The instrument has been held by the university for decades, but its authenticity was only recently confirmed through records in the archives of Steinway & Sons.
Custom-made for Paderewski, the piano was presented to him by Steinway & Sons in May 1900 so he could practice during transatlantic voyages.
It was installed in his cabin aboard the White Star Line's RMS Oceanic.
The piano was unveiled to the public at a ceremony hosted by university rector Tomasz Strahl and Marcin Fidos, Steinway & Sons' representative in Poland.
The event coincided with the 166th anniversary of Paderewski's birth on November 6, 1860, and came shortly before Poland's Independence Day on November 11.
A prominent pianist and one of the leading figures in Poland's struggle for independence, Paderewski campaigned for the restoration of Polish statehood during World War I, after more than 120 years of foreign rule.
In 1919, while serving as prime minister and foreign minister, he co-led the Polish delegation to the Paris Peace Conference and signed the Treaty of Versailles.
Paderewski died in the United States in 1941 and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery following a decision by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
His remains were brought to Poland in 1992 and reburied at St. John's Cathedral in Warsaw.
(mk/gs)
Source: Chopin University of Music
Click on the audio player above for a report by Michał Owczarek