Ministry of Science awarded the best scholars

Prestigious Award of the Minister of Science and Higher Education is are given in three main categories: basic research, research for the development of society and research for the development of the economy. This year, each of these three awards amounted to almost 68 thousand zlotys.

In addition to these major awards, Minister of Science and Higher Education Barbara Kudrycka also gave awards for lifetime achievement, excellence in science, teaching and organization, lifetime achievement awards for academics, and award for scientific, teaching and organizational achievement; several dozen people have been honoured.

Minister of Science and Higher Education Barbara Kudrycka noted that for the first time the ministry awarded prizes for achievements in research supervision and teaching. "In science, there is no progress without good master-disciple relationship. Talented young people need mentors, in whom they find support and from whose the experience and knowledge they can benefit. If they want to conquer unexplored areas of research, they need your help, for example, to identify research subjects" - the Minister addressed scholars.

The winner in the category of basic research, Professor . Tomasz Wojtowicz from the Institute of Physics PAS, is the creator of the spin transistor . The transistor can manipulate the spins of electrons, which allows to open and close the flow of electric current. The invention is a step toward the construction of quantum computers, devices many times faster than today\'s computers. Research of Prof. Tomasz Wojtowicz is important for the development of spintronics: electronics of the future, in which the operation of instruments will to be based on the use of spin - the internal angular momentum of the electron.

Award in the category of research for the development of society went to Prof. Hubert Orłowski from the Institute of German Studies AMU. He is an authority in the field of German Studies. During the ceremony, the scholar noted that "neighbourhood obliges" and that is advisable to get to know the German people, our neighbours, if only through their literature and culture. According to the award justification, the scientist is one of the most outstanding Polish humanists, an authority in the field of German Studies, and he is considered the leading expert on Polish-German cultural relations.

Award in the category of research for the development of the economy was granted to Prof. Maciej Bugajski of the Institute of Electron Technology in Warsaw . Ministry of Science recognised his creative contribution to the development of physics and technology of modern semiconductor lasers, and development of Poland’s first quantum well lasers and quantum semiconductor lasers. The laureate explained that semiconductor lasers can be used to build a portable detectors for the detection of trace amounts of chemicals, such as methane in mines or hazardous gases in the chemical industry. They could allow to detect even trace amounts of disease markers in the air exhaled by the patient, and safely scan patients. Cascade lasers developed by Prof. Bugajski emit pulses of infrared light with a capacity three times greater than the best results achieved in the world for this type of laser.

In addition, the minister lifetime achievement award (50 thousand zlotys) was granted to professors Ryszard Borowiecki, Marian Kaźmierkowski, Małgorzata Gutry-Korycka, Walerian Arabczyk, Andrzej Grzywacz, Bogusław Pietrzak, Tadeusz Jan Sobczyk, Antoni Nowakowski, Zbigniew Izdebski and Jacek Krełowski. The awards for scientific achievements and scientific supervision (40 thousand zlotys) went to professors Andrzej Buszewski, Franciszek Kokot and Jan Misiewicz.

PAP - Science and Scholarship in Poland

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