On November 23, prizes and awards were presented to the most interesting student and doctoral initiatives carried out in the 2023-2024 academic year. The projects, as public tasks, were co-financed with funds received in 2024 from the Minister of Science within the framework of the “Organizing and animating activities for the academic community” competition.
Awards and prizes for the most interesting initiatives, were presented in 3 competitions:
- StRuNa (Student Research Movement) competition
- EcoMasters 2024 student initiative
- SID (Student Initiative for Teaching) competition.
In the 14th edition of the StRuNa (Student Scientific Movement) Competition, organized by the “Student Assistance Fund” Foundation, Student Scientific Clubs received 29 awards and honorable mentions. The main prize of the competition – Project of the Year 2024 award, was given to the project realized by “Herbarium” from WUM, and the Club of the Year award went to “Second Thoughts” from UW.
The following awards were presented in StRuNa 2024 competition:
Two equal first prizes in the StRuNa-Med 2024 category went to:
- Cancer Cell Biology Scientific Club from the Medical University of Wroclaw for the project “Hydrogels with nanoparticles of anticancer compounds produced by endophytic fungi as a new form of therapy for skin cancer.”
- Student Scientific Club “Herbarium” from the Medical University of Warsaw for the project “Supporting the function of the lower female reproductive tract using products of natural origin.”
In the StRuNa-Science 2024 category, there were also two winners:
- The Geophysics Scientific Club from the University of Warsaw, awarded for the implementation of the project “RAF – Analog Space Mission.”
- Applied Photochemistry Scientific Club from the Cracow University of Technology awarded for the project “Obtaining and application studies of new multifunctional iridium(III) complexes based on ligands constituting fluorescent sensors as an innovative solution for theranostic applications”.
In the StRuNa-Tech 2024 category, the winner was:
- Student Scientific Club “Constructor” from the Bialystok University of Technology awarded for the project “Reuse of wind turbine blades in building lightweight steel-composite bridges for use in post-flood areas as an example of a closed-loop economy.”
In the StRuNa-Art 2024 category, the awards went to:
Two clubs from the Academy of Music in Katowice – the Interdepartmental Percussion Student Club and the Music Therapy Student Club for their joint project “Percussion in Therapy – Therapy in Percussion”.
Among all the project categories, in which the jury evaluates one most valuable project of each club from recent months, the “Herbarium” Scientific Club received the most points for the project on supporting the function of the lower female reproductive tract, winning the top prize of the competition – Project of the Year 2024.
The Debut of the Year 2024 award, intended for a new club with a very dynamic start, went to the Organic Chemistry Student Scientific Club from the Collegium Medicum UMK in Bydgoszcz.
The award for the best supervisor of the Scientific Club in Poland went to Dr. Małgorzata Lasota, awarded for supporting the Targeted Therapy and Supramolecular Systems Student Scientific Club from the Jagiellonian University Medical College.
The winner of the most important category – Scientific Club of the Year 2024, was “Second Thoughts” Scientific Club from the University of Warsaw.
ecoMasters 2024 is a project aimed at supporting and encouraging students and doctoral students to take action for sustainable development. In addition to the Minister of Science, the Polish Accreditation Commission has also assumed honorary patronage of the event.
The organizer of ecoMasters is the Foundation for Quality Education, which for the past four years has been rewarding students for their ideas for a greener university. This initiative is an opportunity to promote young talent and solutions that can make a difference in local communities.
Awarded projects:
First place: “Stop PFAS: Environmental Awareness Project at Technical Universities,” by Natalia Lisiecka and Aleksandra Makiej from Poznan University of Technology. The authors focused on education on the harmfulness of persistent environmental pollution.
Second place: the “Water Corner” prepared by Konrad Budziński and Dominika Matuszewska from the University of Lodz. The initiative focuses on revitalizing water spaces on university campuses.
Third place: Michał Gocki and Patryk Kowalczyk from the Silesian University of Technology with their project “Closed-loop system for polymer materials”, combining recycling with 3D printing technology.
Student Initiatives for Teaching (SID) competition
SID competition is also organized by the Foundation for Quality Education. It aims to promote creative initiatives in education and support students whose projects can bring about real changes in didactics. The competition received as many as 66 entries, coming from more than 15 universities from all over Poland.
First place went to Jakub Niewiński for his project “Introduction to Empathic Intercultural Communication.” This project aims to facilitate communication between representatives of different cultures, promoting empathy and understanding in the academic environment.
Second place was awarded to to Joanna Kubiak for her initiative “Gamification in the fundamentals of radiological protection.” Her project presents an innovative approach to teaching the principles of radiological protection through the use of gamification elements, making the learning process more attractive and effective.
Third place went to Maria Pytka for her project “User experience of urban space.” The project focused on analyzing the experience of users of urban spaces, proposing changes that can improve the comfort and quality of life in urban environments.
