For the third time, young researchers from all over Poland and Europe met at the University of Gdańsk to present the results of their scientific endeavours. From July 6 to July 8 this year, the Congress of Young Science, one of the largest multidisciplinary scientific conferences in Poland, was held. Approximately 200 papers and posters from various disciplines were presented over the three days.
The international overtones of the conference are extremely important, this year involving, among other things, the participation of our partner from Ukraine, the Odessa's Ilya Mechnikov National University. The authorities of the Black Sea university sat on the Scientific Committee of the Congress, and ten students from Odessa participated in the event.
Prof. Wiesław Laskowski
The first day of the event was opened by prof. Wiesław Laskowski, Vice-Rector for Research, UG, representing the university authorities, and Łukasz Bień, coordinator of the Congress Organising Committee. Recordings of the welcoming remarks by the Vice-Rector for Students Affairs and Educational Quality, dr hab. Arnold Kłonczyński, prof. UG, and the Vice-Rector for Research, Education and International Cooperation of the Odessa's Ilya Mechnikov National University, prof. Andriy Smitiukh, were also played.
The first plenary session, chaired by Sebastian Barczak, President of the UG Doctoral Council, was attended by doctoral students and a young doctor, who talked about the challenges in their scientific careers, as well as the opportunities and obstacles on their path.
prof. Bernard Lammek
Participants in the discussion on funding problems and legal and administrative solutions in science included prof. dr hab. Grzegorz Węgrzyn, Chairman of the Council for Scientific Excellence, prof. dr hab. Bernard Lammek, Senior Rector of the UG, and prof. dr hab. Maria Mendel, Chairman of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities of the Gdańsk Science Association.
The second day was full of panels on a wide variety of topics. A novelty was a panel created in cooperation with a university from Odessa "Ukraine-Poland, Poland-Ukraine. Common perspectives - politics, culture, economy'.
The day concluded with a plenary session related to the jubilees of three professors leaving the University of Gdańsk this year. The fellows prepared a surprise for prof. dr hab. Bogdan Chrzanowski, prof. dr hab. Andrzej Gąsiorowski and dr hab. Andrzej Kubka, prof. UG in the form of the publication of three commemorative books. As the Congress organisers emphasised, young science cannot exist without masters who point to solutions, mentor and allow wings to spread.
On the third day of the Congress, in addition to the continuation of thematic panels, there was a special lecture by Col. dr hab. inż. Sławomir Augustyn, prof. of the WAT from the Military University of Technology. During the speech, the guest from Warsaw addressed issues related to air transport safety, logistics and technology. He also drew attention to the interdisciplinary nature of the subject of security and invited cooperation in his activities.
The final plenary panel, 'Social Responsibility of the University', featured prof. dr hab. Ewa Łojkowska, former dean of the Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology and Chair of the UG Social Responsibility Committee, dr hab. Anna Dziadkiewicz, member of the Equal Treatment of Students and Doctoral Students Committee and member of the Congress Scientific Committee, and dr Justyna Świeżak, who took part in the UG RV Oceanograf cruise. The panel was moderated by Piotr Patalas from the UG Students' Parliament, who proffered a discussion on a number of different topics related to the very notion of the social responsibility of a university, the promotion of this notion or its implementation in practice.
The Congress culminated in a poster session, where dozens of posters were presented and discussed.
The artistic setting of the conference was provided by the UG Vocal Studio led by Krzysztof Majda.
All plenary discussions and some of the panels and lectures were recorded and will soon be available on the Youtube page of the Centre for Student and Doctoral Activities.
