As a sign of the celebration, the flag was raised in front of the university every day at 8.00 and the colour guard brought the Maritime University of Szczecin banner into the building.

The anniversary celebrations were initiated with a formal sitting of the Senate of the Maritime University with participation of the Minister of Maritime Economy and Inland Navigation, Marek Gróbarczyk. Together with the Rector of the Maritime University of Szczecin, Wojciech Ślączka, he honoured the current and former employees of MUS with medals for their long-term work for the benefit of maritime education and maritime schools in Szczecin.

Punctually at 14.00, a march accompanied by the MUS guards of honour and a military band started in front of the building in Wały Chrobrego Street and went towards the Szczecin Philharmonics, where the 70th anniversary gala was held - the culmination of the celebrations. It was there that the Rector,Wojciech Ślączka, welcomed the guests and had an opportunity to summarise the rich history of maritime schools in Szczecin, the joint traditions of which form the roots of today’s Maritime University and its daily work.

The Rector also mentioned the future of the university and development of its work for the benefit of broadly understood maritime economy, industry and business surrounding. - The subsequent years are a huge challenge for Maritime University of Szczecin: maintaining and developing the research potential of the university, its distinct presence in the European research space, the need for changes in the approach to planning and, in particular, to using the research results and transferring them to industry and business - he emphasised. - Being proud of the past - we look into the future - Rector Wojciech Ślączka finished his speech.

Following the official opening, Minister Marek Grobarczyk, in his speech, thanked the audience for the amount of their work for the benefit of developing maritime education in West Pomerania. The Minister compared the history of the University and the former schools to working on the sea, which was “full of ups and downs, liquidation attempts, introduction of new solutions and new concepts, but eventually the university was successful” .

During the gala, the Rector and the Minister also handed in state decorations to the University employees - medals for long-term service, statuettes for their contribution to the development of maritime education.

Moreover, the traditional “Sea Dog” prize was also awarded and the most active MUS student was selected during the gala. This year’s “Sea Dog” is a graduate of Higher Maritime School in Szczecin, the President of Polaris Maritime Services - Michał Czerepniak.

The most active student of 2016/17 is Izabela Kamińska - a member of the MUS Student Government Board working actively for the benefit of the student community.

The great attraction of the gala was a concert of the Choir of the Maritime University of Szczecin and Grupa MoCarta - both ensembles have already met on stage previously. The concert was enjoyed by the audience - the guests and authorities as well as the employees and students of Maritime University. Except for representatives of the local government and companies involved in maritime industry, the participants of the celebration included also rectors who came to Szczecin for the Conference of Rectors of Polish Universities of Technology - KRPUT - which began at Maritime University on Thursday, 1 June.

The anniversary celebration was accompanied by a series of events with a view to providing insight in the tradition of maritime education. At 17.00, a plaque commemorating the Marine Fishery School was unveiled in the main hall of the University. The School was established in 1962 and later transformed into the State Maritime School.

The celebrations inaugurating the anniversary were finished with a mass concelebrated by Archbishop Andrzej Dzięga and the traditional roll-call in front of the Monument in memory of those who were lost at sea in the Central Cemetery. The subsequent days of the celebration were marked by meetings of graduates, several hundreds of whom appeared in the walls of the university to reminisce their student times, exchange experience and see what has changed. On Thursday, 1 June, the graduates visited the University and participated in a series of meetings at the faculties, whereas on Friday they met in clubs of: Master Mariners, Chief Engineers and “Herring Catchers” (i.e. graduates of the State Marine Fishery School). On Friday evening, the graduates took part in a ball held in Radisson BLU hotel in Szczecin.