Prof. dr hab. Krystyna Bieńkowska-Szewczyk and dr Anna Strzałkowska, two scientists from the University of Gdańsk, were among this year's laureates of St. Adalbert medals and Mestwin II medals. The medals are awarded by the Gdańsk City Council for outstanding contribution to the city, outstanding work or interests and activities in the field of culture, science, health care or economy.
The medals of St. Adalbert (S. Adalbertus) and Duke Mściwój (Mestwin II) were established by the Gdańsk City Council in 1996.
The medals are awarded to outstanding individuals or organisations for their outstanding contribution to the city of Gdańsk. This year a total of seven people received them - including two academics from the University of Gdańsk. The silver medals are given to those whose actions have contributed to making the name of Gdańsk known in the region, country and worldwide.
This year's winners of the Gdańsk medals
Distinctions for UG employees
The St. Adalbert Medal was awarded to prof. dr hab. Krystyna Bieńkowska-Szewczyk for her impact on the development of science in the national and international dimension, as well as on the development of health services, higher education and the economy, for her influence on cooperation and integration of the academic community and her involvement in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
Prof. Krystyna Bieńkowska-Szewczyk heads the Department of Molecular Biology of Viruses at the Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology UG and GUMed. She completed her Master's thesis in biochemistry (1976) at the Faculty of Biology and Earth Sciences, UG. She dealt with the molecular biology of bacteriophages and her doctoral dissertation at the Faculty of Biology, UG (1982) dealt with this subject. She received her PhD degree in 2002 and the title of professor in 2009.
Together with her husband she has created a modern laboratory of molecular virology at the UG, where numerous viruses (alpha-herpesviruses, hepatitis C, influenza, animal pathogens, insect baculovirus), retroviruses and adenoviruses are studied for the expression of foreign genes and construction of viral vectors. She collaborates with centres in the Netherlands, Germany and Scotland.
She obtained the first grant at the UG funded by the EC (1998), and between 2001 and 2013 she led a partner group in four international projects funded by prestigious EU FPs, including the HEPACIVAC consortium working on hepatitis C vaccine. She has managed many national projects funded by the KBN and NCN.
She hosted the world virology congress in Poland in 2011. The 36th International Herpesvirus Workshop, she was chosen to host the largest virological congress in Europe, the European Congress of Virology (Gdańsk, 2023). On her initiative, the International Centre for Cancer Vaccine Research was established in Gdańsk based on the FNP International Research Agendas programme. She is a co-founder of the European Virus Bioinformatics Center. She is an author or co-author of 55 publications. She has served as an expert for NCN and the EC in competitions on virology and vaccines (Covid-19, 2020 and 2021). She gives lectures and seminars in molecular virology for UG students. She is the supervisor of 12 PhDs and a member of the Biotechnology Committee of the Polish Academy of Sciences.
The Duke Mestwin II Medal was awarded to dr Anna Strzałkowska. She received it for building awareness and disseminating knowledge in the field of urban policy-making, especially in the field of human rights and equal treatment.
Dr Anna Strzałkowska has a master's degree in psychology and sociology and a PhD in physical culture studies. In the years 2000-2012 she lectured at AWFiS in Gdańsk, she was also a national handball player. Since 2009 assistant professor at the Institute of Sociology and the Centre of Sociological Research at the University of Gdańsk. Since 2010, she has been a co-creator of Postgraduate Studies in Coaching at the Gdańsk School of Banking. She is ICC-certified and has many years of experience in managerial coaching. Academic lecturer, social researcher, expert on equal treatment, social participation and development of urban policies. Human rights activist. She was an advisor to Mayor Paweł Adamowicz. She facilitated and coordinated social processes which resulted in the creation of the Immigrant Integration Model and Gdańsk Model for Equal Treatment - the first local government anti-discrimination policies in Poland. Co-founder of the Tygodnik Powszechny Club and the Tolerado Association for LGBT People.
Awarded so far with the St. Adalbert Medal and the Mestwin II Medal
The award ceremony took place in Artus Court on Thursday, 2 June, at 6 pm.