ABOUT
We are currently witnessing a series of megatrends that are transforming our world faster than anyone could have predicted. We are undoubtedly observing the emergence of a new world order. The established political and economic powers seem to be losing their strength and influence, whilst contenders from outside the Western world are gaining significance. At the same time, we are witnessing attempts to reshape or even completely redefine the international order based on power relations and the interests of individual states.
The economic, technological, social and political changes taking place also pose many challenges for science and scientists, opening new fields of research and generating a need for new ideas and solutions. Science seeks not only the causes of change but should also offer solutions to prevent negative phenomena – from technologies for extracting rare-earth metals, through economic models, to strategies for defending against disinformation in the digital world.
We invite all Humboldt scholars to participate in the Congress, regardless of formal membership of the SHP, as well as prominent figures engaged in the aforementioned areas of research and in shaping and managing socio-economic processes in Poland, Germany and other countries. Our aim is to foster an open, interdisciplinary discourse in Gdańsk on the future of societies and our planet. Societas Humboldtiana Polonorum wishes to play an active role in this currently most important global debate. The Congress will also be attended by young researchers working under the supervision of Humboldt scholars, as well as those recommended by them.
SCOPE
The main topics are:
- climate change – the crossing of successive temperature thresholds and the challenges associated with the energy transition and sustainable development,
- technology and AI – the reality of the generative AI era, which is redefining science and everyday life, raising questions about the reliability of research and the limits of control,
- demographics and health – demographic changes taking place in societies and the associated issue of fertility rates,
- communication and society – an analysis not only of new media and technologies, but also of the profound crisis in interpersonal and social communication,
- geopolitics and security – attempts to understand the new world order in the face of the phenomenon of the ‘new war’ and the shifting balance of power, where established powers are confronted with challenges arising from other regions of the world.
KEY SPEAKERS
PROGRAMME
25 September 2026
(Friday)
26 September 2026
(Saturday)
27 September 2026
(Sunday)
| 11:30 - 13:00 | Registration |
| 12:00 - 13:00 | Become a Humboldtian! Presentation of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation’s scholarship programme (Dr Rebecca Großmann) |
| 13:00 - 13:30 | Official opening of the Congress
- Sławomir Steinborn, President of SHP
- Piotr Stepnowski, Rector of the University of Gdansk
- Miguel Berger, Ambassador of the Republic of Germany
- Rebecca Großmann, Alexander von Humboldt Foundation
|
| 13:30 - 15:00 | Inaugural panel discussion: ‘Contemporary challenges in science’
Moderator: Robert Silski, Radio Gdańsk
Speakers:
- Tomasz Dietl, Institute of Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Chair of the Council of the National Science Centre, Poland
- Ewa Łojkowska, University of Gdańsk, President of the Jury – L’Oreal-UNESCO For Women in Science Awards
- Piotr Stepnowski, Rector of the University of Gdańsk, Chair of the Conference of Rectors of Polish Universities
- Mirosław Miller, Vice-President of SHP
|
| 15:00 - 16:00 | Lunch |
| 16:00 - 16:30 | Keynote Lecture: The Future of International Criminal Court and International Criminal Law
Piotr Hofmański, former President of the International Criminal Court
|
| 16:30 - 18:00 | Session 1: Media - Communication - Society “The Media in Times of Crisis”
Speakers:
- Ewa Matkowska, University of Wrocław: Propaganda, Censorship and the Impact of Media Regulation on the Social System
- Wojciech Zalewski, University of Gdańsk: Penal Populism in the Age of Social Media: Criminal Law as a Tool of Communication and Governance
- Justyna Gumulak, University of Lodz: From Qatar to Saudi Arabia: The World Cup as a Factor of Change in the Policies of the Gulf States
- Paulina Marcinek, Mineral and Energy Economy Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kraków: Social Acceptance of Alternative Fertilisers in the Agricultural Sector – Challenges for Circular Economy Implementation
|
| 20:00 - 24:00 | Gala dinner (Olivia Star) |
| Session 2: AI - Quantum - New technologies “Impact of the New Technologies on the World” |
| 9:15 – 11:00 | Session (part 1)
- Marek Żukowski, International Centre for Quantum Technology Theory, University of Gdańsk: Quantum Weirdness: A List of Myths About It
- Bogdan Lesyng, University of Warsaw: On the Evolutionary Development of Theories and Models in the natural sciences. Taxonomic Classification of Molecular Quantum Mechanics Models with Artificial Intelligence – a Case Study
- Konrad Schlichtholz, An Open-System Unification of Gravity and Quantum Mechanics.
- Tomasz Kubalica, University of Silesia, Katowice: The Architecture of Doubt: Scientific Retractions as a Source of Fear of Progress and an Expression of the Crisis of Humanism in the AI Era
- Bartosz Naskręcki, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań: Can a Text Generator Think?
|
| 11:00 – 11:15 | Coffee break |
| 11:15 – 12:45 | Session (part 2)
- Jakub Syta, Maritime Cybersecurity Center, Polish Naval Academy, Gdynia
- Alicja Szostak, Gdańsk Tech: Investigation of the Use of Micro-Ring Resonators (MRRs) for Guided Wave Sensing in Structures
- Zuzanna Woźniak, Wrocław University of Science and Technology: From Near Miss to Accident: Quantifying the Escalation Potential of Safety Events in Construction
- Małgorzata Sugiera, Jagiellonian University, Kraków: Human Dreams of Nature: Anthropomorphic Moment as an Intervention in Knowledge Production
- Bohdan Wasilewski, IPS Medical Centre, Warsaw: Natural Intelligence (NI) and Its Relationship with Artificial Intelligence (AI)
- Kacper Filipek, Poznan University of Technology: CNN-LSTM Approach to Non-Newtonian Fluid Behaviour
- Angelika Nowak, Wrocław University of Science and Technology: 3D-Printed Non-Thermal Plasma Reactor for Nanocatalysts Synthesis
|
| 12:45 – 13:30 | Lunch |
| Session 3: Health - People “Challenges of an Ageing Population” |
| 13:30 – 15:00 | Session (part 1)
- Monika Puzianowska-Kuźnicka, M. Mossakowski Institute of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw: Why Do We Age and What Can We Do to Extend a Healthy Life?
- Daria Adamczewska-Łachacz, Medical University of Lodz: Environmental Paraben Exposure and Male Reproductive Health: Semen Quality and Sex Hormone Concentrations in Young Men from the General Population
- Ewa Bartnik, University of Warsaw: Therapies for the 21st Century
- Holger Stark, Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf: Multiple Targeting at Monoamine Transporters and Histamine H3 Receptors Provides a New Class of Potentially CNS Active Compounds
|
| 15:00 – 15:15 | Coffee break |
| 15:15 – 16:45 | Session (part 2)
- Beata Rurarz, Lodz University of Technology: Nanosolutions for Macroproblems – Targeted Delivery of Radioisotopes with Radiation-derived Polymer Nanocarriers
- Angelika Banaszak, Wrocław University of Science and Technology: Multifunctional Plasma-Activated Liquids for Antibacterial and Biocompatible Dental Applications
- Maria Puchalska, Warsaw University of Life Sciences (SGGW): Selected Aspects of Equine Aging: Insights for Geroscience
- Olga Witkowska-Pilaszewicz, Warsaw University of Life Sciences (SGGW): Biomarkers of Training Adaptation in Horses
- Tomasz Zdrojewski, Medical University of Gdańsk: New and Old Problems Concerning Poor Health in Poland. Why Are We Not Catching up With the Old EU Countries?
|
| 16:45 – 17:00 | Coffee break |
| 17:00 – 19:15 | Session 4: State – Economy – Democracy “Crisis and Change – Challenge to the State and Economy”
- Przemysław Wiszewski, University of Wrocław: A permanent crisis? What can we learn from multi-ethnic political communities in the Middle Ages?
- Olena Dubchak, University of Lodz: Habermas’ "global domestic politics without a world government" as a continuation of Kant’s idea of "perpetual peace"
- Gul Özerol, University of Twente, Governing Climate Change: Social, Political and Institutional Dimensions of a Global Sustainability Challenge
- Judit Jacso, Vienna University of Economics and Business: Staatliche Regulierung, unternehmerische Verantwortung und Criminal Compliance: Der neue EU-rechtliche Ansatz zur Bekämpfung der Umwelt- bzw. Klimakriminalität
- Dagmara Gruszecka, University of Wroclaw: Kann ein Unternehmen sein eigenes Verbrechen begehen? – oder die Herausforderungen der Strafrechtsdogmatik und Strafrechtstheorie im Wirtschaftsbereich
- Dawid Marko, University of Gdańsk, Crisis as a Driver of Procedural Integration: The Hidden Europeanisation of Criminal Justice
- Katarzyna Jakubczak-Fopke, University of Gdańsk, When Punishment Is No Longer Enough: The Expansion of Penal Responses and the Changing Nature of Repression in the Age of Penal Populism
- Aleksandra Sojka, SGH Warsaw School of Economics, Gender Identity Norms and Women’s Labour Market Outcomes Across the European Union: Evidence from EU-SILC, 2005–2023
|
| 20:00 | Dinner (Restaurant Brovarnia, Gdańsk)
Speech: Robert Schlögl, President of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, Germany
|
| Session 5: Climate Change – Sustainable Development “Global Climate Challenges and Sustainable Development Policies” |
| 9:00 - 11:00 | Session (part 1)
- Michael Giersig, Freie Universität, Berlin: Nanotechnology for Climate Change Mitigation and Sustainable Development: From Fundamental Science to Functional Materials
- Nicola Pinna, Humboldt University, Berlin: The Role of Materials Chemistry in Energy Storage and Conversion
- Ewa Wierzbicka, Military University of Technology, Warsaw: Green Hydrogen – a Path to a Clean Energy Future
- Rosa Busquets, Kingston University: Plastic Pollution under Global Environmental Change
- Marta Gmurek, Lodz University of Technology: Catalytic Materials for the Sustainable Removal of New Water Pollutants by Oxidation
|
| 11:00 - 11:15 | Coffee break |
| 11:15 - 13:00 | Session (part 2)
- Magdalena Andrunik, Mineral and Energy Economy Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kraków: Innovative Natural and Waste-based Sorbents for PFAS Mitigation in Water Systems
- Bogna Śniatała, Gdańsk Tech: Advancing Nitrogen Recovery from Wastewater via Membrane Stripping
- Aleksandra Kędzierska-Sar, Lodz University of Technology: Transition Metal Compounds for Advanced Water Treatment Applications
- Dominik Knozowski, Lodz University of Technology: Spinel Cobalt Ferrite - a Promising Catalyst for Water Photosplitting
- Łukasz Cichocki, Gdansk Tech: Breaking Down the Unbreakable: Advanced Reduction Processes for Persistent Water Pollutants Degradation
- Aleksander Czapla, Gdansk Tech: Potential Use of Raw Materials Recovered from Municipal Wastewater in the Production of Glass Fibre Reinforced Plastic Pipes in the Context of the Circular Economy and Sustainable Development
- Martyna Gloc, Lodz University of Technology: The Mechanism of Removing of Pharmaceuticals from Wastewater Using Biological Treatment
- Marcin Stokowski, Institute of Oceanology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Sopot: Could Climate-Driven Changes in Estuarine Water Chemistry Contribute to Ulcerative Dermal Necrosis in Salmonids?
- Amil Aligayev, National Centre for Nuclear Research, Otwock: Low-Dimensional WO3 Nanomaterials for Climate Change Mitigation: Experimental and Computational Advances in CO2 Conversion
- Karolina Majewska, Warsaw University of Technology: Proton Conduction Phenomena in Intermediate-Temperature Molten Carbonate Fuel Cells: Mechanism, Properties and Perspectives for Energy Applications
- Marlena Domińska, Lodz University of Technology: Sustainable Biohydrogen Production from Kitchen Waste
- Mateusz Skalny, AGH University of Krakow: Reactivity of Extracellular DNA at Mineral Surfaces in Biomolecule-Enriched Matrices: Adsorption and Spectroscopic Studies
- Anna Ścigaczewska, Lodz University of Technology: Morphological Engineering of Filamentous Microorganisms to Enhance the Production of Biologically Active Compounds as Exemplified by the Fungus Aspergillus Terreus and the Actinomycete Streptomyces Rimosus
- Md Mahmudul Hasan, Institute of Fluid-Flow Machinery, Polish Academy of Sciences, Gdansk: Numerical Modelling and Characterization of Microring Resonators for Structural Health Monitoring
|
| 13:00 - 13:30 | Summary Mirosław Miller: “How can megatrends be harnessed for the good of society?” |
| 13:30 - 14:00 | Closing of the Congress |
| 14:00 | Lunch |
| 15:00 - 18:00 | SHP General Meeting |
PATRONAGE

Rector of the Gdańsk University
COMMITTEES
Organizing Committee:
- Prof. Sławomir Steinborn chair, University of Gdańsk
- Prof. Jacek Mąkinia Gdańsk University of Technology
- Prof. Czesław Wójcikowski Medical University of Gdańsk
- Prof. Alfred Zmitrowicz Institute of Fluid-Flow Machinery (Gdańsk), Polish Academy of Sciences
Scientific Committee:
- Prof. Mirosław Miller chair, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences
- Prof. Oskar Maria Baksalary Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań
- Prof. Wiesława Agnieszka Fogel Institute of Medical Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences
- Prof. Ewa Matkowska University of Wrocław
- Dr Ewa Wierzbicka Military University of Technology
REGISTRATION
FEES
| until July 15, 2026 | after July 15, 2026 |
SHP members (membership fee paid for 2024/2025/2026) | 300 PLN | 400 PLN |
Other Humboldtians (other SHP members, non-SHP members) | 350 PLN | 450 PLN |
| Other participants | 800 PLN | 1000 PLN |
| Young researchers | free | free |
The Congress fee includes:
- participation in the scientific sessions
- admission to the opening and closing ceremonies
- full accommodation at the Congress venue (double room for accompanying person upon additional fee – 60 PLN per night paid in a hotel)
- coffee/tea during coffee-breaks
- lunches during the Congress
- gala dinner on Friday
Congress Fee should be transferred to the account of Societas Humboldtiana Polonorum:
- payments in PLN: 22 1020 2892 0000 5702 0171 7198
- payments in EUR: PL 13 1020 2892 0000 5102 0174 9761, BIC SWIFT BPPKOPLPW
Please be aware that registrations cancelled after August 25, 2026, will not be refunded.
ABSTRACTS
Abstracts should be prepared using the attached template. Please return completed templates to congress2026@humboldt.org.pl by June 30, 2026.
CONGRESS VENUE
XIII Congress of Societas Humboldtiana Polonorum will be held in the Library of Gdańsk University,
ul. Wita Stwosza 53, Gdańsk
* Link do strony Biblioteki UG: https://en.bg.ug.edu.pl
Gala Dinner on Friday 25th September will take place in Olivia Star on 34th Floor (https://www.oliviastar.pl/en/)
Acommodation: Hotel Oliwski (hoteloliwski.pl)
Hotel Arkon (hotelarkonpark.pl)
Dinner on Saturday 26th September will take place in Restaurant Brovarnia, Gdańsk (brovarnia.pl)