13th SHP Congress
Gdańsk, 25–27 September 2026

Kryzys – zmiany – nowy porządek? Człowiek, świat i nauka w XXI wieku

Crisis – Transition – the New Order? Man, the World and Science in the 21st Century

Krise – Veränderung – neue Ordnung? Der Mensch, die Welt und die Wissenschaft im 21. Jahrhundert

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)
11:00 - 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 - 13:20

Official opening of the Congress

13:20 - 15:15

Inaugural panel discussion: ‘Contemporary challenges in science’
Speakers:

  • Prof. Tomasz Dietl, Institute of Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Chair of the Council of the National Science Centre, Poland
  • Prof. Ewa Łojkowska, University of Gdańsk, President of the Jury – L’Oreal-UNESCO For Women in Science Awards (invited)
  • Prof. Jerzy Małachowski, Director of the National Centre for Research and Development, Poland
  • Prof. Piotr Stepnowski, Rector of the University of Gdańsk, Chair of the Conference of Rectors of Polish Universities
  • Karolina Zioło-Pużuk, Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education (invited)

15:15 - 16:00

Lunch

16:00 - 17:00

Keynote Lectures
Prof. Piotr Hofmański, former President of the International Criminal Court
Prof. Marek Belka, former Governor of the National Bank of Poland (invited)

17:00 - 17:15

Coffee break

17:15 - 19:00

Session 1: Media - Communication - Society
“The media in times of crisis”


Speakers:
  • Prof. Ewa Matkowska, University of Wrocław: Propaganda, censorship and the impact of media regulation on the social system
  • Prof. Wojciech Zalewski, University of Gdańsk: Penal Populism in the Age of Social Media: Criminal Law as a Tool of Communication and Governance
  • Prof. Katarzyna Norkowska, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Toruń: Crisis diagnoses and their consequences. On the rhetorical function of the concept of crisis in literary and intellectual discourse since the era of modernism
  • Prof. Adam Pawłowski, University of Wrocław: The Impact of Large Language Models (LLMs) on the Humanities
Young Researchers:
  • Justyna Gumulak, From Qatar to Saudi Arabia: The World Cup as a Factor of Change in the Policies of the Gulf States
  • Paulina Marcinek, Social acceptance of alternative fertilisers in the agricultural sector – challenges for circular economy implementation
  • Joanna Staśkiewicz, Queering New Burlesque. A journey through Berlin, New Orleans and Warsaw
20:00 - 24:00

Gala dinner (Olivia Star)

Session 2: AI - Quantum - New technologies
“Artificial intelligence and its impact on the world”

9:45 – 11:00

Session (part 1)

11:00 – 11:15

Coffee break

11:15 – 12:45

Session (part 2)
Speakers:

  • Prof. Marek Żukowski, International Centre for Quantum Technology Theory, University of Gdańsk: "Quantum weirdness, a list of myths about it”
  • Dr Bartosz Naskręcki, Adam Mickiewicz University: Can a text generator think?
  • Dr Jakub Syta, Maritime Safety Centre, Naval Academy: Surviving the transition driven by emerging AI cyber-threats
  • Prof. 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
  • Prof. Małgorzata Sugiera, Jagiellonian University: Human Dreams of Nature: Anthropomorphic Moment as an Intervention in Knowledge Production
  • Prof. Tomasz Kubalica, University of Silesia: 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
  • Prof. Bohdan Wasilewski, IPS Medical Centre: Natural Intelligence (NI) and its relationship with Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Young Researchers:
  • Kacper Filipek, CNN-LSTM approach to non-Newtonian fluid behaviour
  • Konrad Schlichtholz, Spatial demultiplexing: from microscopy through spy satellites to exoplanet detection
  • Zuzanna Woźniak, From Near Miss to Accident: Quantifying the Escalation Potential of Safety Events in Construction
  • Angelika Nowak, 3D-printed non-thermal plasma reactor for nanocatalysts synthesis
  • Alicja Szostak, Investigation of the Use of Micro-Ring Resonators (MRRs) for Guided Wave Sensing in Structures

12:45 – 13:30

Lunch

Session 3: Health - People
“Challenges of an ageing population”

13:30 – 15:00

Session (part 1)

15:00 – 15:15

Coffee break

15:15 – 16:45

Session (part 2)
Speakers:

  • Prof. Holger Stark, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf: Multiple Targeting at Monoamine Transporters and Histamine H3 Receptors Provides a New Class of Potentially CNS Active Compounds
  • Prof. Hermann Behre, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Centre for Reproductive Medicine and Andrology: The decline in male reproductive functions, with a particular focus on ageing
  • Prof. Ewa Bartnik, Institute of Genetics and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw: Therapies for the 21st century
  • Prof. Monika Puzianowska-Kuźnicka, M. Mossakowski Institute of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Polish Academy of Sciences: Why do we age and what can we do to extend a healthy life?
  • Prof. 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?
Young Researchers:
  • Andżelika Banaszak, Multifunctional Plasma-Activated Liquids for Antibacterial and Biocompatible Dental Applications
  • Maria Puchalska, Selected Aspects of Equine Aging: Insights for Geroscience
  • Beata Rurarz, Nanosolutions for macroproblems – targeted delivery of radioisotopes with radiation-derived polymer nanocarriers
  • Olga Witkowska-Pilaszewicz, Biomarkers of Training Adaptation in Horses
  • Daria Adamczewska-Łachacz, Environmental Paraben Exposure and Male Reproductive Health: Semen Quality and Sex Hormone Concentrations in Young Men from the General Population

16:45 – 17:00

Coffee break

17:00 – 19:15

Session 4: State – Economy – Democracy
“Crisis and change – challenge to the state and economy”
Speakers:

  • Prof. Przemysław Wiszewski, University of Wrocław: A permanent crisis? What can we learn from multi-ethnic political communities in the Middle Ages?
  • Prof. Gul Özerol, University of Twente: Governing Climate Change: Social, Political and Institutional Dimensions of a Global Sustainability Challenge
  • Prof. 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
  • Prof. Dagmara Gruszecka, University of Wroclaw: Kann ein Unternehmen sein eigenes Verbrechen begehen? – oder die Herausforderungen der Strafrechtsdogmatik und Strafrechtstheorie im Wirtschaftsbereich
Young Researchers:
  • Olena Dubchak, Habermas’ "global domestic politics without a world government" as a continuation of Kant’s idea of "perpetual peace"
  • Aleksandra Sojka, Gender Identity Norms and Women’s Labour Market Outcomes Across the European Union: Evidence from EU-SILC, 2005–2023
  • Dawid Marko, Crisis as a Driver of Procedural Integration: The Hidden Europeanisation of Criminal Justice

20:00

Dinner
Speech: Prof. Robert Schlögl, President of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, Germany

9:00 - 13:00

Session 5: Climate Change – Sustainable Development
“Global climate challenges and sustainable development policies”

9:00 - 11:00

Session (part 1)

11:00 - 11:15

Coffee break

11:15 - 13:00

Session (part 2)
Speakers:

  • Prof. Nicola Pinna, Humboldt University, Berlin: The role of materials chemistry in energy storage and conversion
  • Prof. Michael Giersig, Freie Universität Berlin: Nanotechnology for Climate Change Mitigation and Sustainable Development: From Fundamental Science to Functional Materials
  • Prof. Rosa Busquets, Kingston University: Plastic pollution under global environmental change
  • Dr Ewa Wierzbicka, Military University of Technology: Green hydrogen – a path to a clean energy future
  • Prof. Marta Gmurek, Lodz University of Technology: Catalytic materials for the sustainable removal of new water pollutants by oxidation
Young Researchers:
  • Amil Aligayev, Low-Dimensional WO3 Nanomaterials for Climate Change Mitigation: Experimental and Computational Advances in CO2 Conversion
  • Magdalena Andrunik, Innovative natural and waste-based sorbents for PFAS mitigation in water systems
  • Marlena Domińska, Sustainable Biohydrogen Production from Kitchen Waste
  • Bogna Śniatała, Advancing nitrogen recovery from wastewater via membrane stripping
  • Aleksandra Kędzierska-Sar, Transition Metal Compounds for Advanced Water Treatment Applications
  • Dominik Knozowski, Spinel cobalt ferrite - a promising catalyst for water photosplitting
  • Karolina Majewska, Proton conduction phenomena in intermediate-temperature molten carbonate fuel cells: mechanism, properties and perspectives for energy applications
  • Mateusz Skalny, Reactivity of Extracellular DNA at Mineral Surfaces in Biomolecule-Enriched Matrices: Adsorption and Spectroscopic Studies
  • Marcin Stokowski, Could Climate-Driven Changes in Estuarine Water Chemistry Contribute to Ulcerative Dermal Necrosis in Salmonids?
  • Anna Ścigaczewska, 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
  • Łukasz Cichocki, Breaking Down the Unbreakable: Advanced Reduction Processes for Persistent Water Pollutants Degradation
  • Aleksander Czapla, 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, The Mechanism of removing of pharmaceuticals from wastewater using biological treatment
  • Md Mahmudul Hasan, Numerical modelling and characterization of microring resonators for structural health monitoring

13:00 - 13:45

Summary
Prof. Mirosław Miller “How can megatrends be harnessed for the good of society?”

13:45 - 14:00

Closing of the Congress

14:00

Lunch

15:00 - 18:00

SHP General Meeting

PATRONAGE

Humboldt

 

Humboldt

 

Humboldt

Rector of the Gdańsk University

Humboldt

 

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

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Consent is required
- pola obowiązkowe

FEES

until July 15, 2026after July 15, 2026
SHP members
(membership fee paid for 2024/2025/2026)
300 PLN400 PLN
Other Humboldtians
(other SHP members, non-SHP members)
350 PLN450 PLN
Other participants800 PLN1000 PLN
Young researchersfreefree

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/)


CONTACT

ADDRESS:

Societas Humboldtiana Polonorum
Wydział Prawa i Administracji UG
ul. prof. Marii Janion 5
80-309 Gdańsk

congress2026@humboldt.org.pl