More than a hundred people from among students, doctoral students, and staff who all have one thing in common - a passion for being active. On 15 January, the University of Gdańsk Library hosted the Student and Doctoral Activity Gala. This was already the third edition of the event, which is gaining momentum every year and its programme is enriched with new awards. During this year's Gala, the following awards were presented: Rector's Awards for artistic, sporting, scientific and social activities, prof. Tadeusz Dmochowski Award for an academic teacher and administrative employee, Santander Bank Poland Awards for students and doctoral students, and - for the first time - the University of Gdańsk Artistic Award.

The 3rd Student and Doctoral Activity Gala was opened by Łukasz Bień, Director of the CASiD Office. He stressed the importance of the diversity of ideas and openness to new challenges in the University of Gdańsk's academic community, as well as the support of the university's authorities in developing student and doctoral student activity. In his speech, he recalled Dominik ‘Domel’ Walczak, whose death deeply shook the entire university community: ‘Dominik was a remarkable person - a committed student, doctoral student and friend who left a lasting mark on our academic community.’ The authorities of the Foundation, of which Dominik Walczak was vice-president, established a special award for active students to honour his contribution to academic life.

In her speech, Vice-Rector for Student Affairs dr hab. Urszula Patocka-Sigłowy, prof. UG stressed the importance of recognising the efforts of students and doctoral students, whether in science, sport, art or social activities. ‘It is thanks to students and doctoral students that we are such a colourful, diverse and socially sensitive community,’ she said. ‘A very active community - and today this is the moment to thank them once again, to reward the most active of the active, the best of the best.’ The Vice-Rector drew attention to the uniqueness of this edition of the Gala, which is part of the celebrations of the 55th anniversary of the University of Gdańsk. In conclusion, prof. U. Patocka-Sigłowy expressed her gratitude for the opportunity to work with students and doctoral students: ‘Thank you for placing your trust in us, sharing your passions and inspiring us every day. Don't slow down, keep engaging and invite even more of your colleagues to join us. Thank you for allowing me to be one of you.’

Before the first awards were handed out, Mariola Piskorska, Manager of Santander Universidades in Gdańsk, representing the founder of the award, also spoke. She congratulated all the laureates and shared a personal story illustrating how difficult it can be to notice the efforts of others. At the same time, she expressed the hope that the prize funded by Santander Universidades would become a symbol of recognition and inspiration for future challenges.

The introductory part was followed by the presentation of awards and prizes.

The first to be presented were the Santander Universidades Awards , awarded for sporting, scientific and artistic achievements; for social engagement, the implementation of initiatives within and outside the university, and for activities for the academic community. These awards honour a wide range of activities and emphasise the importance of the all-round development of students and doctoral students.

Another highlight of the Gala was the presentation of the prof. Tadeusz Dmochowski Award given at the request of students and doctoral students. This award goes to academic teachers and administrative staff who support student and doctoral activity. This year, two people were honoured with it:

• in the academic teacher category: dr Roksana Zgierska,
• in the administrative employee category: mgr Małgorzata Grabowska.

Dr Roksana Zgierska, supervisor of the ‘Words of Wisdom’ research club, is affiliated with the Faculty of Languages and the Institute of English and American Studies. Students have recognised her for her commitment to their development and for creating opportunities beyond the standard didactic framework. Thanks to her support, they had the chance to participate in conferences, workshops and festivals, which opened up new horizons for them and enabled them to make valuable contacts. Students appreciated her personal approach, her support in the implementation of scientific projects and her involvement in the organisation of the Between.Pomiędzy festival.

Mgr Małgorzata Grabowska, who has worked at the University for over 40 years (currently serving as secretary to the Vice-Rector for Student Affairs), supports students and doctoral students at the University of Gdańsk with her commitment to numerous social, sporting, and cultural initiatives. Her empathy, professionalism, and readiness to help have made her a pillar of the academic community admired not only by the student and doctoral community but also by the staff.

Another highlight of the gala was the presentation of the Rector's Awards for sporting achievements. A summary of sporting successes was presented by Piotr Walczak, President of the UG Academic Sports Association. He thanked the university's authorities for their support and highlighted the achievements of the athletes, who last year were ranked fourth in the general classification of the Polish Academic Championships and second in the classification of universities. The ASA UG President also mentioned sporting events in the format of the Polish Academic Championships, hosted by the University of Gdańsk. These were: the Academic Table Tennis Championships of Poland, the Academic Beach Volleyball Championships of Poland and the Integrative Table Tennis Championships of Poland for people with disabilities.

This was followed by the presentation of the Rector's Awards in the organisational and academic categories. Piotr Patalas, Vice-President of the UG Students‘ Parliament, introduced the activities of the Centre for Student and Doctoral Activities and the UG Students’ Parliament. The ceremony of presenting the Rector's Awards in the category of artistic achievements, meanwhile, was opened by mgr Michał Biełuszko, head of the Academic Cultural Centre.

A novelty of the 3rd Student and Doctoral Activity Gala was the introduction of the Artistic Award initiated by the UG Chancellor, dr hab. Aneta Oniszczuk-Jastrząbek, prof. UG. This award aims to promote and recognise artistic creativity and the contribution of students and doctoral students to the development of culture.

Works were submitted for the award in six categories: literary works, visual arts, music, theatre and performance, film and multimedia, and cultural initiatives. Out of 31 works submitted to the competition, four were selected that stood out for their particular artistic value. The winners were:

• Sahar Mohammad-Taghizadeh (painting),
• Izabela Maciukiewicz (visual arts),
• Natalia Murawska (dance and theatre),
• Marta Bielawska (music).

The gala also featured a film made by Rafał Mielczarek of CASiD, introducing the artistic activities of UG Chancellor, prof. Aneta Oniszczuk-Jastrząbek.

The final part of the ceremony was the announcement of the results of the photo competition ‘Academic Life in Lens!’. The competition aimed to promote universal values as part of the cooperation between the University of Gdańsk and the I.I. Mechnikov National University in Odesa. The winners of the competition were:

• 1st place: Jakub Pilszak,
• 2nd place: Radosław Kędzierski,
• 3rd place: Kamil Łowczyk.

The Gala ended with a concert by the Academic Orchestra under the baton of Marcin Janek.

Full report on the website of the Centre for Student and Doctoral Activities