of UPJŠ,
Mgr. Mgr. Mária Fedorčáková, PhD., Assistant Professor at the Department of History, Faculty of Arts of UPJŠ,
RNDr. Jaroslava Oravcová, PhD., Head of the Marketing and Media Communication Department at UPJŠ,
Louisa Dvorak, fashion designer and creator of academic robes.
“The new look of the gowns reflects the history of our university, its symbols, and its relationship to the city of Košice better. Thanks to the materials used, they combine modernity and freshness with dignity and representativeness. An important aspect was to unify the visual appearance of university and faculty academic attire so that it would be clear at first glance that we belong to one institution,” said Vice-Rector Halánová. Academic attire is one of the attributes of the university environment. The most commonly used colors for academic attire were black, purple, and violet. Academic dignitaries wore university insignia along with their characteristic attire.
The right to wear academic dress was granted to universities by the monarch as privileges. Although academic dress changed over the centuries, its purpose was to identify the wearer as a member of the academic community and distinguish them from other social classes. In the Middle Ages and modern times, university attire usually consisted of a characteristic cloak, gown, and head covering, the biretta. At Jesuit universities, despite the privilege of wearing characteristic academic attire, the wearing of religious vestments was enforced. These consisted of a simple black priest’s cassock fastened at the neck and reaching to the ground, with narrow sleeves and a simple belt, which was worn together with a biretta. In the case of the University of Košice, no specific academic attire has been preserved, but written sources mention that, in addition to their religious attire, academic dignitaries also wore cloaks along with scepters and rings, which represented the university’s insignia,” explained doctor Fedorčáková.
