410 PhD students pursue their degrees at following six Polish Academy of Sciences institutes which together form the PAS Ochota BioCentre Consortium: Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Institute of Biocybernetics and Biomedical Engineering, Mossakowski Medical Research Centre, Institute of Fundamental Technological Research, International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology and the Nencki Institute.

Guests were welcomed by Prof. Andrzej Nowicki, Director of the Institute of Fundamental Technological Research, current President of the Institutes Board of Directors. Prof. Michał Kleiber, President of the Polish Academy of Sciences, prof. Marek Chmielewski, PAS Vice-President, prof. Jacek Zaremba, Dean of Division V PAS, prof. Jan Albrecht, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Division V PAS, prof. Leszek Królicki, head of the Nuclear Medicine Department and directors of institutes forming the Consortium were in attendance.

Next Prof. Michał Kleiber wished all PhD candidates to pursue even their most challenging goals and achieve success. PAS President and prof. A. Nowicki awarded the best PhD theses defended in the last academic year with diplomas and commemorative statuettes of the Ochota BioCentre. Among the recognized were the following students from the Nencki Institute:

dr Renata Amborska – thesis supervisor – dr hab. Marcin Rylski, prof. nadzw.,
dr Magdalena Czeredys – thesis supervisor – prof. dr. hab. Katarzyna Nałęcz,
dr Anna Dowierciał – thesis supervisor – prof. dr hab. Wojciech Rode,
dr Elżbieta Januszewicz – thesis supervisor – prof. dr. hab. Katarzyna Nałęcz,
dr Magdalena Lebiedzińska – thesis supervisor – dr hab. Mariusz Więckowski, prof. nadzw.,
dr Katarzyna Misztal – thesis supervisor – prof. dr. hab. Jacek Kuźnicki,
dr Katarzyna Osiecka – thesis supervisor – dr hab. Krzysztof Nieznański, prof. nadzw,
dr Justyna Skolimowska – thesis supervisor – prof. dr hab. Elżbieta Szeląg
dr Aleksander Sobolewski – thesis supervisor – prof. dr hab. Andrzej Wróbel
dr Łukasz Święch – thesis supervisor – prof. dr hab. Jacek Jaworski
dr Magdalena Ewa Tyburczy – thesis supervisor – prof. dr hab. Bożena Kamińska-Kaczmarek
dr Marta Wojewoda – thesis supervisor – dr hab. Joanna Szczepanowska, prof. nadzw.

Next the assembled guests heard a talk by dr hab. Tadeusz Gadacza entitled “About thinking”.

The aims and objectives of the Marceli Nencki Foundation for Supporting Biological Sciences were presented by dr Artur Czupryn while Technology Transfer Center BioTech-IP by mgr Magdalena Powierża.
The ceremony closed with a social meeting of PhD candidates.