Obituary of a famous philologist, linguist, Slavicist, retired professor of the Jagiellonian University. The exposé of his personality and also his scientific, didactical, and organizational achievements.

The paper identifies key global challenges threatening the world and indicates the role of higher research and education institutions in effectively facing them. The analysis suggests that the key factor in securing our save future requires constantly increasing efforts in creating new and widely communicating available knowledge in favor of wisely understood common good.