The density, compressive strength, and thermal insulation properties of fly ash geopolymer paste are reported. Novel insulation material of glass bubble was used as a replacement of fly ash binder to significantly enhance the mechanical and thermal properties compared to the geopolymer paste. The results showed that the density and compressive strength of 50% glass bubble was 1.45 g/cm3 and 42.5 MPa, respectively, meeting the standard requirement for structural concrete. Meanwhile, the compatibility of 50% glass bubbles tested showed that the thermal conductivity (0.898 W/mK), specific heat (2.141 MJ/m3K), and thermal diffusivity (0.572 mm2/s) in meeting the same requirement. The improvement of thermal insulation properties revealed the potential use of glass bubbles as an insulation material in construction material.

The Department was established at the University of Nicolas Copernicus on October 1st, 2001. Its faculty members were recruited from among the theologians working in two diocesan Seminaries – in Torun and in Włocławek. The first dean was prof. dr hab. George Bagrowicz. His successor, prof. dr hab. John Perszon was elected in 2005, to be then reelected in 2008. Currently, the Department comprises forty two full-time faculty members who specialize in various theological disciplines. There are 480 students.

The Department offers graduate degrees, i.e., master’s and doctoral degrees. Students can choose from among four diff erent specializations: priestly, pastoralcatechetic, “Caritas” social work and studies on the family. The programs operate with the Polish grading system as the formal grading, but students are also graded according to the ECTS grading scale.

One of the highest priorities of the Department has always been promoting international cooperation with other centers of theological studies. Among them, especially three are to be mentioned: Th e School of Theology of the University of Navarra (Spain), Katolisch-Theologische Fakultät of the University of Würzburg (Germany), The Department of Theology of the Vytautas Magnus University (Lithuania). Conferences attended by foreign theologians have been organized in Torun and our faculty members actively participated in conferences organized abroad.

The main academic periodical of the Department is “Teologia i Człowiek” (“Theology and Man”). There are also four theological series where members of the Faculty publish their papers: Euntes Docete, Scripta Theologica Thorunensia, Biblia et Patristica Thorunensia and Series Biblica Paulina. In cooperation with the Department of Pedagogy another semi-annual journal “Paedagogia Christiana”.

Among the most recent academic projects created by the Department of Th eology is an online collection of biblical articles (www.biblistyka.umk.pl). It is an indispensible means for research for all Polish theologians. The project is entirely sponsored by the University of Nicolas Copernicus.

This paper brings up elementary problems related to the creation of friendly public spaces in residential complexes as the main places of social integration. Contemporary social transformations are reflected in a new, intensified usage of public spaces which – offering more and more possibilities of satisfying human needs in the field of social contact, knowledge, recreation, stimulation etc. – provoke people and their activities to transfer “life” from a private space to a public space.