Aneta Kurzępa, Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences (medicine); dr Krzysztof Cichy, A. Mickiewicz University in Poznan (physics & astronomy) and dr Dariusz Sobolewski, Gdansk University (chemistry) were the laureates of the first edition of the Elsevier-Perspektywy Young Researcher Award. The results of the 2008 competition were announced in Warsaw during the Gala Dinner at the hotel Novotel Centrum November 25, 2008.

To learn the achievements of these young people was  a real pleasure, especially that they are succeeding already at the beginning of their career, have many publications, and are winning grants. To support their career is our obligation – said professor Tadeusz Borecki, director  of the Institute of Modern Civilization and chairman of the panel of judges.

Professor Jerzy Duszyński, undersecretary of state at the Ministry of Science and Higher Education congratulated the winners and said: The future of our country and of the entire globalized world depends mostly on you, young researchers.

Mr. Eduard Cohen, managing director of the Elsevier B.V emphasized the importance of access to high quality scientific information as part of the research process. The international publishing company Elsevier B.V. owns on-line scientific publication databases SCOPUS and ScienceDirect representing one quarter of all scientific literature in the world.

In its first year the Elsevier-Perspektywy awards were presented in ten categories: medicine, engineering, biochemistry, physics and astronomy, chemistry, material sciences, agriculture and biology, social sciences, environmental sciences, and computer sciences. Each of the three laureates additionally received check for 7,000 PLN to cover cost of a trip to a scientific conference abroad.

The organizers asked universities’ rectors to propose candidates. The ten winners were selected from over 50 nominees.

  • Piotr Dalka – Gdansk University of Technology – computer science
  • Aneta Kurzepa - Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy – medicine
  • Piotr Michaluk – M. Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology – biology and genetics
  • Kinga Nawalany – Jagiellonian University – chemistry
  • Dr Krzysztof Cichy – A. Mickiewicz University in Poznan – physics and astronomy
  • Dr Bartlomiej Nita – Wroclaw University of Economy – social sciences
  • Dr Dariusz Sobolewski – University of Gdansk – chemistry
  • Katarzyna Pietrucha – Rzeszow University of Technology – environmental sciences
  • Dr Elzbieta Suchowolska – University of Warmia and Mazury – agriculture and biology
  • Jaroslaw Syzdek – Warsaw University of Technology – material sciences

The judging panel was composed of the members of the Board of the Perspektywy Education Foundation: Prof. Tomasz Borecki, member of the Presidium, Conference of Rectors of Academic Schools in Poland (CRASP), director, Institute of Modern Civilization, former rector of the University of Life Sciences, Prof. Boguslaw Smolski, director of the National Center for Research and Development, former rector of the Military Technical Academy, Prof. Tadeusz Tolloczko, former rector of the Warsaw Medical University, and Eduard Cohen, managing director, Elsevier B.V.

Profiles of the nominees and laureates can be found on www.perspektywy.org/elsevier

Elsevier B.V. is a world-leading publisher of scientific, technical and medical information products and services. Working in partnership with the global science and health communities, Elsevier’s 7,000 employees in over 70 offices worldwide publish more than 2,000 journals and 1,900 new books per year, in addition to offering a suite of innovative electronic products, such as ScienceDirect, MD Consult, Scopus, bibliographic databases, and online reference works. www.elsevier.com

Perspektywy Education Foundation is an independent non-profit organization promoting Polish higher education abroad and supporting internationalization of Polish universities through “Study in Poland” program run in cooperation with the Conference of Rectors of Academic Schools in Poland (CRASP). The Foundation publishes rankings of Polish universities, and organizes conferences and seminars on education; it is a member of Academic Cooperation (ACA). www.perspektywy.org