Awards of the Minister of Science for two AGH University professors

Professor Andrzej Kos was born on 28 October 1954 in Sosnowiec.

In 1978, he graduated from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Automatics, Electronics at the AGH University in the field of electronics.  In 1983, he was given the title of doctor and, in 1994, at the Lodz University of Technology, the title of habilitated doctor. Since 1995, Professor Kos has been the Head of the Micro & Nanoelectronic Systems Division. In 1998, he has become an AGH University associate professor. In 2001, he was given the title of professor of technical sciences.

His research interests focus on the physical layer of information technology, particularly the design of low-energy analogue and digital (micro- and nano-scale) integrated systems.

Reviewer of projects within the EU’s framework programmes. In 2008, he was appointed by the Minister of Science and Higher Education to be a member of the interdisciplinary team for international cooperation. He managed the implementation of 14 science and research projects financed by the State Committee for Scientific Research and the Ministry of Science. He was a visiting professor at universities in the Great Britain, Belgium, and Poland and a European Commission Consultant for priorities of the 6th Research Framework Programme.

He is a coordinator of three Erasmus projects in cooperation with the Great Britain (Norwich), France (Paris), and Belgium (Ghent). He implemented projects funded by NATO.

He is an author/co-author of over 300 publications, including four books (one of which was published in the Great Britain). Co-author of five patents.

Member of the Electronics and Telecommunications Committee of the Polish Academy of Sciences. Member of numerous science and conference committees.

For his accomplishments, he was awarded the Gold Cross of Merit, Knight's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta, and Medal of the National Education Commission.

Professor Jerzy Józef Sobczak was born in 1952 in Jasło. In 1978, he graduated from the AGH University and the Saint Petersburg State Institute of Technology with distinction. From the very beginning of his career, he has been associated with the Institute of Foundry Engineering in Krakow, participating in the implementation of strategic, research and development projects for the Polish and world foundry industry.

In 1982, he became a doctor at the Saint Petersburg State Institute of Technology. Whereas, in 1993, he obtained the title of habilitated doctor of technical sciences in machine building and exploitation at the Poznan University of Technology. In 1994–2000, he was a research associate and a visiting professor at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, and numerous American R&D institutions. Also associated with the Motor Transport Institute in Warsaw. In 2002, he was given the title of professor of technical sciences.

In 2018, he became an expert in the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Metal Science, Equipment and Technologies with Hydroaerodynamics Centre “Acad. Angel Balewski”. Since 2018, he has been employed in the Department of Moulding Materials, Mould Technologies, and Casting of Non-Ferrous Metals at the AGH University as the head of the liquid metal engineering laboratory in a consortium with the Institute of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering of the Polish Academy of Sciences (IMIM).

Author and co-author of more than 60 books and scripts in Polish and English, more than 550 technical and scientific publications in scientific journals in Poland and abroad, as well as industrial and implementation studies. Creator and co-creator of 33 patents and utility models.

He collaborates with research centres in Europe, Japan, and the United States. He was a visiting professor at the University of Wisconsin, Osaka University, Tohoku University, a scholarship holder of the United Nations-UNIDO, the Polish American Joint Fund named Maria Skłodowska-Curie, and the Ministry of Science, Culture and Sport of Japan.

Member of scientific committees of national and international conferences; member of numerous Polish science institutions, mainly of those concerned with materials science, and metallurgy, as well as of TMS Minerals, Metals, Materials, American Society of Metals (ASM), International Community for Composite Engineering (ICCE), American Foundry Society.

In 2017, he received the title of doctor honoris cause of the Technical University of Varna.

For his merits, he was awarded multiple awards including the Golden Cross of Merit, Order Merite De L'Invention awarded by the Royal Belgian Chapter, Gold Medal with Distinction of the Association of Polish Inventors and Rationalizers, Medal of Association des Inventeurs et Fabricants Français, the Gold Medal with Distinction of the 54th World Exhibition of Innovation, Research and New Technology “Eureka”, Award of the Minister of Science and Higher Education. He is an „Honourable Research Fellow” of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (2014) and has received the “Tibi Polonia Per Scientiam” distinction from the Institute of Metallurgy and Materials Science of the Polish Academy of Sciences (2016).

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The Ministry of Science and Higher Education received as many as 101 applications to grant awards, 95 of which underwent substantive assessment. Responsible for evaluating the applications was an advisory team consisting of representatives of the academic community from given fields of study and/or art. The Minister of Science granted 59 awards, including 50 individual and 9 team ones in the following categories: for lifetime achievements and for outstanding achievements in organisational, implementation, teaching, and scientific activity.

Established in 2020, the Polish Science Day is a perfect opportunity to commemorate the achievements of the most prominent Polish academics, who left permanent imprints on the history of science by making ground-breaking discoveries in various fields. It is also an acknowledgement of contemporary Polish researchers, as well as an inspiration to pursue scientific initiatives and strengthen the interest in science and disseminate it in the society. Moreover, the Polish Science Day is an occasion to honour those who are especially engaged in scientific and academic activity with the Awards of the Minister of Science.