The first half of 2026 was marked by meetings with young people, inspiring workshops, and visits to our laboratories. As part of our Institute’s Social Responsibility of Science activities, we welcomed 16 groups of school pupils and university students, while our researchers also visited schools to demonstrate that science is fascinating, practical, and accessible to everyone. During the Year of Science Popularisation, we are pleased to present selected events that helped build a bridge between the world of research and education.
Although the school year has come to an end and the summer holidays are in full swing, we would like to look back at the past few months and share the achievements of the activities we carried out from January to June as part of our Social Responsibility of Science programme.
This partial summary is particularly meaningful this year. By decision of the Minister of Science and Higher Education, 2026 has been declared the Year of Science Popularisation. We are therefore especially pleased that we were able to welcome so many young visitors to our laboratories and research centres, showing them that science does not end with textbooks—it comes to life in laboratories, is driven by curiosity, and has a real impact on the world around us.
During the first half of the year, we hosted as many as 16 groups, including not only university students and representatives of higher education institutions, but also secondary school students who are beginning to make decisions about their future education and careers, as well as primary school pupils who are only starting to discover the fascinating world of science.
However, it was not always our guests who came to us. Our researchers also visited schools, where they demonstrated through experiments and scientific demonstrations that science can be fascinating, inspiring and, above all, safe.
The youngest participants in our activities—Class 1a pupils from Primary School No. 19 in Gliwice—had the opportunity to become real chemists for a day. During workshops led by dr inż. Piotr Knapik and mgr inż. Aleksandra Latacz, the children investigated the properties of various substances, prepared solutions and determined their pH values. Learning through experimentation combined with great fun showed the youngest participants that chemistry can be both exciting and full of surprises.
Another event brought together members of the Inter-School Physics and Chemistry Club from Primary School with Sports Classes No. 19 (ZSO No. 8) and Primary School No. 30 (ZSO No. 5) in Gliwice at the Centre for Materials Research.
Workshops introducing participants to the daily work of researchers and the specifics of scientific research were prepared by dr inż. Paulina Copik. The students analysed real research challenges, developed their own ideas and proposed solutions, and then presented the outcomes of their work to the rest of the group. The workshops provided an excellent opportunity to develop creativity, teamwork skills, and an understanding of research methodologies.
Dr inż. Adam Gryc took the same group of students on a fascinating journey along the “Bumpy Road to Immortality”. The participants learned about the path from biomaterials research and the design of their properties to their applications in the human body. During the workshops, they became familiar with basic biomaterials testing methods and carried out simple experiments demonstrating how biomaterials behave in conditions resembling the human body’s environment.
Mgr inż. Alicja Szemalikowska introduced the students to the research activities carried out by the Raw Materials Processes Research Group. Participants learned about the group’s research areas, the challenges faced by modern raw materials science, and how research findings are translated into industrial applications and everyday life.
Dr inż. Bartłomiej Walnik and mgr inż. Mariusz Adamczyk presented the activities of the Manufacturing Technologies Research Group. During the meeting, they introduced the scope of the group’s research and the advanced technologies used in manufacturing processes. The students learned how innovative industrial solutions are developed and gained insight into the everyday work of researchers and engineers involved in manufacturing technology development.
Students from Primary School No. 9 in Gliwice were also among the visitors to our Institute. During the visit, dr inż. Jarosław Gazdowicz presented the activities of the Research Group: Investigation of Material Properties and Structure, introducing the students to the scope of the conducted research and modern methods used for material analysis. The students had the opportunity to learn about the entire process of working with materials – from their preparation, through laboratory testing and data analysis, to the interpretation of results. The meeting allowed participants to discover what everyday research work looks like and to understand the important role that materials research plays in the development of modern technologies.
Another highlight of the programme was two two-day visits by students from the Technical School Complex in Chełm. The programme was divided into two thematic parts, enabling participants to explore the activities of two of the Institute’s research centres.
The first day was devoted to the Welding Centre, where students became familiar with modern laboratories specialising in arc welding and cutting, electron beam welding, laser technologies, plastics bonding technologies and resistance welding. Their guides through the world of advanced manufacturing technologies were prof. dr hab. inż. Jacek Słania, dr hab. inż. Zygmunt Mikno, mgr inż. Piotr Śliwiński, mgr inż. Mateusz Radoń, mgr inż. Kinga Michalak, dr inż. Damian Miara, mgr inż. Maciej Piotrowski, mgr inż. Wojciech Oborski and mgr inż. Daniel Kuc, who presented both the research facilities and the practical applications of their work.
The second day was spent at the Centre for Drives and Electrical Machines, where students explored modern solutions used in the design, testing and operation of electrical machines and drive systems. The programme was delivered by dr inż. Stanisław Gawron, dr inż. Marcin Barański, mgr inż. Karolina Dąbrowska, dr inż. Emil Król, dr inż. Tomasz Wolnik, dr inż. Piotr Dukalski, dr inż. Bartłomiej Będkowski, mgr inż. Tomasz Jarek, mgr inż. Jan Mikoś, inż. Tomasz Szałowski, and inż. Łukasz Mendalka. Thanks to these meetings, students gained first-hand insight into the everyday work of researchers and engineers and learned about the challenges faced by modern industry.
We would like to express our sincere gratitude to all our researchers for their commitment, professionalism and enthusiasm in sharing their knowledge. Thanks to your dedication, science becomes more accessible, easier to understand and more inspiring for future generations.
Our heartfelt thanks also go to the students and teachers for their openness, curiosity and eagerness to explore the world of science. On many faces we could see excitement, genuine interest and, in some cases, the spark of a future passion. We hope that for at least some of the participants, these meetings will inspire future educational and career choices.
