Prominent scientists received Prime Minister’s awards

During the ceremony at the Chancellery of the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Science and Higher Education Jaroslaw Gowin presented the awards on behalf of the Prime Minister Beata Szydło.

Addressing the winners, minister stressed the need for deep investments in science and higher education. "I make every effort and use all my political power to achieve that" - he assured. "But new wine must be poured into new wineskins. Together, we need to work out a new concept of Polish universities, Polish research institutes. Together, we must work out a new constitution science, new law on higher education" - he said.

He reminded of the current work of three teams selected in the competition "Law 2.0". These groups are preparing three different concepts of the draft law on universities. Assumptions of one of these projects are already known, and consultations of this project have already begun. At the same time the ministry is organizing a series of conferences on science and higher education. They will be concluded in September with the National Congress of Science.

"I would like to invite all of you (...) to cooperate on the act. It really is not being prepared in the ministry. It is not being written on my desk, or on the desks of the ministry officials - who are very competent, by the way. It is being created during meetings such as today, in a dialogue" - said Gowin. He noted that the dialogue was twofold: between the government and academia and within academia. He expressed the hope that these solutions would push the Polish science far ahead.

Addressing the winners, Gowin said: "I have the great honour to represent the Polish government before the group of people of fundamental importance for the future of Poland" - he said. He noted that last year the government started to implement the plan of reconstruction of the Polish economy to make it innovative instead of imitative. "Such economy can only be built on the foundation of achievements and discoveries of Polish scientists" - he said.

"It is great when research translates into the business implementation, magnificent, the development of science furthers the development of the economy, and the Polish citizens become wealthier. But even without all these practical aspects, what you do, your profession, mission, vocation, still has the deepest meaning. It is the constitutive meaning for humanity" - said Deputy Prime Minister.

He said that what scientists do, is sometimes underestimated, not understood. "But really all of us - we the Polish citizens, we the people - we owe you the deepest gratitude" - emphasised Gowin.

Six people received the award in the category of scientific achievement. Three teams were awarded for scientific and technical achievements. Awards were also given for ten habilitation dissertations and 25 doctoral dissertations.

Among the recipients of the award for scientific achievement was Prof. Grzegorz Błaszczyk from the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań - valued and widely respected in the world of science researcher of the history of Lithuania. Prof. Andrzej Borowski from the Jagiellonian University was awarded for scientific achievements in the field of research on modern culture. Prof. Agnieszka Chacińska of the International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology received the award for research on the molecular mechanisms of mitochondrial disorders.

Prof. Marek Cyprian Chmielewski from the Institute of Organic Chemistry PAS was awarded for new methodologies and strategies allowing to simplify the synthesis of biologically active natural compounds. The award also went to Prof. Józef Spałek from the Jagiellonian University. He is co-founder of modern branch of condensed matter physics.

First prize for scientific and technical achievements went to Dr. Jan Zawilak and his team from Wroclaw University of Technology for the "Energy-efficient permanent magnet excited synchronous motors". Second prize in this category was awarded to Prof. Włodzimierz Choromański and his team from Warsaw University of Technology. The scientists prepared a system of sustainable transport and personal mobility - "Eco-Mobility-Prometheus". The winners of the third prize were Prof. Mirosław Wielgoś and Dr. Przemyslaw Kosiński from the Medical University of Warsaw for the introduction of an innovative method of intrauterine surgery in patients with a diagnosis of fatal congenital diaphragmatic hernia into clinical practice in Poland.

PAP - Science and Scholarship in Poland

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