Warsaw University of Technology builds upon the traditions of Polish technical universities that operated previously in Warsaw: – the Polytechnic Institute was founded in 1826 thanks to the efforts of Stanisław Staszic, and the School of Hipolit Wawelberg and Stanisław Rotwand was established in 1895. It is not only the oldest, but also the best technical university in Poland; in the ranking of Polish universities, it has taken the first place in its category for nine years. At Warsaw University of Technology, over 180 student research groups, organisations and associations are active, and the educational offer includes more than 30 fields of study (the majority with English as a medium of instruction).