Professor Włodzimierz Siwiński was an accomplished economist, who served as the UW Rector for two terms. During that time, the University of Warsaw Library was built and opened to the academic community.

Włodzimierz Siwiński graduated from the University of Warsaw in 1961 and began his research work with such distinguished academics as Oskar Lange, Czesław Bobrowski, Witold Kula and Edward Lipiński. Seven years later, he was awarded a PhD in economics at the UW. Siwiński also completed postgraduate European Studies at the University of Amsterdam and received the habilitation at his Alma Mater. Later he took an internship at Kent State University in the USA and after his return he served as the Vice-Dean of the UW Faculty of Economic Sciences (1979-1981). Furthermore, he assumed the position of the Director of the American Studies Center, the University of Warsaw in 1981. He went again to the United States (Indiana University) in 1984. There, he co-wrote together with Roman Kudliński “Sketches on the World Economy”.

Siwiński received his professorial title in 1987 and became a full professor of economics in 1992. He served as the UW Vice-Rector from 1987 and held this position until his election as the Rector in 1993. During his two terms in office, the University of Warsaw Library was built and opened to the academic community.