On 4th December 2008 in the Mirror Room of the Staszic Palace (the Polish Academy of Sciences) prof. Adam Szewczyk, the Acting Director of the Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, inaugurated the 90th Anniversary of the Institute and welcomed honorable guests and employees of the Institute.

A lot of warm and cordial words were spoken and many laudations made. Among the honourable speakers there were the Minister of Science and Higher Education prof. Barbara Kudrycka, the Deputy Minster at the Ministry of Science and Higher Education prof. Jerzy Duszyński, the President of the Polish Academy of Sciences prof. Michał Kleiber, the Director of the 2nd Department of the Polish Academy of Sciences prof. Andrzej Legocki, the Director of the Department of Basic and Engineering Sciences at the UNESCO prof. Maciej Nałęcz, prof. Barbara Nawrot and prof. Wojciech Stec from the Centre of Molecular and Macromolecular Research in Łódź, the President of the Polish Biochemical Society, prof. Andrzej Dżugaj, the President of the Polish Society of Neural System Research and the Director of the Institute of Experimental and Clinical Medicine prof. Zbigniew Czernicki. Prof. Włodzimierz Kordan spoke in the name of prof. Józef Górniewicz, the Rector of the University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn and prof. Jan Celichowski in the name of prof. Jerzy Smorawiński, the Rector of the Academy of Physical Education in Poznań handed prof. Szewczyk honour medals awarded by Senates of both universities.

Prof. Jolanta Barańska wrote a short poem to commemorate the 90th Anniversary of the Institute (no English translation available):

„Nencki” kończy dziewięćdziesiąt lat
i otworem stoi przed nim świat
nie dlatego ze staruszek czcigodny
nie dlatego ze jubilat dostojny

On najlepszej młodzieży ma kwiat. Od lat!!!

The history of the Institute was drawn up by prof. Leszek Kuźnicki, the President of the Polish Academy of Sciences in the years 1993-1998 and the author of a monography about the Nencki Institute.
A present day of the Institute was described by prof. Leszek Kaczmarek, the Chair of the Nencki Scientific Council. The future was outlined by doc. Urszula Sławińska, the Deputy Director for Scientific Research.

Finally, in rooms of Stanislaw Staszic and Hugo Kolataj an informal meeting was held, during which a toast for well-being of the Institute was proposed. The 90th Anniversary was an opportunity for many colleagues and friends (some made a long journey to come for the occasion) to meet after many years. On the following day (Friday) a scientific session was held, opened by prof. Leszek Kaczmarek.

13 speeches were given during the session. Among the speakers there were our colleagues working now abroad, PhD students and postdocs awarded with the Polish Science Foundation Award or the winners of a competition for the best presentation in each Department of the Nencki Institute. Young scientists presented their achievements during the poster session.

During lunch served in the lounge, the multimedia presentation of pictures from the Institute’s archives was no less popular than salads and dumplings. Despite some communication problems, there was no shortage of participants on 12 parallel events during the afternoon-evening Scientific-Social Meeting. At the “Hobby Corner” everybody could see what the areas of private interest of our colleagues are.

During that busy day the time was found to do a photo session of the Nencki Praise’s Awardee.

The commemorate evening, during which people important for the past and present of the Institute were reminisced, begun with presentation of the film “Biologists”.