Recent months have seen further significant milestones in the academic and professional careers of staff at the University of Gdańsk’s Centre for Sustainable Development – from the award of doctoral and postdoctoral degrees, through career progression, to the acquisition of new skills.
On 27 April 2026, the Council for Sociological Sciences at the University of Gdańsk passed a resolution awarding Elżbieta Czapka a postdoctoral degree in the field of social sciences, in the discipline of sociology. On 2 October, during the ceremonial opening of the academic year at the Faculty of Social Sciences, she received her postdoctoral diploma.
“[…] the academic achievement in the form of a series of publications entitled ‘Barriers and Facilitators to Migrants’ Access to Healthcare’, as well as the candidate’s other academic output and research activities in the field of the organisation of research and teaching, constitute a significant contribution to the development of the academic discipline of sociology, including in the broadly understood field of the sociology of medicine and health sciences” – stated the Habilitation Committee.
Dr hab. Elżbieta Czapka, prof. UG, has been collaborating with CZRUG since the unit’s inception in 2021, initially coordinating the ‘International Cooperation’ programme and subsequently the ‘Quality of Life and Health’ programme. As she emphasises, she regards the award of the habilitation degree as the next stage in her academic development.
“Habilitation is not the finish line, but a new beginning. For me, it is a mark of academic independence and a springboard for carrying out further interdisciplinary research projects. I am committed to continuing to develop socially engaged science,” she announced.
fot. Łukasz Bień (CASiD UG)
Bartosz Duraj, coordinator of the CZRUG programme ‘Cooperation with the wider community’, can also count this as a success in his academic career; on 25 September 2026, he successfully defended his doctoral thesis entitled ‘The political determinants of the energy transition in Poland, 2004–2020’. The thesis supervisor was Dr hab. Sylwia Mrozowska, prof. UG, and the research was funded by the National Science Centre’s PRELUDIUM BIS 2 project.
In his dissertation, Dr Bartosz Duraj analysed the energy transition as a process whose determinants go beyond technological issues or those relating to the development of renewable energy sources. As he points out, in his work he sought to demonstrate that this is also a process closely linked to politics, the decisions of successive governments and historical choices concerning the energy sector.
“For me, the PhD defence was, above all, an opportunity to take stock of several years’ work on a topic that remains highly relevant,” says Dr Bartosz Duraj.
The academic and professional development of the team is a key element in the functioning of the Centre for Sustainable Development, which combines research, project work, expert advice and communication activities.
“We want our team’s development to go hand in hand with the Centre’s development. The skills and experience of individual team members translate into opportunities to tackle new topics, collaborate with partners and carry out new projects,” says Dr hab. Sylwia Mrozowska, prof. UG, Director of the Centre for Sustainable Development at the University of Gdańsk. “Both academic development and the acquisition of the skills required for the Centre’s day-to-day work are important to us.”
Photo: Łukasz Bień (CASiD, University of Gdańsk)
It is also worth mentioning the successes and professional development of the office’s administrative staff. Szymon Gronowski, who is responsible for promotion at CZRUG, was promoted to the position of specialist on 1 July 2026. Prior to this, in June 2025, he completed a postgraduate course in ‘Modern Marketing Communication’ at SWPS University in Warsaw.
Maria Karbowska, who is responsible for office administration at CZRUG, is also developing her skills. She completed the course ‘Pedagogical and Social Innovation: Bridging Higher Education and the Community’, run as part of the SEA-nergy project (SEA-EU, NAWA), as well as the Horizon Europe Project Manager Academy.
Further academic degrees, promotions and new qualifications strengthen the team’s potential and open up new opportunities for CZRUG – both in the areas of research and projects, and in the Centre’s day-to-day operations. We warmly congratulate all our staff and colleagues on their achievements to date and wish them continued development and many more successes!