Another, special edition of the monthly ‘Welcome to Cracow & Małopolska’ is published in the year of two significant anniversaries. The first of them induces one to look back at the distant fourteenth century when 650 years ago the Academy of Kraków, that is the later and present Jagiellonian University was created. It became the root from which a great tree of Polish science and higher education developed. The other anniversary is only a modest decennary,  which also turns out to be extraordinary for Kraków`s science. In 2004, Poland joined the European Union and over the last decade Kraków universities and research centres went through a period of rapid development of their infrastructure. It has taken an unprecedented scale since the said fourteenth century. Today, the scientists of Kraków boast the tools worthy of their time, that is the twenty-first century. They can compete effectively and cooperate with the international cutting edge of science. We have accompanied the process that led to this state with special, scientific editions of our magazine for nearly twenty years. The present one is full of satisfaction with what has been achieved and hope that big investments will bring achievements worthy of 650 years of the development of science and academia in Kraków.