research projects implemented as part of the scientific exchange programme nmsch

Publisher:

Foundation for the Development

of the Education System

SCIEX Scholarship Fund

Mokotowska 43, 00-551 Warsaw

tel.: +48 22 46 31 470, fax: +48 22 46 31 028

www.sciex.pl

Texts by: SCIEX fellows and Anna Pavlovych,

Magdalena Gessel, Sylwia Iżyniec and Katarzyna

Aleksandrowicz

Managing Editor: Anna Pavlovych

Editors: Anna Pavlovych, Magdalena Gessel

Proof reading: Dr John Fells

Graphic design and typesetting: Justyna Marciniak

Photos by: SCIEX fellows, Wojciech Wójtowicz

Printing: Ofi cyna drukarska – Jacek Chmielewski

ISBN: ISBN 978-83-62634-88-0

© Fundacja Rozwoju Systemu Edukacji, 2012

Supported by a grant from Switzerland through the

Swiss Contribution to the enlarged European Union

Spis treści

CONTENTS

PREFACE 3

GENERAL INFORMATION 11

DESCRIPTION OF THE SCIEXSCHOLARSHIP FUND 15

DESCRIPTIONS OF RESEARCH PROJECTSIMPLEMENTED BY SCIEX FELLOWS 19

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 78

Sukces i przyszły rozwój Szwajcarii w dużej mierze opiera-

ją się na wiedzy i innowacji. Zdajemy sobie sprawę ze stra-

tegicznego znaczenia edukacji, nauki, badań i rozwoju dla

naszego kraju i przykładamy stosowną wagę do tych zagad-

nień, które mają również duże znaczenie we współpracy i

stosunkach międzynarodowych.

Szwajcaria, po raz kolejny, stoi na czele rankingu Global

Competitiveness Report opublikowanego przez World Eco-

nomic Forum, w którym wymienionych jest 144 gospodarek

światowych. Zgodnie z informacjami podanymi w raporcie,

innowacje to jedna z mocnych stron Szwajcarii; instytuty

badań naukowych są jednymi z najlepszych na świecie i, co

więcej, intensywnie współpracują z sektorem biznesu, który

ponosi największe nakłady na badania i rozwój, ma najwyż-

szy poziom innowacyjności i jest znany ze skutecznego sto-

sowania wyników badań do celów komercyjnych. Wyniki te

potwierdzają niezwykłą odporność gospodarki szwajcarskiej

na skutki kryzysu w strefi e euro oraz to, że nasza długoter-

minowa orientacja na gospodarkę i społeczeństwo oparte

na wiedzy i innowacjach stanowi właściwy kierunek rozwoju.

Jednak w dzisiejszym świecie realizacja odpowiedniej polity-

ki i właściwe podejście na poziomie krajowym nie są wystar-

czające. Dlatego w interesie Szwajcarii jest podnoszenie, na

poziomie międzynarodowym, świadomości znaczenia kraju

jako niezwykle konkurencyjnej lokalizacji dla prowadzenia

badań naukowych, rozwoju technologicznego i innowacji

oraz promowanie międzynarodowej współpracy w tych

dziedzinach na poziomie indywidualnym i instytucjonalnym.

Dlatego też współpraca zagraniczna w zakresie badań na-

ukowych stanowi podstawę polityki zagranicznej Szwajcarii.

Podczas, gdy uniwersytety i instytuty naukowe w Szwajcarii

realizują niezależne strategie współpracy międzynarodowej,

rząd federalny promuje działania w zakresie współpracy

międzynarodowej prowadzonej za pomocą wielu kanałów,

np. poprzez uczestnictwo Szwajcarii w europejskich orga-

nizacjach i programach badawczych (takich jak programy

badawcze UE: CERN, ESA i inne) oraz za pomocą współpracy

dwustronnej z ważnymi krajami partnerskimi.

Polska jest ważnym partnerem dla naszego kraju i Szwajcar-

sko-Polski Program Współpracy fi nansowany przez Szwajca-

rię zapewnia wyjątkową możliwość zwiększenia i zacieśnienia

współpracy i partnerstwa pomiędzy naszymi społecznościa-

mi naukowymi. Od Mikołaja Kopernika po Marię Curie-Skło-

dowską, Polska ma wspaniałe tradycje naukowe. Po 20 latach

od przyjęcia modelu gospodarki rynkowej, priorytety Polski

skłaniają się ku badaniom i innowacjom. Dzięki dużym zaso-

bom wysoko wykwalifi kowanych i zmotywowanych pracow-

ników, Polska zapewnia obiecujące możliwości zacieśnienia

współpracy dwustronnej w dziedzinie nauki, badań i inno-

wacji. Jestem przekonany, że Program wymiany naukowej

między Szwajcarią a nowymi państwami członkowskimi Unii

Europejskiej SCIEX-NMSch będzie mieć znaczący wkład w

tym zakresie i będzie promować bliskie stosunki pomiędzy

osobami prywatnymi i instytucjami w naszych krajach, któ-

re będą kontynuowane jeszcze po zakończeniu programu.

Program wymiany naukowej powinien również promować

dwustronną wymianę i współpracę w zakresie efektywnego

transferu i upowszechniania wiedzy na rzecz gospodarki i

rozwoju innowacyjnych sektorów, takich jak odnawialne źró-

dła energii, nowe technologie oraz w wielu innych dziedzi-

nach, w których Szwajcaria ma wiele do zaoferowania.

JE LUKAS BEGLINGERAmbasador Szwajcarii w Polsce

„Projekty badawcze realizowane w ramach Funduszu

Stypendialnego SCIEX–NMSch – cele i osiągnięcia”

Podsumowanie projektów 2009–2012

Innowacje to jedna z mocnych stron Szwajcarii.

Szwajcarskie instytuty badań naukowych są jednymi

z najlepszych na świecie.

FOREIGN SCIENTIFIC POLICY IS AN ESSENTIALPILLAR OF SWISS

FOREIGNPOLICY

3

Research Projects Implemented as Part of the Scientifi c

Exchange Programme NMSch – Objectives and Achievements

Summary of Projects 2009–2012

Innovation counts among Switzerland’s main

strengths. Swiss scientifi c research institutions are

among the world’s best

Switzerland’s success and future development are based and

depend to a large extent on its knowledge and innovation

capacities. Hence, we recognize the strategic importance of

education, science, research and development for our coun-

try and act accordingly. And we attach equal importance to

this fi eld in our international relations and cooperation.

In the latest Global Competitiveness Report published by the

World Economic Forum, Switzerland is again ranked fi rst

among 144 economies. According to the report, innovation

counts among Switzerland’s main strengths; its scientifi c re-

search institutions are not only among the world’s best, but

they also cooperate strongly with the business sector which

in turn excels in terms of R&D spending, innovative capaci-

ties and their successful application for commercial purpos-

es. These fi ndings confi rm – as much as the Swiss economy’s

remarkable resilience to the consequences of the Eurozone

crisis – that our longstanding orientation towards a knowl-

edge and innovation-based economy and society is the right

way forward.

In today’s world, however, it is not enough to pursue ad-

equate policies and to do things right at the domestic level.

It is in Switzerland’s interest to increase international aware-

ness of its strengths as a highly competitive location for sci-

entifi c research, technological development and innovation

and to promote its worldwide cooperation in these fi elds at

personal and institutional levels. That is why foreign scien-

tifi c policy is an essential pillar of Swiss foreign policy. While

Swiss universities and research institutions pursue their own

international strategies and cooperation activities, the feder-

al government promotes international cooperation through

multilateral channels, e.g. Switzerland’s participation in Eu-

ropean research organisations and programmes (such as EU

research programmes, CERN, ESA, etc.), and through bilateral

cooperation with important partner countries.

Poland clearly is an important partner, and the Swiss-Polish

Scientifi c Exchange Programme fi nanced by the Swiss Contri-

bution off ers a unique opportunity to enhance and strength-

en cooperation and partnership between our scientifi c

communities. From Copernicus to Maria Curie-Skłodowska,

Poland looks back on a great tradition of scientifi c excel-

lence. After 20 years of successful transition to a free market

economy, it is now in the process of shifting its priorities to-

wards research and innovation. In conjunction with its large

pool of well qualifi ed and motivated human resources, this

off ers a promising base for a closer and intensifi ed bilateral

relationship in the fi elds of science, research and innovation.

I trust that the Swiss-Polish Scientifi c Exchange Programme

will make a major contribution to that end and help foster

solid personal and institutional ties between our countries

that will outlive the Programme’s duration. The Programme

should equally be conducive to fostering bilateral exchange

and cooperation with regard to the eff ective transfer and dif-

fusion of knowledge to the economy and the development

of innovative sectors such as renewable energy, high tech in-

dustries and many other fi elds where Switzerland has plenty

to off er.

JE LUKAS BEGLINGERAMBASSADOR OF SWITZERLAND TO POLAND

4

Scientifi c Exchange Programme between

Switzerland and Poland (Sciex-NMSch) is a very

attractive instrument that aims at promoting

young talented scientists

The Swiss Contribution to the reduction of the economic and

social disparities in the enlarged European Union, which is

addressed to 12 EU Member States that joined the European

Union starting from 2004, amounts to 1.26 billion Swiss francs.

Nearly 40% of this total sum is dedicated to Poland in order to

support 60 projects and programmes in diff erent thematic ar-

eas, like for instance environment and infrastructure, regional

development, health, private sector and NGO support.

Additionally, the Swiss-Polish Cooperation Programme puts

a lot of emphasis in supporting Research and Development

initiatives in Poland. In this fi eld, the Scientifi c Exchange Pro-

gramme between Switzerland and Poland (Sciex-NMSch) is a

very attractive instrument that aims at promoting young tal-

ented scientists who intend to pursue their research in coop-

eration with Swiss researchers and institutions. It allows Pol-

ish fellows to benefi t namely from high standards in research

and experimental development, a highly innovative and

competitive environment, strong linkages between higher

education and industries as well as private business, etc.

Up to now, several calls took place within this programme

and around 100 Doctoral Candidates or PostDocs received

fi nancing for stays in Swiss research teams for periods of 6

to 24 months.

The project selection is done by a high level competition. In

each call, around 25% of the applicants could be selected.

These fi gures show the attractiveness of the Programme and

its success among both, the Polish and the Swiss research

communities. But more important than that, the selected

proposals are all of extremely high quality. And they will

bring people of both our countries together and enhance

sustainable partnerships.

DOMINIQUE FAVREHEAD OF THE SWISS CONTRIBUTION OFFICE IN POLAND

5




The SCIEX Scholarship Fund places emphasis on

quality and sustainability of relations and contacts,

quick processing of applications and boosting

professional development of researchers

Poland’s entry to the European Union has resulted in the

need to actively participate in the shaping of European

policy which aims to introduce a competitive and dynamic

economy, which is based on knowledge, is capable of sus-

tainable development, and provides more and better jobs.

Therefore, large emphasis has been placed on research and

development as it plays a major role in the development of

Poland, and in increase of innovativeness and competitive-

ness of the Polish economy.

In Poland, research and development is conducted mainly

by universities, institutes of the Polish Academy of Sciences

and R&D units. Since 2009, Polish scientists have been able to

apply for grants to work at research institutes in Switzerland

as part of the Scholarship Fund under the Swiss-Polish Coop-

eration Programme. It is worth emphasising that the Schol-

arship Fund places emphasis on quality and sustainability of

relations and contacts, quick processing of applications and

boosting the professional development of researchers.

The Fund, which realises the priorities for social and eco-

nomic development of our country, is open to all scientifi c

disciplines. It has provided funding to nearly 100 scientifi c

mobilities to Switzerland worth in total more than CHF 8 mil-

lion. However, this is not a fi nal number as we have two more

competitions ahead of us and more projects waiting for co-

fi nancing.

The participation of Polish scientists in international pro-

grammes has brought many benefi ts. It has allowed them to

obtain access to the latest technology and to participation in

major scientifi c initiatives. It is thanks to such programmes

as the Scholarship Fund that Polish science is getting closer

to the international scientifi c scene, especially that in Eu-

rope. Also Switzerland benefi ts from such cooperation as it

acquires excellent and gifted Polish scientists. The Fund also

provides evidence that Polish scientists are among the best

and that their work is appreciated at HEIs abroad, something

confi rmed by numerous scientifi c contacts. As a result, Polish

scientists are ready to participate in competitions prepared

by foreign experts.

We have confi dence that Poland will continue fruitful coop-

eration with Switzerland within the scope of support for aca-

demic mobility.

MAŁGORZATA WIERZBICKADIRECTOR OF NATIONAL COORDINATION UNIT

SWISS-POLISH COOPERATION PROGRAMME

SUPPORT FOR THE MOBILITY OF DOCTORAL CANDIDATES AND

SCIENTISTS IS ONE OF SINE QUA NON PRECONDITIONS

FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN INNOVATIVE

AND MORE COMPETI-TIVE ECONOMY

WITH STABLE GROWTH IN

EMPLOY-MENT NUM-BERS

7




It is of no doubt that exchange of experiences,

which can and should be promoted by doctoral

candidates and scientists, is pivotal to the

Europe of knowledge

Principles of the SCIEX Scholarship Fund have become an in-

herent part of the “Europe 2020” strategy for social and eco-

nomic development in the of area academic and scientifi c

cooperation, raising education standards at HEIs by boost-

ing the number of scientifi c mobilities, the development of

innovativeness, and creating sustainable links between the

worlds of science, business and research. Support for, and

modernisation of, higher education, including the mobility

of doctoral candidates and scientists are sine qua non pre-

conditions for the development of an innovative and more

competitive economy with stable growth in employment

numbers.

It is of no doubt that exchange of experiences, which can and

should be promoted by doctoral candidates and scientists, is

pivotal to the Europe of knowledge. Aiming at the proposed

R&D to GDP expenditure ratio of 1.7%, which our country

should achieve in 2020, we should learn from the best. At pre-

sent, Switzerland spends 2.9% of its GDP for R&D, whereas

the EU’s goal is 3% of GDP allocated for that purpose. The

majority of Swiss scientists who work at HEIs publish the re-

sults of their work in periodicals included in the Philadelphia

List at least once a year. A statistical Polish scientist does it

once in three years. However, the estimates show that an in-

crease in outlays for Polish science by only 10% will result in

the growth of scientifi c eff ectiveness by 40% (data accord-

ing to the report entitled Produktywność naukowa wyższych

szkół publicznych w Polsce (Scientifi c Productivity of Public HEIs

in Poland)).

Higher expenditure on research and intensifi ed cooperation

between Polish and Swiss scientists has been possible thanks

to the launch of the SCIEX Scholarship Fund, for whom the

Foundation for the Development of the Education System

has acted as a Contact Point in Poland since 2009. Polish-

Swiss cooperation established as part of the implementa-

tion of projects by fellows of the SCIEX Scholarship Fund has

paved the way for the transfer of good practices and innova-

tions and resulted in improved quality at HEIs who are mem-

bers of research consortia.

Some discoveries and successes of Polish scientists con-

ducting research and working in Switzerland have become

known all over the world. Over the past few years, more than

100 Poles have participated in the research resulting in the

launch of the Large Hadron Collider at CERN, thanks to which

the discovery of a new elementary particle, which may be the

long sought after Higgs boson, has been announced. I be-

lieve that thanks to the projects implemented by Polish fel-

lows of the SCIEX Scholarship Fund, the results of their work,

which so far have been known only in scientifi c circles, will

become known to the general public.

I am convinced that thanks to research projects implement-

ed as part of the SCIEX Scholarship Fund, cooperation estab-

lished by Polish and Swiss scientifi c consortia will strengthen

links between the world of science, business and research,

and will boost the attractiveness and prestige of Polish sci-

entifi c circles in the international arena. Have an interesting

read.

MIROSŁAW MARCZEWSKIGENERAL DIRECTOR

FOUNDATION FOR THE DEVELOPMENT

OF THE EDUCATION SYSTEM

8

The Scientifi c Exchange Programme: a successful and

promising instrument to strengthen the scientifi c

collaboration between Poland and Switzerland

As part of the Swiss Contribution to the New Member

States (NMS) of the European Union, the Scientific Ex-

change Programme (Sciex-NMSch) aims at contributing

to the reduction of economic and social disparities in the

enlarged European Union through fostering the scien-

tific capacities of researchers in the NMS and promoting

sustainable research partnerships between the NMS and

Switzerland.

The Scientifi c Exchange Programme provides generous fund-

ing and a unique opportunity for Junior Researchers from

the New Member States fi rst to boost their scientifi c career,

second to develop new capacities and search in a new scien-

tifi c environment liberated from any further academic obli-

gations and with optimal research and working conditions,

and, fi nally, to gain international experience and extend their

scientifi c networks. Furthermore, through these research

placements, institutional partnerships are enhanced and

sustainably established.

A total amount of approx. 45 million Swiss Francs has been

earmarked for the Scientifi c Exchange Programme for the

duration 2009 to 2016. Since its beginning, around 300 Fel-

lowships were granted, which means that a part of the in-

novative projects of 300 highly qualifi ed Junior Researchers

will be conducted in Switzerland under the supervision of

Senior Researchers, located both in Switzerland and in the

New Member States. At the end, around 460 twelve-months

Fellowships are expected.

Poland is the largest partner within the Scientifi c Exchange

Programme – with the highest budget of 12 million Swiss

Francs and, consequently, the highest number of granted

projects (89 in 4 diff erent calls for tenders – knowing that Po-

land will participate in 2 more calls for tenders until the end

of the Programme).

The granted projects are gender-balanced and are mainly

conducted by PostDocs (53 vs. 36 by Doctoral Candidates).

The granted projects are developed in all scientifi c fi elds but

the most represented fi elds are Chemistry (15 projects), Engi-

neering Sciences (11 projects) and Legal and Social Sciences

& Economics (11 projects). More than 60% of the granted pro-

jects have a duration of 12 months.

Mandated by the Swiss Agency for Development and Co-

operation, the Rectors’ Conference of the Swiss Universities

(CRUS) is in charge of the implementation and management

of the Scientifi c Exchange Programme. CRUS is proud of be-

ing part of this success story, of the culture of excellence

which has merged within the Scientifi c Exchange Programme

and of the diversity of the projects conducted.

The Scientifi c Exchange Programme generates namely an

impressive amount of new discoveries, knowledge, ideas and

scientifi c networks.

This publication realized by our Polish partners from FRSE al-

lows us to have an insight in some of the Polish-Swiss granted

projects. CRUS wishes you to enjoy the reading!

AUDE PACTONSCIEX PROGRAMME MANAGER

RECTORS’ CONFERENCE OF THE SWISS UNIVERSITIES (CRUS)

9




From among new member states of the European Union,

Poland is the country which sends the largest number of

scientists with support of the SCIEX Scholarship Fund. So

far, 96 projects have obtained co-fi nancing

Switzerland stands not only for watches, Lindt chocolate,

fondue, skiing in the Alps and its four offi cial languages. It is

also famous for highly valued scientists, among them 25 No-

bel prize laureates such as, to mention only two: Jean Henri

Dunant – laureate of the fi rst peace prize, and Werner Arber

and Kurt Wüthrich – prize winners in the fi eld of medicine

and chemistry, who may be followed by Polish scientists par-

ticipating in scientifi c exchanges as part of the SCIEX Scholar-

ship Fund.

The founding of scientifi c partnerships that develop the ca-

pacities of individual scientists and lead to establishment and

strengthening of cooperation between scientists from Swit-

zerland and Poland is the main goal of projects implemented

as part of the SCIEX Scholarship Fund.

From among the new member states of the European Union,

Poland is the country which sends the largest number of sci-

entists with support of the Fund. Since 2009, 333 applications

have been fi led and 96 projects have obtained co-fi nancing.

And their number is bound to grow, because as of the date

of this publication the data for the 2012 selection are not yet

known. We will also have the last selection round in 2013,

and it is worth mentioning that CHF 12 million has been ear-

marked for the Scholarships programme.

From the beginning of its operations, the SCIEX Scholarship

Fund has enjoyed considerable interest on the part of scien-

tists as it off ers opportunities for the development of pro-

fessional careers at the world’s best research centres, which

indeed is a very attractive off er. Scholarships in Switzerland

pave the way for the international careers of Polish scientists.

Many young scientists have conducted research in, and ben-

efi ted from being immersed in the international and intercul-

tural environment of, Swiss HEIs, from consultations with for-

eign experts and from access to advanced scientifi c facilities.

This publication presents the experiences of the SCIEX

Scholar ship Fund fellows and quotes their opinions on im-

plemented projects. It also describes the added value of

their stays in Switzerland for their professional and scientifi c

careers. We hope that contacts established and friendships

made during implementation of projects will last after their

completion and bring mutual benefi ts in the future.

I hope you will enjoy reading this publication and have many

ideas for inspiring projects submitted as part of the last call

for proposals under the fund, which will be staged in autumn

2013!

KATARZYNA ALEKSANDROWICZDIRECTOR OF SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMMES

FOUNDATION FOR THE DEVELOPMENT

OF THE EDUCATION SYSTEM

THE MAIN GOAL OF THE FRSE IS SUPPORT OF ACTIVITIES

AIMED AT THE REFORM AND DEVELOPMENT OF

THE SYSTEMOF EDUCATION

IN POLAND

GENERAL

INFORMATION

THE FOUNDATION FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE EDUCATION SYSTEM ADMINISTERS

THE LARGEST PROGRAMMES IN THE FIELD OF EDUCATION IMPLEMENTED IN POLAND

13





(FRSE) – Contact Point of the SCIEX Scholarship Fund

The main goal of the Foundation for the Development of the

Education System is support of activities aimed at the reform

and development of the system of education in Poland. In or-

der to achieve this goal, the Foundation:

• administers foreign cooperation programmes in the fi eld of

education;

• supports analytical and case studies implemented as part

of the programmes, which support the reform of the educa-

tion system;

• programmes the cooperation of Polish educational institu-

tions with their counterparts abroad;

• initiates cooperation with Polish and foreign educational in-

stitutions and organisations.

Operations of the Foundation, which facilitate the participation

of school and university staff in assistance programmes aimed

at improving the quality of education, support the reform and

the development of the education system in Poland. The pro-

grammes put into practice a number of initiatives of the Euro-

pean Union, whose priorities include:

• increasing the number of investments in human resources;

• getting rid of social divisions and inequality;

• supporting educational aspirations;

• promoting cooperation aimed at improving the quality of

educational services;

• promoting lifelong learning.

The Foundation for the Development of the Education Sys-

tem (FRSE) administers the largest programmes of the Eu-

ropean Union in the fi eld of education implemented in Po-

land. FRSE was the sole operator of the Tempus programme,

which supported the modernisation of higher education in

Central and Eastern European countries. Thanks to the ex-

perience acquired during the administration of the Tempus

programme, following the European Commission’s decision

to include Poland in the group of countries participating in

the Socrates programme, the Foundation became the Na-

tional Agency of the Socrates and Socrates II programmes,

and for many years was responsible for managing all its sub-

programmes; Erasmus, Grundtvig and Comenius. FRSE has

also administered the Youth programme in the fi eld of infor-

mal education, which since 2007 has been called the Youth

in Action programme.

In 2007, according to the decision of the Polish educational

authorities, FRSE was appointed as the central institution re-

sponsible for the implementation of the Lifelong Learning

Programme and all its sub-programmes: Comenius, Erasmus,

Grundtvig and Leonardo da Vinci.

The Foundation also acts as the National Contact Point for

Erasmus Mundus and Tempus programmes, as the National

Offi ce of Eurodesk Poland and as a Resource Centre of SALTO

EECA which is an EU initiative promoting cooperation with

the countries of Eastern Europe and the Caucasus. FRSE also

manages the European Language Label competition and

the eTwinning action. Last but not least, the Polish EURY-

DICE Unit operates at the Foundation (Eurydice is a European

educational information network).

Programmes administered by FRSE:

• The Lifelong Learning Programme and its sub-programmes:

– Comenius – preschool and school education,

– Erasmus – higher education,

– Leonardo da Vinci – vocational education and training,

– Grundtvig – adult education,

– Study Visits,

– LLP Preparatory Visits;

• Youth in Action;

• Erasmus Mundus;

• Tempus;

• EURODESK;

• SALTO EECA;

• European Language Label;

• eTwinning;

• EURYDICE;

• Polish-Lithuanian Youth Exchange Fund;

• Scholarship and Training Fund (STF);

• SCIEX Scholarship Fund;

• Human Capital Operational Programme – three projects

implemented as part of Priority III: High Quality of the Educa-

tion System.

SINCE 2009, THE FOUNDATION FOR THE DE-VELOPMENT OF THE EDUCATION SYSTEM HAS

OPERATED AS A CONTACT POINT FOR THE SCIEX SCHOLARSHIP FUND IN POLAND

15




Description of the SCIEX

Scholarship Fund

The Scientifi c Exchange Programme, as part of which the

SCIEX Scholarship Fund is implemented, aims at contribut-

ing to the reduction of economic and social disparities in the

enlarged European Union through fostering the scientifi c

capacities of researchers in new member states and promot-

ing sustainable research partnerships between the ten new

member states and Switzerland.

The Fund was launched in 2009 as part of the Scientifi c Ex-

change Programme between Switzerland and new mem-

ber states of the European Union SCIEX–NMSch for the years

2009–2016. As part of the Programme, it is possible to apply

for grants for the implementation of research programmes in

all academic disciplines, as part of which two scientists or two

units (one from Switzerland and one from a new member

state) wish to cooperate, provided that they avail of indispen-

sable specialist knowledge and qualifi ed human resources.

Scientists working at prestigious research and educational

institutions in 10 new member states, including Poland, are

immediate benefi ciaries of the programme.

From the very beginning, the programme has enjoyed large

interest on the part of scientists, and each year the applica-

tions outnumber the available posts. So far, 96 Polish scien-

tists have been to work in Switzerland under the programme.

From among the new member states of the European Union,

Poland is the country which sends the largest number of

scientists for SCIEX Scholarships. In 2011, Polish scientists

obtained CHF 1.7 million for staging scientifi c research in

Switzerland. Polish research projects constitute nearly 44% of

all the applications fi nanced under the programme. Thanks

to the exchanges, doctoral students, scientists and their

mentors have many opportunities to share their experiences

and raise their professional qualifi cations. The SCIEX Scholar-

ship Fund is addressed to representatives of all fi elds of

science with no age limitation. Doctoral candidates and

PostDocs can leave for research stays in Switzerland lasting

from 6 to 24 months. An annual scholarship amounts to from

CHF 50,000 to 80,000 CHF.

Goals of the Fund

The main goal of projects implemented as part of the SCIEX

Scholarship Fund is to establish scientifi c partnerships which

will:

• develop individual researchers’ capacities (human capital);

• foster scientifi c progress and innovation (scientifi c pros-

pects);

• establish or enhance networks between researchers (net-

working).

The Fund’s Budget

The total Fund allocation for Poland amounts to CHF 12 million.

Who can apply?

Consortia composed of scientifi c and research institutes from

Switzerland and Poland can apply for grants under the Schol-

arship Fund. The main applicant is a Swiss host institution,

which acting in cooperation with a sending institution from

Poland, coordinates the application process and within the

deadline stipulated for each Call sends the application to the

intermediary institution, i.e. the Swiss Conference of Uni-

versity Rectors (CRUS).

The list of eligible Polish institutions is published on the

following website: www.programszwajcarski.gov.pl and

includes: HEIs, units of the Polish Academy of Sciences, and

national research institutes.

The list of eligible Swiss institutions is published on the

following website: www.sciex.ch and includes: HEIs, re-

search institutions of the federal institutes of technology

domain, universities of applied sciences and research institu-

tions subsidised by the Swiss Confederation.

Poland is the country which sends

the largest number of scientists for

SCIEX Scholarships

16

Prior to fi ling an application under the Scientifi c Exchange

Programme between Switzerland and New Member States of

the European Union (SCIEX–NMSch), a host institution from

Switzerland must sign a framework cooperation agreement

with CRUS, which includes an obligation to observe the pro-

visions of the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of

Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers.

What projects can be funded?

As part of the SCIEX Scholarship Fund, a consortium com-

posed of a Polish sending institution and Swiss host institu-

tion may apply for co-fi nancing of the following projects:

Scholarships for Doctoral Candidates and Junior Re-

searchers (PostDocs) from Poland, in order to conduct

research at research institutes in Switzerland. Scholarships

are awarded for a period lasting from 6 to 24 months. The

contribution for a six-month stay of a Doctoral Candidate

amounts to CHF 25,000 in the fi rst year and CHF 27,500 in

the second year. Grants awarded to Junior Researchers

amount to CHF 40,000. Additional funds are earmarked for

the reimbursement of e.g. travel costs (up to a given limit).

Stays of individual scientists from Poland or Switzer-

land in order to prepare research projects or stays related

to their implementation, i.e. 5-day stays in Switzerland or

Poland, the co-fi nancing of which amounts to CHF 2,500.

The supported projects should contribute to raising pro-

fessional qualifi cations and the development of scientifi c

and research cooperation.

Calls for proposals

Calls for proposals are staged annually. The last Call for pro-

posals by Polish-Swiss scientifi c consortia is planned for

autumn 2013.

Eligible project costs

Table 1. Eligible costs of scholarships for Doctoral Candidates

and Junior Researchers from Poland

Category Eligible costs

Scholarship Scholarship:

Doctoral Candidates – CHF 50,000 over

the fi rst 12 months of the stay

Doctoral Candidates – CHF 55,000 over

the next 12 months of the stay

Junior Researchers – CHF 80,000 over the

12 months of the stay (max. length of the

stay – 18 months)

Transport Costs of travel between Poland and Swit-

zerland (max. CHF 1,000)

Transport in Switzerland

(max. CHF 1,000)

Other Participation in conferences (including

external catering and hotel accommoda-

tion costs)

Publication costs (max. CHF 500)

Table 2. . Eligible costs of short research visits by scientists from

Switzerland and Poland

Category Eligible costs

(max. CHF 2,500)

Transport Costs of travel between Poland and

Switzer land. Transport within the country.

Accommo-

dation and

board

Hotel accommodation costs

Expenses

17




Contact

SCIEX Contact Point in Poland


ul. Mokotowska 43

00-551 Warsaw

tel.: +48 22 46 31 000

email: [email protected]

www.sciex.pl

Intermediary Institution for the Scholarship Fund

Rektorenkonferenz der Schweizer Universitäten

(Conference of Swiss University Rectors (CRUS))

International Relations of CRUS

Post box 607

CH - 3000 Bern 9

tel.: +41 31 306 60 36

e-mail: [email protected]

www.sciex.ch

Swiss Contribution Offi ce in Poland

Address for correspondence:

Swiss Embassy in Poland

Swiss Contribution Offi ce in Poland

Aleje Ujazdowskie 27

00-540 Warsaw

tel.: +48 22 553 89 20


www.swiss-contribution.admin.ch/poland/

National Coordination Unit

Ministry of Regional Development

Department for Aid Programmes and Technical Assistance

ul. Wspólna 2/4

00-926 Warsaw

tel.: +48 22 273 78 00


www.programszwajcarski.gov.pl

Open Calls for proposals

1st Call for proposals 2009

As part of the 1st call for proposals 2009 (deadline for submit-

ting applications: 1 November 2009), 77 applications were

submitted to CRUS. Co-fi nancing was awarded to 26 projects

(more than 33%), out of which 13 projects were implement-

ed by Poland and the total grant exceeded CHF 1,000,000.

Among the co-fi nanced projects was one from Estonia and

12 from the Czech Republic.

In the 1st Call for proposals the total contribution exceeded

CHF 1,900,000, including:

CHF 1,021,500

awarded to PolandCHF 800,000

awarded to the

Czech RepublicCHF 78,500

awarded to Estonia

Research projects were implemented by: cantonal univer-

sities (16); the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (7); re-

search institutes (3). 12 researchers were women, and 14 re-

searchers were men.

2nd Call for proposals 2010

As part of the 2nd Call for proposals closed on 1 April 2010,

106 applications were fi led, including:

6 from Estonia

58 from Poland7 from Slovenia

20 from Hungary

15 from Lithuania

On 26 August 2010, the Steering Committee made a decision

to co-fi nance 26 research projects from Poland out of 58

The SCIEX Scholarship Fund is addressed

to representatives of all fi elds of science

with no age limitation

18

applications submitted (45% of the total number of submit-

ted applications). The total contribution to Polish projects in

the second Call for proposals exceeded CHF 2,000,000.

3rd Call for proposals 2010

As part of the 3rd Call for proposals closed on 1 November

2010, 166 applications were submitted, including:

5 from Latvia 84 from

Poland

18 from Slovakia31 from the

Czech Republic

9 from Estonia

19 from Hungary

Out of 84 applications submitted by Polish researchers, 79

were subject to quality assessment. On 24 March 2011, the

Steering Committee made a decision to co-fi nance 29 re-

search projects from Poland (37% of the total number of

projects subject to assessment). In total, the contribution to

Polish projects in the third Call for proposals amounted to

CHF 2,597,600. Research projects from Poland (29) formed

44% of the total number of applications under this selection

round (66).

4th call for proposals 2011

As part of the 4th Call for proposals closed on 1 November

2011, co-fi nancing was awarded to 58 applications, including:

2 from Latvia21 from Poland

4 from Bulgaria

21 from the

Czech Republic

3 from Estonia

7 from Romania

Out of 84 applications submitted, 81 were subject to quality

assessment. On 29 March 2012, the Steering Committee made

a decision to co-fi nance 21 research projects from Poland

(26% of the total number of projects subject to evaluation).

In total, the contribution to Polish projects in the fourth Call

for proposals amounted to CHF 1,762,662.50. Research pro-

jects from Poland (21) formed 36% of the total number of ap-

plications co-fi nanced under this selection round (58).

5th call for proposals 2012

Until the moment of printout of this publication (December

2012), quality assessment of applications submitted as part of

the Call for research stays of Polish scientists in Switzerland

is still being conducted. As part of the Call closed on 1 No-

vember 2012, 67 applications were submitted from Poland.

As a result of formal assessment, 61 projects from Poland

were sent for quality assessment. The Steering Committee

will make a decision concerning co-fi nancing of projects during

a meeting that will be held in March 2013.

From the very beginning, the programme has enjoyed

large interest on the part of scientists, and each year the

applications outnumber the available posts

19




List of featured

projects

Bottom-up model of strategy selection (Uwagowy mo-

del wyboru strategii decyzyjnych) – Szymon Wichary; University of Social Sciences and Humanities, the Interdis-

ciplinary Centre for Applied Cognitive Studies (p. 22)

The ‘Russian Bear’ Metaphor in 19th Century Swiss

Press Discourse (Metafora „rosyjskiego niedźwiedzia”

w szwajcarskim dyskursie prasowym w XIX w.) – Magda-lena Żakowska; University of Łódź (p. 24)

Spatial planning and development of bicycle tourism in

Polish-Swiss comparative analysis (Planowanie prze-

strzenne i rozwój turystyki rowerowej – polsko-szwaj-

carska analiza porównawcza) – Anna Kurkowska; Uni-

versity of Warsaw (p. 28)

The UE Presidency after the Lisbon Treaty – towards the

Supranationalisation of the EU Council (Prezydencja w

Unii Europejskiej po Traktacie Lizbońskim – w stronę su-

pranacjonalizacji Rady UE) – Rafał Riedel; University of

Opole (p. 29)

Swiss Light Source Performance Improvement Project –

Piotr Tracz; Jagiellonian University (p. 31)

QoHealth: QoE Optimalisation for Health Tele-moni-

toring and Tele-treatment Systems with Constrained

QoS (QoHealth: Optymalizacja QoE dla systemów tele-

medycznych z ograniczeniami parametrów QoS) – Lu-cjan Janowski; AGH University of Science and Technol-

ogy (p. 34)

The intellectual on the borderlines. Carl Albert Loosli as

a columnist in the beginning of the 20th century in the

medial and cross-cultural context of Switzerland – Da-riusz Komorowski; University of Wrocław (p. 35)

Preparation and Characterisation of Nanostructured, Al-

ternative Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) Anodes with Focus

on Carbon Containing Fuels (NANO-SOFC) (Preparatyka

i charakterystyka nanostrukturalnych alternatywnych

anod dla stałotlenkowych ogniw paliwowych, z uwzględ-

nieniem paliw węglowych NANO-SOFC) – Dariusz Bur-nat; AGH University of Science and Technology (p. 38)

Short- and long-lived unconscious information process-

ing investigated with two types of EEG analysis: wave-

forms and microstates (Badanie przetwarzania krótko-

i długotrwałych informacji nieświadomych za pomocą

dwóch rodzajów analiz EEG: falowej i mikrostanów) –

Izabela Szumska; University of Finance and Manage-

ment in Warsaw (p. 41)

Time and Modality, A Formal Perspective (Czas i Modal-

ność, Perspektywa Formalna) – Jacek Wawer; Jagiellon-

ian University (p. 44)

Preparation of carbon modifi ed TiO2 photocatalysts

for environmental applications (Otrzymywanie fotoka-

talizatorów na bazie ditlenku tytanu modyfi kowanych

węglem z zastosowaniem w środowisku) – Ewelina Ku-siak-Nejman; West Pomeranian University of Technology

in Szczecin (p. 48)

Infl uence of processing on bioactive compounds in pome-

granates (Wpływ procesów przetwórczych na związki

bioaktywne owocu granatu) – Anna Horszwald; Institute

of Animal Reproduction and Food Research of the Polish

Academy of Sciences in Olsztyn (p. 49)

Validation of HTS-solubility measurements method for

drug-nanoparticle-solvent systems (Walidacja wyso-

kosprawnej metody badania rozpuszczalności leków

w układach lek–nanocząstka–rozpuszczalnik) – Aleksan-dra Pelczarska; Warsaw University of Technology (p. 51)

SedTrace – Organic micropollutant-based Fingerprint-

ing and Tracing of Sediment emissions from urban areas

20

(SedTrace – Oznaczanie źródeł i śledzenie emisji osadów

z obszarów miejskich na podstawie mikrozanieczysz-

czeń organicznych) – Anna Elżbieta Sikorska; Szkoła

Główna Gospodarstwa Wiejskiego (p. 52)

Human Milk Fat Substitutes (Zamienniki tłuszczu mleka

kobiecego) – Joanna Bryś; University of Life Sciences in

Warsaw (p. 56)

Multifunctional saccharide derivatives in gelcasting

of high tech ceramics (MULTIGEL) (Wielofunkcyjne po-

chodne sacharydów w formowaniu zaawansowanych

tworzyw ceramicznych metodą gelcasting) – Paulina Wiecińska (Bednarek); Warsaw University of Technol-

ogy (p. 58)

Investigation of absorption and metabolism of hydro-

lysable and condensed tannins with an in vitro Caco2

transwell model (Badanie wchłaniania i metabolizmu

tanin hydrolizujących i skondensowanych w modelu

in vitro z zastosowaniem linii komórkowej Caco-2) –

Agnieszka Kosińska; Institute of Animal Reproduction

and Food Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences in

Olsztyn (p. 60)

Structure and interactions of U7 small nuclear ribonu-

cleoprotein (Struktura i interakcje małej, jądrowej ry-

bonukleoproteiny U7 snRNP) – Katarzyna Dorota Ra-czyńska; Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań (p. 62)

eTourism Reputation Index (eTourRep) (E-turystyczny

Indeks Reputacji) – Łukasz Stokłosa; University of Infor-

mation Technology and Management in Rzeszów (p. 64)

Determination of the size-dependent phase diagram

and thermodynamical behaviour of nanostructured

brazing fi ller metals (Wyznaczenie wpływu wielkości

cząstki na termodynamikę oraz diagram fazowy nano-

wymiarowego spoiwa lutowniczego) – Grzegorz Ga-rzeł; Institute of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering of

the Polish Academy of Sciences (p. 66)

Investigation of the eff ects of electrospinning condi-

tions on the structure and selected properties of poly-

meric blended nanofi bers for tissue engineering, ESNA-

NOTIS (Badania wpływu warunków elektroprzędzenia

na strukturę i wybrane właściwości włókien dwuskład-

nikowych do zastosowania w inżynierii tkankowej) –

Dorota Kołbuk; Institute of Fundamental Technology

Problems, Polish Academy of Sciences (p. 68)

Simultaneous PIV/LIF for local fl ame front characteriza-

tion (Symultaniczne badania PIV/LIF dla określenia wła-

sności płomieni kinetycznych) – Rafał Ślefarski; Poznań

University of Technology (p. 70)

Optimisation and upscaling of the synthesis of fer-

romagnetic nanoparticles and their integration in

a polymeric matrix. NANOMAGN) (Optymalizacja

i zwiększenie skali syntezy ferromagnetycznych na-

nocząstek i ich integracja do polimerowej matrycy.

NANOMAGN) – Izabela Bobowska; Łódź University of

Technology (p. 73)

Metaphysics of Mental Life (Metafi zyczne podstawy

funkcjonowania umysłu) – Sebastian Tomasz Koło-dziejczyk; Jagiellonian University (p. 75)

Polish research projects constitute nearly 44%

of all the applications fi nanced under the

Programme each year

DESCRIPTIONS

OF RESEARCH

PROJECTS

IMPLEMENTED BY

SCIEX FELLOWS

22

Dr. Szymon Wichary is an Assistant Professor at the Inter-

disciplinary Centre for Applied Cognitive Studies at the Uni-

versity of Social Sciences and Humanities. His main interests

include the role of personality, emotions and stress in deci-

sion making and the biological sources of individual diff er-

ences (temperament, personality, readiness to take risks).

In his research he uses computer-based cognitive tasks,

psychophysiological methods (hormone concentration and

electrodermal activity measuring) and computational mod-

elling of decision processes. In his interdisciplinary projects

he willingly cooperates with researchers specialising in vari-

ous areas. He has studied psychology and biology at the Jag-

iellonian University, where he was awarded his PhD degree

in 2004. When studying for this title he had a placement at

the Max Planck Institute for Human Development in Berlin.

His SCIEX Post-Doctoral placement was at the Centre for Eco-

nomic Psychology at the University of Basel.

Beginning of cooperation

I began working with Prof. Rieskamp, my Swiss mentor,

in 2000. At the time I had a doctoral placement at the Max

Planck Institute for Human Development in Berlin where the

professor studied for his PhD.

Project description

The purpose of my SCIEX fellowship project was to conduct

empirical research, create a computer model of decision

making strategy selection as well as analyse data gathered

in connection with the model. The focus of my research

was slightly modifi ed in the course of the project – one

part of my empirical research could not be done because

of time limitations, however, relevant research procedures

were created, so the intended creation of the computer

model was achieved.

The main outcome of the project was a description of re-

lations between emotional stress and decision making.

The research provided a precise answer to the question

how people process information before making a decision

when they are under the infl uence of stress, and which de-

cision strategy they use on such occasions. In the course

of this research I used a computer-based decision task and

emotional arousal physiological measurement for the task

duration. A data analysis showed that emotional arousal

was directly linked to the quantity of pre-decisional infor-

mation processing – the higher the arousal, the less infor-

mation was processed. Also strategy selection, that is the

strategy of integrating acquired information, is diff erent in

people under high emotional arousal – as their information

processing capacity is limited, they use a simple decision

heuristic that integrates no information, but allows them

to make a choice on the basis of one crucial decision in-

struction. The computer model of decision making takes

into consideration these high emotional arousal informa-

tion processing characteristics and answers the question of

how stress infl uences strategy selection.

Fellow: Szymon Wichary, PhDProject: Bottom–up model of strategy selection

Subject area: psychology

Project duration: from 01.10.2010 to 30.09.2011

Sending institution / Home mentor: University of Social Sci-

ences and Humanities / Prof. Grzegorz Sędek

Host institution / Host mentor: University of Basel / Prof.

Jörg Rieskamp

The research provided a precise answer to the question

how people process information before making a decision

when they are under the infl uence of stress, and which

decision strategy they use on such occasions

23




Project outcomes

I ran this project at the Centre for Economic Psychology

at the University of Basel where that kind of research had

not been done before. The host institution benefi ted from

the innovativeness of the research: these physiological

methods of emotional arousal measurement had never

been applied there. Assistants running the research were

trained during this project and the project outcomes were

presented at an internal seminar at the Centre for Economic

Psychology.

Benefi ts for the sending institution: as its worker I have

gained advanced knowledge of decision making computa-

tional modelling and of advanced methods of data analysis.

I have presented the outcomes of the project at the Interdis-

ciplinary Centre for Applied Cognitive Studies.

The Centre for Economic Psychology and the Interdiscipli-

nary Centre for Applied Cognitive Studies continue to coop-

erate in the scope of three co-implemented projects:

1. Infl uence of ageing on sequential decision making (co-ordi-

nator: Prof. Grzegorz Sędek)

2. SCIEX project continuation – infl uence of emotional stress

on decision making in a changing environment (co-ordina-

tor: Szymon Wichary, PhD)

3. Psychological and biological sources of individual diff erenc-

es in risky decision-making (co-ordinator: Szymon Wichary,

PhD)

The added value of the project

The added value of my Swiss research project was an opportu-

nity for undisturbed and continuous work on the chosen prob-

lem, conducted in good conditions (well-organised adminis-

tration) and in a stimulating environment (a good team of very

competent researchers familiar with the latest data processing

methods). I am sure I would not have had such opportunities

anywhere in Poland. These conditions allowed me to develop

my research competences, e.g. gaining basic knowledge of

advanced data processing techniques, which I have been ex-

tending for example through annual participation in modelling

workshops organised at the University of Amsterdam. If not for

the SCIEX Fellowship I would have had no opportunity to run

my favourite research project and no opportunity for gaining

the aforementioned advanced knowledge of data analysis.

DID YOU KNOW THAT…

Swimming in beautiful, clean rivers in the centre of a city, for

example in the River Aare in Bern or in the Rhine in Basel,

is one of the biggest pleasures that you can experience in

Switzerland?

24

Dr. Magdalena Żakowska is an Assistant Professor at the

Chair of Central and Eastern Europe at the Faculty of Interna-

tional and Political Studies (WSMiP) at the University of Łódź.

She graduated from WSMiP and from the School of Humani-

ties at the same university. She is the author of a monograph

entitled Russland and Polendeutsche. Cultural conditioning of

late German migrants from Russia and Poland (Łódź 2011) and

together with A. de Lazari and O. Nadskakuła she wrote Cul-

tural conditioning of European nations (Łódź 2007), she also

translated the work by A. de Lazari and O. Riabov entitled

Poles and Russians in mutual caricature (Warsaw 2008). She

was the secretary of two projects implemented within the

Committee for Scientifi c Research (KBN): Mutual prejudice

between Poles and Russians and Ideas in Russia. Russian-Polish-

English Lexicon, v. 6-7. She took part in organising a project

fi nanced by the Stefan Batory Fund Should we be afraid of Rus-

sia? with the participation of students of the Universities of

Łódź, Latvia and Ivanovo.

Her main interests focus on the problems of perceiving Rus-

sia in European cultures.


Prof. Andrzej de Lazari, head of the Chair of Central and East-

ern Europe at the Faculty of International and Political Stud-

ies of the University of Łódź, which is my workplace, encour-

aged me to get in contact with Prof. Ulrich Schmid who is an

eminent expert on Russia’s culture and history. My scientifi c

mentors had known each other for years, being actively in-

volved in the International Dostoevsky Society.

Project description

My project focused on analysing the specifi city of the ‘Rus-

sian bear’ metaphor in the German-language Swiss press

between the Congress of Vienna and the end of the 19th cen-

tury (1815-1900). Basing on this example I tried to see a possi-

ble relationship between the then image of Russia in Switzer-

land and the ‘colonial discourse’ described by Edward Said,

the American literary scholar, through which Europeans are

said to perceive the Orient. His theory is mainly based on the

assertion that, consciously or not, Westerners use a discourse

in which the West is the main reference in deliberations on

universal civilisation patterns and so-called universal values,

whereas the East embodies all that is traditionally associated

with backwardness and the absence of culture. The West is

perceived as rational, creative, imperious and masculine, the

East – as ‘thinking through the heart’, non-creative, submis-

sive, feminine. The European discourse concerning the East

refl ects the logic of thinking in the categories of East-West,

culture-nature, civilisation-barbarism, progress-backward-

ness, democracy-despotism. This way of perceiving the

world, originating from the West, was to be internalised also

in Eastern mentality.

In my research I intended to rely on source materials coming

both from satirical German-language magazines, such as the

Nebelspalter (published since 1875) and from the everyday

German-language press: from the oldest and most opinion-

forming Swiss daily Neue Zürcher Zeitung (published since

1780), from the Tagesanzeiger Zürich (published since 1893)

and from the St. Galler Tagblatt (published since 1841).

Fellow: Magdalena Żakowska, PhDProject: The ‘Russian Bear’ metaphor in the 19th Century

Swiss Press Discourse

Subject area: history


Sending institution / Home mentor: University of Łódź /

Prof. Andrzej de Lazari

Host institution / Host mentor: University of St. Gallen / Prof.

Ulrich Schmid

The West is perceived as rational, creative, imperious

and masculine, the East – as ‘thinking through the

heart’, non-creative, submissive, feminine

25




In the course of the project I found two Swiss satirical pe-

riodicals that were unknown to me and which were pub-

lished in the 19th century – Der Gukkasten (from 1840 to

1850) and the Postheiri (1845 to 1875), so I included them in

my preliminary research. Owing to access to an electronic

viewer with archived issues of the Neue Zürcher Zeitung I re-

searched this newspaper more thoroughly and extended

the scope of the search to include the period from 1790 to

1900.

Analysing the Russian bear metaphor in the 19th century

Swiss press I noticed some regularities. First of all, I noticed

that the aforesaid metaphor had not appeared there until

the middle of the 19th century. The oldest relevant note that

I found dates back to 1849 and appeared in the periodical

Der Gukkasten. The Russian bear metaphor kept appearing

sporadically over the next decades to intensify in the 1880s

and 1890s. In total I found 37 ‘Russian bear’ metaphors, 10 of

them were in the Neue Zürcher Zeitung, 24 in the Nebelspal-

ter, 2 in the Postheiri and one in Der Gukkasten. In the Neue

Zürcher Zeitung, which was the mainstream press of that pe-

riod, the term ‘Russian bear’ appeared relatively rarely as a

synonym of Russia or things Russian. However, the satirical

press of the last thirty years of the 19th century, represented

mainly by the Nebelspalter, made relatively frequent refer-

ences to the subject.

The ‘bear’ motif mainly appeared as a comment to armed in-

terventions involving Russia, predominantly against Turkey.

The Crimean War (1853-1856) waged by Russia in order to ob-

tain access to the Black Sea straits, and lost by that country,

was the fi rst confrontation with the Ottoman Empire in the

period I researched. Not only were the Western powers on

Turkey’s side in this confl ict, but it also received military assis-

tance from Great Britain, France and Sardinia. The then teeth-

ing satirical press in Switzerland used the bear metaphor

twice in the Postheiri to comment on what was happening

on the ‘Eastern’ front.

Then the ‘Russian bear’ appeared in connection with the so-

called Bulgarian war (1876-1877) waged for ‘the liberation of

the Balkan nations from the Turkish yoke’. The Western pow-

ers limited their part in this confl ict to the status of observers,

but after Russia’s victory they forced the calling of a peace

conference in Berlin at which a ‘fairer’ division of infl uence in

the region was decided. Commenting on the war the Swiss

press portrayed the tsarist state as a cynical friend of south

Slavs.

The third time that the ‘Russian bear’ entered the Turkish

zone of infl uence was in the 1880s in connection with the so-

called Bulgarian question. After the death of Alexander II the

relations between Alexander von Battenberg, the new Prince

of Bulgaria appointed by the former, and Russia’s new ruler

Alexander III were not exemplary. In 1883 the Neue Zürcher

Zeitung reported that “Prince Alexander […] sees the neces-

sity to free himself from the friendly hug of the Russian bear

and opt for a German-Austrian alliance”. However, in 1886 the

prince was dethroned as a result of a palace coup led by a

‘Russian party’, which caused a media storm in Europe and

also in Switzerland, very much like the one caused by the

Crimean war.

Research fi ndings

This discourse in question shows a gradual barbarisation and

demonization of the ‘bear metaphor’. Its neutral overtones

in the middle of the 19th century (the Russian bear as one

of many animals in the international herd) rapidly changed

into a distinctly negative ‘bear’ image at the end of the cen-

26

tury (the Russian bear as the only predator endangering Eu-

ropean peace). I compared the Swiss press discourse with

the corresponding discourse in other European countries

to see that the Swiss discourse was unique through its spe-

cifi c moralising tendency. The Helvetian nation, the most

democratic country of the world in the 19th century, simply

seemed to aspire to play the part of Europe’s conscience.

It is worth stressing that there were also false tones in the

Swiss moralising discourse. For example, when presenting

the paternalistic stance of the Triple Alliance countries on

the Balkan victims of Russia’s policy, the latter were shown

as ‘Russia-like’. Both the tsarist state and the Balkans were

seen as Asia’s outskirts – an ‘inferior’, ‘backward’ and ‘exotic’

part of the world whose stereotype functioned just like that

of the Orient. The only diff erence was that Russia was ‘mascu-

linised’ in the Swiss (and European) press discourse and the

Balkans were ‘infantilised’ and ‘objectifi ed’. This can be seen

when looking at the most frequent metaphors of that period:

dwarves, playful children, farm animals and even inanimate

matter. One of the leading motifs in presenting the Balkans

was depicting them as a melting pot stirred by devil or murky

mud pulling its victims in.

In the course of my research I noted further analogies be-

tween the Swiss press discourse appertaining to Russia and

the ‘colonial discourse’. The image of the tsarist state rep-

resented an antithesis of states representing (Western) Eu-

ropean culture. Confronting the image of the ‘Russian bear’

with those representing civilised Europe, the satirists made it

play the part of a barbarian aspiring to Europe’s salons. This

was particularly visible when the bear metaphor was used in

the discourse on Otto Bismarck’s policy meant to bring law

and order in Europe and on the civilising potential of German

culture. By opposing things German (European) to what was

Russian, the Swiss press constructed clear networks of binary

oppositions: order – chaos, creation – destruction, intellect –

irrationality, self-control – short-temper, brutalisation.

In the period of the fi n de siècle the image of the ‘Russian bear’

gained some characteristics turning it into an icon of deca-

dence. The revolution in the alliances, such as the Russian-

French alliance of 1891-1893, triggered an avalanche of com-

ments on the absurdity of an alliance between a European

republic and a despotic monarchy – the noble Marianne

with the polar bear. On the one hand, the image of the ‘Rus-

sian bear’ as an object of desire seemed a by-product of the

Swiss press trying to show France as a ‘political whore’. On

the other hand, the ‘Russian bear’ accompanying Marianne

can be seen as a metaphor of Russian ‘crudeness’, being both

the complement and antithesis of refi nement, supposed to

be characteristic of French culture.

This metaphor was also present in the context of Russian-

Swiss relations. Actually, this was in two contexts: that of

27




Switzerland’s asylum policy and in certain comparisons

made by the Swiss concerning social order abroad as op-

posed to their own. The ‘bear’ metaphor was used by the

Swiss to build an opposition between Helvetia – free, affl u-

ent and democratically ruled – and Russia, construed as an

‘Eastern despotic country’, prison of nations and the king-

dom of anarchy. Sometimes the Russian nation was present-

ed as a bear. In such cases it was present in just one context

- that of the running dog of subsequent tsars. So depicted,

the ‘Russian bear’ was perceived as putty in the hands that

rule Russia and as a victim of ‘great politics’.

Project outcomes

In the course of the project I shared my experience with

students, PhD students and academic staff at the University

of St. Gallen, for example by delivering an open lecture on

the history and contemporary connotations of the ‘Russian

bear’ image in the West. I also participated in a seminar en-

titled Polish Politics, Economy and Society, held jointly by

Prof. Ulrich Schmid and Dr. Rafał Riedel. For this purpose

I prepared a speech on the infl uence of Polish Catholicism

on our country’s social and political life.

Owing to my fellowship, students and PhD students of Rus-

sian studies at the University of St. Gallen had an opportu-

nity to participate in two interesting lectures held by Prof.

Andrzej de Lazari during his study visits at that university

in the capacity of my Polish mentor. The lectures were on

mutual prejudices between Poles and Russians and on the

categories of nation and identity in Polish and Russian po-

litical thought.

SCIEX fellowship benefi ts

I gained a lot by participating in sessions on relations be-

tween culture and the specifi city of creating biographical

narratives, in a seminar on theories of culture and in lec-

tures on the life and works of Anton Chekhov, delivered

by Prof. Ulrich Schmid and Prof. Dieter Thomä. I decided to

incorporate certain issues of Swiss political and cultural life

as well as some issues of satirical discourse into my classes

at the University of Łódź. My faculty students were thrilled

to hear Prof. Schmid’s lecture (delivered in Polish!) entitled

Constitution and Narrative. European Traditions and Their

Russian Modifications in Key Legal Acts of the USSR and the

Russian Federation, during his study visit in the capacity of

my host mentor.

The Universities of Łódź and St. Gallen are planning to con-

tinue their cooperation – at the moment some formalities

are being settled before a cooperation agreement can be

concluded, on the strength of which the academic staff of

both universities will be able to deliver guest lectures.

DID YOU KNOW THAT…I did not have to show my tenancy agreement or appear at the Housing Offi ce

with my landlord to become offi cially registered as a resident (but I had to ac-

cept regulations prohibiting tenants from taking a shower between 10.00PM and

8.00AM or from washing clothes in their fl ats).

28


I contacted my Swiss mentor just before making an applica-

tion for the research that I had planned. The purpose of my

project was to analyse Swiss model solutions in spatial plan-

ning and bicycle tourism development and to gather exten-

sive practical experience. The subject of my research is not

popular in Poland, there is not enough subject literature, too

few model case studies and not enough examples of analysis

of good practice. It would have been diffi cult to do my re-

search on spatial planning and bicycle tourism development

in my sending institution whose research funds are rather

limited.

If not for the SCIEX fellowship…

I would have not met many specialists and experts directly

or indirectly involved in the subject of my research. I would

have had no opportunity to run so-called best practice analy-

sis. My fellowship in Switzerland was an ideal opportunity to

familiarise myself with current research trends and with the

world literature on this subject, which greatly contributed to

my further academic development. After the SCIEX fellow-

ship I was able to undergo a short research fellowship pro-

gramme in Germany and some months later I was the winner

of the Australian Award, so at the moment I am at the Univer-

sity of Canberra.

Fellow: Anna Kurkowska, PhD studentProject: Spatial planning and development of bicycle

tourism in Polish-Swiss comparative analysis

Subject area: geography


Sending institution / Home mentor: University of Warsaw /

Prof. Stefan Kałuski

Host institution / Host mentor: University of Bern / Prof. He-

ike Mayer

Anna Kurkowska holds a Master’s degree in tourism and rec-

reation (Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, 2007), a Mas-

ter’s degree in spatial planning (Adam Mickiewicz University,

2009) and since 01.10.2009 she has been a PhD student at

the Faculty of Geography and Regional Studies (University of

Warsaw). SCIEX Fellow at the University of Bern and holder

of a KAAD scholarship at the University of Trier, she is cur-

rently at the University of Canberra within the framework of

the Australian Award, Socrates-Erasmus landscaping studies

at the University of Dresden. She has also cooperated with

the Leibnitz-Institut für Őkologische Raumentwicklung in

Dresden.

29




Fellow: Rafał Riedel, PhDProject: The UE Presidency after the Lisbon Treaty – to-

wards the supranationalisation of the EU Council

Subject area: political science


Sending institution / Home mentor: University of Opole /

Prof. Krzysztof Zuba

Host institution / Host mentor: Federal Institute of Technol-

ogy / Prof. Frank Schimmelfennig

Dr. Rafał Riedel graduated from the University of Silesia

and the University of Economics in Katowice. He present-

ed his PhD thesis at the Institute of Political Science and

Journalism. He is an Assistant Professor at the Chair of In-

ternational Relations at the University of Opole. He has de-

livered lectures in Rotterdam, Valencia, Bratislava, St. Gal-

len and Berlin. Grant holder of the Open Society Institute,

Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst, Marie Curie Fel-

lowship Programme and Grant and Training Fund. Partici-

pant and organiser of a number of research and educational

projects in Europe and the USA, he is the author of several

dozen socio-political-economic publications (monographs,

collective works, scientifi c papers and current aff airs ar-

ticles) in: Anthenaeum, Przegląd Politologiczny, Studia Eu-

ropejskie, Przegląd Europejski, Wspólnota Europejska, Politea,

Polish Foreign Aff airs Digest, Studia Medioznawcze, Zeszyty

Prasoznawcze, Wrocławskie Studia Politologiczne, Przegląd

Zachodni, Stosunki Międzynarodowe and many more. Rafał

Riedel conducted his research during his visits to the follow-

ing institutions: Max Planck Institute for the Study of Soci-

eties in Cologne and Max Planck Institute for the Study of

Collective Goods in Bonn, European University Institute in

Florence, ARENA – Centre for European Studies/University

of Oslo and at the Centre for Comparative and International

Studies/ETH in Zurich.


I contacted the host mentor well in advance, specifi cally for

the purposes of my planned project. We met at a ECPR (Euro-

pean Consortium for Political Research) conference in Porto

in June 2010. I deliberately chose this mentor and the host

institution for the reputation of the European Union Politics

Research Group led by Prof. Frank Schimmelfennig.

Project description

The purpose of my project was to analyse the political roles of

EU member states exercising their presidency of the Council

of the European Union after the Lisbon Treaty. Consequently,

I had to review literature from the viewpoint of already exist-

ing roles and their evolution, starting from the establishment

of a rotational presidency. Following that, I conducted my

research by way of questionnaires and in-depth interviews

concerning such variables as a country’s length of member-

ship and its size. The results of this empirical investigation

were confronted with selected excerpts from the theory

of international regional integration, partly relating to the

presidency of the Council, multilateral negotiations and the

theory of leadership. As the project time was curtailed from

18 to 12 months I had to exclude the permanent president of

the European Council from my analysis.

As a result of in-depth empirical investigation (data gathered

in the aforementioned questionnaires and in-depth inter-

views) I identifi ed the most important roles and functions

of the presidency in the post-Lisbon period, and evaluated

them on the scale of importance for my particular variables

(length of membership and country size). Then, for the pur-

pose of their interpretation, I compared the results of my

empirical investigation with available subject literature. This

comparison with the selected excerpts from the theory of in-

ternational regional integration allowed positive verifi cation

DID YOU KNOW THAT...There are half-day bank holidays in the

canton of Zurich, which are days off

from noon onwards?

30

of the hypothesis concerning the progressive supranationali-

sation of the institution of the presidency and – consequent-

ly and potentially – of the Council itself. An analysis of the

political roles of the EU member states exercising UE presi-

dency after the Lisbon Treaty allowed me to produce several

scientifi c texts for publication and gave me an opportunity to

deliver numerous conference speeches.

Project outcomes

The EU Politics Research Group from ETH/Zurich had not

played host to a Central European researcher before. Taking

into consideration the interests of some of its members, for

example EU enlargement, decision making at the Council of

the European Union, multilateral negotiations etc., my fel-

lowship and research on the issues of EU presidency has con-

tributed to an expansion of the scope of their research and

to more detailed research in the important area of European

studies. It is also worth mentioning that the visit of my pro-

ject mentor from the University of Opole coincided with an

event called The Polish Day at ETH in Zurich which captured

the attention of the Zurich academic circles.

The most important benefi ts resulting from the project

The Polish sending institution has benefi ted from its par-

ticipation in the SCIEX Scholarship Fund mainly through the

participation of its workers (mine, as a fellow, and that of my

home mentor) in its academic exchange with ETH – one of

the best European HEIs.

What’s more – on the occasion of my Swiss mentor’s visit to

Poland, Opole University organised an open lecture deliv-

ered by Prof. Frank Schimmelfennig entitled European Union

Institutions in the Times of Crisis. This lecture was an interest-

ing contribution to the discussion of the current crisis in the

Euro zone and attracted a more than 100-strong audience.

The research issues I dealt with in Switzerland have a future.

Therefore I intend to continue further analytical research on

this and related subjects. My research was an essential ele-

ment of my post-doctoral thesis and it will be continued as a

concise monograph. The forms and scope of our future coop-

eration are currently being discussed with the Swiss partner

– both as to the Polish and the Swiss off er.


The main and basic added value – which I would not have been

able to get staying in the home institution – was my contact

with one of the most recognised European studies researchers

in the world. The works of Prof. Frank Schimmelfennig on the

EU’s enlargement policy, conditionality or the methodological

basis of European research are the canon of world literature

on the subject

The signifi cant added value of the project consists in frequent

consultations at individual research stages, having access to

extensive libraries and being able to discuss the results with

my Swiss colleagues. The research work of the EU Politics Re-

The main and basic added value – which I would not have been able to get

staying in the home institution – was my contact with one of the most recognised

European studies researchers in the world. The works of Prof. Frank Schimmelfennig

on the EU’s enlargement policy, conditionality or the methodological basis of

European research are the canon of world literature on the subject

31




search Group is one of the most advanced in its use of quan-

titative methods in political sciences, so my participation in

Research Colloquiums and discussion of research projects and

methodological dilemmas constituted an essential element of

my fellowship, developing my workshop competence. If not

for the fellowship, I would never have transferred the ‘Swiss

quality’ and culture of work to my academic environment in

Poland.

But the main inspiration, which may reverberate in my future

professional life is my fascination with the quantitative meth-

ods that are applied by Prof. Schimmerfennig’s group, which

are almost completely absent from Poland. There are only a

few research centres in Europe which can apply quantitative

methods so eff ectively in their research – Zurich is undoubt-

edly one such leading centre.

Consequently, my Swiss research visit – apart from the achieve-

ment of my SCIEX research project purposes – also brought a

by-product in the shape of a plan to organise an educational

programme for political scientists/European researchers de-

veloping their workshop competence in quantitative methods

and their application in social science.

Fellow: Piotr Tracz, PhDProject: Swiss Light Source Performance Improvement

Project

Subject area: engineering science


Sending institution / Home mentor: Jagiellonian University

/ Prof. Krzysztof Królas

Host institution / Host mentor: Paul Scherrer Institut /Ter-

ence Garvey, PhD

Dr. Piotr Tracz was brought up in Niedomice near Tarnów. He

was interested in science already at a young age. In 1999 he

completed a technical secondary school specialising in radio

engineering and television at the Complex of Mechanical and

Electrical Schools in Tarnów. He then continued his education

at the University of Science and Technology (AGH) in Cracow,

being awarded a Master’s degree in solid-state physics at the

Faculty of Physics and Applied Computer Science in 2004.

In 2009 he was awarded a PhD degree in physical science at

the Institute of Nuclear Physics in Cracow. In his PhD thesis

Dr. Tracz discussed investigation of the magnetic properties of

a new group of magnetic materials, so-called molecular mag-

netic materials. Since autumn 2009 Dr. Tracz has been working

in a group implementing the project of the fi rst Polish synchro-

tron, built at the Jagiellonian University in Cracow.


The project of the fi rst Polish synchrotron radiation source

is being implemented in Cracow. The fi rst idea of building

a synchrotron in Poland dates back to 1998. That was when

the Swiss Light Source (SLS) was being built in Switzerland.

A group of Cracow scientists started cooperating with the

32

Paul Scherrer Institut (PSI), the Swiss centre where the SLS

was built. The Cracow synchrotron was to be similar to the

one currently working at PSI. Soon it transpired that the

budget of the Polish synchrotron project was too small to

ensure the success of this undertaking. However, that pe-

riod resulted in establishment of contacts with the Swiss

centre, which facilitated the choice of my host mentor and

the host institution. In the end the Cracow group obtained

funds enabling the construction of a smaller, but just as

modern, synchrotron.

Project description

The principal purpose of my being at the Swiss centre

consisted in gaining practical experience of working with

a modern source of synchrotron radiation. Being familiar

with particle accelerator issues is of paramount importance

for independent work with the future Cracow synchrotron.

As no scientists or engineers had experience in accelerator

physics and large particle accelerators, this visit to the mod-

ern centre in Switzerland was more than justifi ed.

Knowledge of various engineering and physics domains,

such as microwave technology, magnets, electron beam di-

agnostics, ultrahigh vacuum, cooling systems and control

systems, is needed to operate a synchrotron light source. In

the course of my project I intended to become familiar with

all these areas and to participate in work on the improve-

ment of storage ring optics in order to reduce the adverse

eff ects of optical lattice non-linearity to improve electron

beam quality, and also with measurement techniques deter-

mining electron beam parameters in storage rings and their

control. I also wanted to participate in research on optimising

the process of injecting an electron beam into a storage ring.

The direction of my research was partly modifi ed in rela-

tion to that initially intended because of the needs of the

Cracow synchrotron, which made it necessary for me to be-

come familiar with power RF microwave technology, both

at the storage ring and in a linear accelerator forming the

pre-injector of the Swiss synchrotron.

In the course of my research I took a series of measurements

of the electron beam life span in the SLS storage ring. Having

been processed, these measurements contributed to a better

understanding of particle loss as well as to the investigation

of electron beam quality. I took a number of electron beam

parameter measurements, such as: emittance, energy spread

and a cross-section of an electron beam in the storage ring.

The same measurements were taken at the linear accelera-

tor of the synchrotron in Switzerland. The results obtained

were confronted with simulations made with the use of AS-

TRA code software. The results obtained and the comparison

with the simulations helped me optimise the parameters of

synchrotron work. I performed the conditioning of the opti-

cal cavity of the storage ring and I optimised the parameters

of the cooling system at a high power RF station. I also con-

ditioned new impulse modulators and klystron amplifi ers.

Moreover, I took measurements of the current characteristics

of the new klystron amplifi ers. I also conditioned a new cath-

ode of the electron gun at the linear accelerator.

My research fi ndings were up-to-date and important for the

host institution as at the time work was being carried out on

the Swiss synchrotron to improve its capacity, electron beam

and emitted synchrotron radiation quality for research pur-

poses in a number of scientifi c domains. I was at PSI when

new components were installed at the Swiss synchrotron. It

necessitated carrying out a number of tests and measure-

ments. I participated personally in all the aforementioned

work, actively cooperating with a group of experienced ex-

perts from the Swiss centre.

33




Project outcomes

Thanks to my research in Switzerland the Polish institution

has gained a worker ready for independent work with the

modern source of synchrotron radiation which is being built

in Cracow. Both centres continue their cooperation. The Swiss

centre is testing the Polish experimental end station, which

will be transported to Cracow to work at the Polish synchro-

tron. Moreover, for the purposes of the Polish synchrotron

project, a bilateral cooperation agreement has been signed.

On the strength of this agreement the Polish party is obliged

to cooperate in designing a free electron laser, whose con-

struction is foreseen for 2013 in Switzerland.

The added value of the SCIEX fellowship

Doing research at the Swiss centre is immensely prestigious.

Working with a real-life, modern appliance was the added

value of my fellowship. In my home institution only theoreti-

cal work would have been possible and by that I mean study-

ing particle accelerator theory issues, with no possibilities

of gaining practical experience. My fellowship at the Swiss

centre has signifi cantly raised my professional qualifi cations

and made it possible for me to visit that picturesque country

– Switzerland.

I am currently the coordinator of the linear accelerator at

the Polish synchrotron project. My Swiss fellowship allowed

me to defi ne my own professional interests and to gain ex-

perience in working with a particle accelerator. At present,

changes are being made to the original design of the linear

accelerator of the Polish synchrotron to improve its capacity.

No such changes could have been made without the knowl-

edge I gained at the Swiss centre.


• There are four offi cial languages in Switzerland: German, French, Italian

and Romansh, often called Rhaeto-Romance, spoken by 0.5% of the pop-

ulation. Switzerland is divided into 26 cantons.

• The Toblerone chocolate bar, famous for its triangular shapes, is meant to

be reminiscent of the Matterhorn – one of alpine peaks.

• Only electrically driven vehicles may circulate in the picturesque town of

Zermatt.

• The famous Ice Express train runs along the Alps. It takes 7.5 hours to go

from Zermatt to St. Moritz.

34

Fellow: Lucjan Janowski, PhDProject: QoHealth: QoE optimisation for Health Tele-

-monitoring and Tele-treatment Systems with

constrained QoS

Subject area: computer science


Sending institution / Home mentor: AGH University of Sci-

ence and Technology / Prof. Zdzisław Papir

Host institution / Host mentor: University of Geneva / Prof.

Dimitri Konstantas

Dr Lucjan Janowski works at the Telecommunications Fac-

ulty at the AGH University of Science and Technology. He was

awarded his Master’s degree in 2002 and in 2006 – a PhD in

telecommunications (both theses were written and present-

ed at the University of Science and Technology). In 2007, he

worked at CNRS-LAAS in France where he prepared anomaly

detecting algorithms and an intelligent analysis of road traf-

fi c. In the academic year 2010/2011, he spent 6 months work-

ing at the University of Geneva, working on applications of

quality of experience (QoE) to be used in medicine. His main

interests include statistics and probable events modelling

with subjective assumptions with the help of QoE evaluation.

He has taken part in a number of industrial and scientifi c pro-

jects. He is the author of a number of scientifi c studies.

Project description

The fi rst contact between the HEIs was made at a COST pro-

ject meeting (European Cooperation in Science and Technol-

ogy). When planning my SCIEX project, I decided to establish

cooperation in order to investigate the quality of transmis-

sion (a speciality of the home institution) from the perspec-

tive of medicine (a speciality of the University of Geneva).

My research concentrated on identifying the possibility of

transmitting an ultrasound signal through the Internet in real

time. The problem of that kind of network is that there is no

support for traffi c prioritisation. This means that it is impos-

sible to foresee reasonably which resources could be used.

In the course of my research I used the x264 codec with the

help of which I compressed some demonstration sequences.

The results I obtained were consulted with medical profes-


• If your child has a temperature

of 39.9 degrees, fi rst you have to

prove to a Swiss hospital that the

child is insured otherwise you

have to pay before the child gets a

medicine to bring the fever down?

• If you live in Geneva, visit the web-

page www.glocals.com

• Switzerland is the country where

the Ski World Cup takes place. You

must watch it live!

35




sionals and I was able to confi rm the hypothesis that this

kind of transmission was possible. The subsequent steps of

this analysis and the creation of suitable software were post-

poned until my return to Poland.

Project outcomes

Thanks to my participation in the project the University of

Geneva has gained knowledge of QoE research and an op-

portunity for extending medical examination by adding an

ultrasound examination. The Polish institution has gained

a new research subject related to quality in medicine. The

cooperation between the two institutions will be continued

on the condition that there are funds available for further

research. The subject of quality of experience is extremely

interesting and vital for my habilitation.


The experience and knowledge of Prof. Antoine Geissbuhler

were instrumental in the success of my research. Without

his support, I would not have been able to do my research.

Owing to the SCIEX project I have a new research idea, prob-

ably the most interesting one that I am implementing. If not

for the fellowship, I would not have got to know Prof. Geiss-

buhler’s extremely inspiring style of work or just as fascinat-

ing research areas which claim that it is the solution that is

most important and not its complexity.

Fellow: Dariusz Komorowski, PhDProject: The Intellectual on the Borderlines. Carl Albert

Loosli as a Columnist at the Beginning of the 20th Century

in the Media and Cross-cultural context of Switzerland

Subject area: Literature


Sending institution / Home mentor: University of Wrocław

/ Prof. Marek Hałub

Host institution / Host mentor: University of Lausanne /

Prof. Peter Utz

Dr Dariusz Komorowski was born in Starachowice. He is a

graduate of German and Dutch studies at the University of

Wrocław. In 2000, he presented his PhD thesis entitled The

aesthetics of movement in Jürg Laederach’s prose, written

under the supervision of Prof. Norbert Honsza. Currently

he is Assistant Professor at the German Speaking Countries

and Silesian Culture Unit, whose head is Prof. Marek Hałub.

Since 2005, he has been running the Laboratory of the Ger-

man Language Literature of Switzerland and in 2007 with its

participation he organised the fi rst international conference

at the University of Wrocław, focusing exclusively on Swiss

literature. He is the author and co-editor of a Polish-German

publication entitled This Switzerland is not Switzerland, Jen-

seits von Frisch und Dürenmatt, a collection presenting the

contemporary German language literature of Switzerland as

well as a textbook for German studies students Ausgewählte

Quellen im Diskursfeld <Identitäten>. Die Schweiz, describing

the forming of the Swiss state and its citizens’ cultural iden-

tity. He has already had two Swiss grants – one from the gov-

ernment, the other from the Landis & Gyr Cultural foundation

in the canton of Zug. His area of main interest concerns issues

in literature and Swiss culture over the centuries, cross-cul-

36

tural processes in the Swiss Confederation and the cultural

identity of Switzerland’s inhabitants.

Project description

The choice of my host mentor was, so to speak, natural.

Swiss literature has been the main interest of Prof. Utz work-

ing at the University of Lausanne, which is refl ected both in

his extensive research and his didactic work. As we had mu-

tual interests we were already familiar with our publications

and we had met at conferences, for example at the World

Congress of Germanists in Warsaw or at the Literature Days

in Solura.

The purpose of my project was to do research on David

Looslie’s source texts which had not been published before

and which were preserved at the Swiss Archive of Litera-

ture (feature articles, short stories, critical texts and letters)

which may show the Swiss cultural processes of that period

in a new light. In my opinion the categories of an ‘intellec-

tual’ and ‘feature article’ as a modern means of expression

in literature will allow demonstration of Switzerland’s speci-

fi city in the European context. Consultations with Prof. Utz

and other workers of Lausanne’s German studies, and my

work at the Archive of Literature and the National Library

in Bern, fully confi rmed my choice of research area and the

theses I had put forward. Moreover, thanks to the conversa-

tions I had with local research workers I had the added ben-

efi t of confronting the assumptions, methods and progress

of my research work.

The restriction of the fellowship’s duration did not allow me

to complete my project, but my evaluation of task comple-

tion and of what I achieved there is very positive. Access to

the source material of the Archive of Literature and the Na-

tional Library of Switzerland enabled me to do research on

texts essential for my project. It is owing to them that I was

able to become familiar with, and understand the historical

and cultural context of, David Looslie’s writing as a columnist,

his intellectual and literary connection network and I man-

DID YOU KNOW THAT…The canton of Valais is home to Euro-

pe’s highest vineyards. The tradition

of producing a variety of white wine

called Heida (Savagnin grapes) is alive

near the village of Visperterminen at

an altitude of about 1100 m.

37




aged to defi ne and investigate the literary strategies that he

applied in the process of forming public opinion. Certain ad-

ditional themes that appeared in the course of my research,

but which could not be elaborated on for lack of time, open

up new prospects for future projects which will be, at least

partly, implemented in cooperation with the Swiss host men-

tor and his co-workers.

Project outcomes

My research focused on an author whose works had never

been subjected to philological and cultural analyses. My

work at the Archive and the publication of my research re-

sulting from it has a signifi cant cognitive value for Swiss re-

searchers not only as to the person of David Looslie, but also

as to the period of those of his works that were widely assimi-

lated in his lifetime.

The knowledge and experience I gained in Switzerland have

a direct infl uence on the quality of my work at my home HEI

– the University fi rst of all consists of its academic staff and

students. Also, when being in Switzerland, I had multiple op-

portunities for presenting, also in an international milieu, the

research achievements of the Wrocław German studies work-

ers, their research and teaching profi le, all of which won wide

recognition.

There will be future cooperation of the HEIs participating in

my SCIEX project not only in research through implementing

more projects, but also in teaching – based on the coopera-

tion of students in higher years.

If not for the SCIEX project…

The implementation of my project would not have been pos-

sible in Poland as there was no access to source materials. My

work at the University of Lausanne enabled me to become fa-

miliar with a very interesting form of cooperation between West

Switzer land’s universities as part of the project Master Network

Littératures suisses/ Literaturen der Schweiz, coordinated by

Prof. Utz. I hope that the experience I gained there enables me

to improve the organisation of work at the Centre of German

Language Literature of Switzerland which I run at Wrocław

University. Apart from the fact that the project brought confi r-

mation of the purposefulness of my work to date, my coopera-

tion with my colleagues and my own research at the Archive of

Literature and the National Library have opened up new pros-

pects which, I hope, will result in more projects implemented in

cooperation with Swiss university colleagues.

For a researcher of literature and culture, a stay of several-

months in Switzerland is extremely valuable not only be-

cause it enables familiarity with new research methods,

access to sources and contacts with colleagues, but also be-

cause it allows direct contact with the culture and everyday

life of Swiss citizens. When experience is gained in this way, it

directly translates into teaching work, its variety and fascina-

tion which can be passed onto students.

For a researcher of literature and culture, a stay of several-months in Switzerland

is extremely valuable not only because it enables familiarity with new research

methods, access to sources and contacts with colleagues, but also because it

allows direct contact with the culture and everyday life of Swiss citizens. When

experience is gained in this way, it directly translates into teaching work, its variety

and fascination which can be passed onto students

38

Fellow: Dariusz Burnat, PhDProject: Preparation and Characterisation of Nanostruc-

tured Alternative Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) Anodes with

Focus on Carbon Containing Fuels (NANO-SOFC)

Subject area: chemistry


Sending institution / Home mentor: University of Science

and Technology in Cracow / Dr. Dariusz Kata

Host institution / Host mentor: EMPA – Swiss Federal Labo-

ratories for Material Science and Technology, Laboratory for

High Performance Ceramics / Prof. Thomas Graule

In 2002 Dr. Dariusz Burnat started studying materials en-

gineering at the Higher Vocational State School in Tarnów,

from which he graduated as a high achiever in 2006, obtain-

ing a Bachelor’s degree. He continued his studies at the Uni-

versity of Science and Technology (AGH), Faculty of Materials

Engineering and Ceramics, where he participated in several

research projects as a student. In 2007/2008 during his place-

ment at the Swiss research institute known as EMPA he did

research for his Master’s thesis which was subsequently

awarded an honourable mention in the competition entitled

“AGH diamonds”. In his thesis, he focused on the rheology of

nanostructured colloids and their application in cathodes for

SOFC applications. In 2008, he completed his studies with

distinction and was awarded a Master’s degree in chemical

engineering. Also in 2008, he started studying for his PhD at

the Faculty of Materials Engineering and Ceramics at the Uni-

versity of Science and Technology. A year later a project of his

was successful in the Małopolski grant competition for PhD

students (MFD 2009) and then he obtained a SCIEX grant.

From the end of 2009 to mid-2011, Dariusz Burnat stayed at

the EMPA institute where he was doing research for his PhD

thesis. In April 2012, he presented his PhD thesis, completed

his doctoral studies with distinction, and was awarded his

PhD title.


The cooperation between AGH and the host mentor (EMPA)

was initiated several years earlier, but the NANO-SOFC pro-

ject itself is another mutual undertaking in the history of

cooperation between AGH’s Faculty of Materials Engineer-

ing and Ceramics and the Swiss institute EMPA. I had met the

Swiss mentor before when doing research for my Master’s

thesis in Switzerland. This Master’s thesis was well received

both in Switzerland and in my home HEI and it was awarded

an honourable mention in the competition “AGH diamonds”.

I also managed to publish my research results in a very re-

spectable periodical entitled “Fuel Cells”. This formed the

basis for the Swiss mentor’s interest in cooperating with me,

and it was he who told me about applying for a SCIEX grant.

Project description

The project contained several baselines and some secondary

threads. The main purpose of the project consisted in creat-

ing ceramic electronic conductors enabling stable cell work.

My next purpose in the project was to obtain relatively eff ec-

tive electrode functioning with low manufacturing costs and

absence of metallic catalysts. My third purpose consisted in

improving anode resistance to red-ox cycles which occur in

cell exploitation. But the most important goal of my research

was to create a kind of material that would form the basis for

my PhD thesis. I can say that I have achieved this goal in full.

I modifi ed the research direction because of some unfore-

seen diffi culties. Circumstances in favour of the modifi cation

were justifi ed by the challenges I had met at the beginning of

writing the project:, those related to the purity and quantity

of materials produced. Taking the above into consideration,

obtaining phase-wise pure materials (sine qua non condition)

had proved to be a task requiring more attention and time.

39




The results of my research were published in an extensive

eleven-page article in a respectable periodical. In the end

I did not test the capacity of cells in carbon dioxide, as the

host institution had no appropriate ready-to-use and safe re-

search infrastructure.

Project outcomes

As a result of my research I worked out two techniques for

obtaining nano- and submicron powders of strontium titan-

ate additive on a semi-mass scale. I used both techniques in

my pilot manufacturing of powders on which I did further

research. The aerosol pyrolysis that I worked out is particu-

larly interesting as I used a colloidal precursor there. Owing

to this simple solution low manufacturing costs were main-

tained and materials with the desired crystal structure were

obtained. My research included an extensive study on the

reactivity on the basis of nanopowders. It is owing to the

application of nanoparticles that I managed to detect the

reactivity of the materials in question and to work out strate-

gies for avoiding this problem. The complete results of my

research are presented in an extensive publication which is

now being reviewed.

The electrical properties of the materials obtained allow their

application in solid oxide fuel cell anodes. In the course of my

project I also did research on composite electrodes made on

the basis of whole working cells (real life conditions) that is

in ceteris paribus conditions. As a result I detected three pro-

cesses limiting the capacity of the electrodes, the most im-

portant of them being the diff usion/absorption of hydrogen

on the electrode surface. To sum up, having compared my

results with the existing literature on the subject, I can say

that my research results are competitive. I have managed to

implement all the project baselines and three more publica-

tions are still being prepared.

The NANO-SOFC project would not have been implement-

ed without the participation of EMPA – Swiss Federal Labo-

ratories for Material Science and Technology. This fellow-

ship was my chance for an additional research project and

also an opportunity to share knowledge and experience.

Additional benefi ts are a deepening of the already fl our-

ishing cooperation between the Polish and Swiss HEIs and

increased publishing capability which is extremely impor-

tant in Switzerland. For home institutions sending grant

holders abroad is tantamount to promoting themselves on

foreign soil. I am sure that my home institution (AGH) will

continue its cooperation with the EMPA institute in Swit-

zerland. My personal plans also include cooperation with

this institution.

40


I am unable to imagine the implementation of half the tasks

at my home HEI that I managed to implement as part of my

SCIEX project. The added value of my Swiss project trans-

lates into the amount of work done, and more particularly

its eff ectiveness, ensuring the success of the project. Swit-

zerland is a rich country where salaries are high which raises

standards set for scientists in that country. Also, part of the

research could not have been done in Poland because of dif-

ferences in the research infrastructure itself or access thereto.

The Swiss centre where the research was done, has extensive

technical resources and it is adapted to carrying out projects

beyond the boundaries of the laboratory.

The most important benefi ts (scientifi c/professional/per-

sonal)

The implementation of this project was an inspiration for

making a number of changes, for example changes to ways

of thinking (thinking outside the box) which mean a kind

of diff erent perception of certain aspects of work and eve-

ryday life. A change of environment makes us abandon our

well-known and stuck-in-the rut ways, working out so well

in the familiar environment. Through it we are forced to look

for and work out new standards. I value so much the experi-

ence that I have gained. As I was awarded my PhD only a

short while ago, my research prospects and career are not

fully defi ned, but I intend to go deeper into alternative en-

ergy sources as I truly believe that there are useful things

to be done in this fi eld. My personal life has changed the

most. For several months now I have lived in Dresden with

my better (looking) half (smile) whom I met unexpectedly

in Switzerland. So to sum up the changes – I know “what”

and “with whom”, but right now I am doing intensive work

on “where”.


I would not have been able to obtain my PhD within two

and a half years, although the research project itself took 20

months (the host mentor sponsored two months of my re-

search in October and November 2011). This was, of course,

paid with hard work, just like the proverb has it: no pain, no

gain. If not for the fellowship I would have looked for work in

Poland. SCIEX fellowships are enviable entries in your CV and

they allow you to enter foreign labour markets. It is thanks

to this fellowship that I am able to boast several job off ers.

Unfortunately, they are at odds with my personal plans and

as such they are of no interest to me.

DID YOU KNOW THAT…• Some time ago it was illegal in

Switzerland to slam a car door within

certain hours.

• There are over 1200 fountains in Zurich.

• 60% of current consumed in Swit-

zerland comes from hydroelectric

power stations.

• In 1471 a hen was accused of a crime

against nature. That hen had laid

eggs that were too brightly coloured,

and was sentenced to burning as it

was thought she had consorted with

the devil.

41




Fellow: Izabela Szumska, PhD studentProject: Short- and long-lived unconscious information

processing investigated with two types of EEG analysis:

waveforms and microstates

Subject area: psychology


Sending Institution / Home mentor: University of Finance

and Management in Warsaw / Dr. Rob van der Lubbe

Host institution / Host mentor: Ėcole Polytechnique Fédé-

rale de Lausanne / Prof. Michael Herzog

Izabela Szumska was awarded a Master’s degree in 2009 at

the Faculty of Psychology at the University of Finance and

Management in Warsaw, where since 2007 she had been

working at the Laboratory of Psychophysiology supervised

by Prof. Piotr Jaśkowski. She is mainly interested in visual

perception and consciousness. She is currently working on

her PhD thesis, supervised by Dr. Rob van der Lubbe. Her PhD

thesis focuses on the conscious and unconscious processing

of visual stimuli. In her research she uses an analysis of evoked

potentials recorded in brain bioelectrical activity testing.

Project description

The late Prof. Piotr Jaśkowski (the fi rst Polish mentor of my

project) and Prof. Michael Herzog shared similar scientifi c in-

terests for a number of years and they repeatedly discussed

their results at various conferences where these discussions

always prove very fruitful. My SCIEX fellowship made it pos-

sible for them to start the fi rst joint project combining Prof.

Herzog’s approach to researching consciousness with that

of Prof. Jaśkowski. My next home mentor – Dr. Rob van der

Lubbe – made just as important a contribution to that pro-

ject. For years he has been interested in issues discussed in

our project and his knowledge of electroencephalography

proved invaluable. This is the fi rst project between the host

and sending institutions.

Understanding the neurobiological mechanisms of con-

scious and unconscious information processing is one of the

most fascinating challenges of current neuroscience. There

are many theories on how consciousness works, but none of

them has provided ultimate answers to researchers’ persis-

tent questions.

In our project we decided to compare processing of conscious

stimuli with the processing of those which are not available to

consciousness. Research shows that not only stimuli perceived

consciously, but also those perceived unconsciously can aff ect

our reactions. Subliminal priming is the best known example

documenting this phenomenon. We can observe this when

after one object (for example an arrow pointing to the right) is

fl ashed on to a screen for a time too short for the observer to

notice anything, another object is shown (an identical arrow),

which is visible long enough to be consciously registered.

When an individual is asked to tell the direction in which the

arrow pointed, he/she will do it much sooner when the pre-

ceding arrow (invisible) pointed in the same direction as the

other, subsequent arrow (visible). This means that despite its

not being perceived consciously (our individual is unable to

tell the direction of the fi rst one), that object is somehow pro-

cessed in our brain which “knows” what it was.

42

Our purpose was to see if the perception of stimuli to which

we have to react manually (by pressing a key) happens in a

diff erent way from the perception of the same stimuli when

another kind of response is needed (for example a verbal re-

sponse or eye movements).

Some research suggested that we should expect diff erent

results (as stimuli are processed in diff erent ways depending

on the character of the response). Other research opted for a

theory saying that there is just one way of processing which

is followed by all the information we receive. My research was

aimed at fi nding proof confi rming one of the above com-

pletely incompatible theories.

Research fi ndings and the added value of the project

When the project started, it turned out that the Swiss labo-

ratory could investigate our issue in more detail. So we de-

cided to include response modalities. Apart from the usual

manual reaction (pressing a key) at the sight of an object,

we also decided to use saccadic responses (measured with

an eye tracker) and verbal responses. Owing to this, we were

able to broaden the scope of looking deeper into informa-

tion processing.

On the one hand, the brain is said to have just one centre

where all information is received, is then always processed

identically and a response is generated. Therefore, regardless

of the kind of required reaction (manual, verbal, saccadic),

the correctness of a response should remain the same. On

the other hand, there are theories saying that there are sepa-

rate paths used for receiving information depending on the

kind of response we require. Information can be processed

on a given path, for example when pressing a key is neces-

sary, but when an individual is to give a verbal response, the

same information goes along another path (probably need-

ing more consciousness). Consequently, in this situation the

results should be diff erentiated depending on the kind of

response.

In our research, we used visual stimuli (a rhombus and a

square) which appeared to the right and left of the fi xation

point (situated in the centre of the screen). After these stimuli

a masked stimulus was shown (priming those objects). De-

pending on whether the masked stimulus appeared sooner

or later after those objects, the participating individuals were

able to give quicker or slower responses as to the location

of the rhombus or the square. The individuals were asked to

point to the side where the rhombus had appeared. The cor-

rectness of their responses increased with the time elapsed

between showing the object and introducing the masked

stimulus. However, it turned out that the ratio of correct re-

sponses to the visibility of the stimulus was exactly the same

regardless of the kind of response: manual (by pressing a key),

verbal or by eye movement. This experiment was carried out

with simultaneous recording of the bioelectrical activity of

The project implementation confi rmed the high level of Polish science. Polish

scientists should look for any opportunity of cooperation with foreign institutions,

which would be benefi cial to both parties. Polish students, PhD students and

young researchers should have placements abroad as often as possible as it adds

to their confi dence. One can take a peek and see how people work in diff erent

institutions, learn a lot and acquire openness

43




the brain (encephalography, EEG), but in our EEG records we

found no evidence of visual information being processed

diff erently depending on the character of a response. These

results negate the existence of various paths for information

processing, privileging more automatic reactions (for exam-

ple manual) and confi rm the thesis concerning the existence

of just one centre where all information is supplied to be pro-

cessed always in the same way.

The most important benefi ts (scientifi c/professional/per-

sonal)

The mutual benefi t for the two institutions is the knowledge

that has been gained and the commencement of an interest-

ing kind of cooperation. My home mentor uses a method of

analysis diff erent from the one used in the Swiss institution.

We taught the Swiss laboratory workers our techniques. At

the Ėcole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne I became fa-

miliar with new methods of data analysis. I shared this knowl-

edge with workers at the home institution when I visited

Poland. This is undoubtedly very important for the develop-

ment of our Polish laboratory. In addition, we have started

cooperating with the Ėcole Polytechnique Fédérale de Laus-

anne in two new projects and I will participate in their im-

plementation. We are also planning a student exchange as a

result of which Swiss students will be able to come to our Pol-

ish laboratory and their Polish counterparts will have place-

ments in Switzerland.

Owing to the Swiss project, I was able to work with people

from all over the world. I was able to learn new things which

are still unknown within the Polish environment. I took part in

seminars and guest lectures organised in the host institution

which gave me more opportunities to discuss my research

with eminent experts on the subject. The Swiss institution

has better research infrastructure, so we were able to extend

the project and investigate not only manual responses to

perceived stimuli as we had proposed in our application, but

also verbal and saccadic responses.

The project implementation confi rmed the high level of Pol-

ish science. Polish scientists should look for any opportunity

of cooperation with foreign institutions, which would be

benefi cial to both parties. Polish students, PhD students and

young researchers should have placements abroad as often

as possible as it adds to their confi dence. One can take a peek

and see how people work in diff erent institutions, learn a lot

and acquire openness.

DID YOU KNOW THAT…• It was in Switzerland that the con-

cept of the book “Frankenstein” was

born. Its author – Mary Shelley – got

the idea at a social gathering (abun-

dant with horror stories) held at Lake

Geneva.

- Hard-boiled eggs painted like our

Easter painted eggs can be bought

in Switzerland all year round.

44

Fellow: Jacek Wawer, PhD studentProject: Time and Modality. A Formal Perspective

Subject area: philosophy



/ Prof. Tomasz Placek

Host institution / Host mentor: University of Geneva / As-

sociate Professor Dr. Fabrice Correia

Jacek Wawer comes from the Opole region. He was born

and brought up in Strzelce Opolskie and completed second-

ary school in Opole. He has been involved with the Institute

of Philosophy of the Jagiellonian University since the begin-

ning of his Master’s degree studies. In the course of them,

his involvement in academic activities was outstanding: he

participated in the activities of a research-interest group, in

international summer schools, research projects and stu-

dent conferences. In 2007, he studied at Charles University

in Prague for a semester within the framework of the Eras-

mus programme. For his achievements in the course of his

Master’s degree studies he was awarded two grants by the

Minister of Science and Higher Education. His Master’s thesis

focused on dependencies between relational and algebraic

semantics for normal modal logic.

In his PhD thesis, he investigates diff erent aspects of interac-

tions between time and possibilities as part of the branching

time model. His research borders on metaphysics, logic and

philosophy of language. When he was a student he delivered

speeches at a number of international conferences and work-

shops, participated in research projects, published his work

in reputable periodicals and taught Jagiellonian University

students. In the academic year 2009/2010 he was a guest of

the University of Geneva owing to his SCIEX fellowship. In

2011/2012 he did research funded by the Polish – US Fulbright

Commission at the University of California in Berkeley.

Beginning of the project idea

I implemented the project at the Institute of Philosophy of

the University of Geneva within the framework of the EIDOS

Metaphysical Centre. I had come into contact with the Centre

a year before, having the pleasure of participating in summer

classes on the philosophy of physics in summer 2008. It is

thanks to these classes that I met some researchers from the

EIDOS Centre. When I learnt about the possibility of a SCIEX

fellowship, I became more familiar with the activity of this

group and with its members’ interests and achievements.

The Centre focuses on metaphysical research as part of the

tradition of analytical philosophy. As my PhD thesis mainly

focuses on the same, the interests of many Geneva research-

ers are similar to mine. The works of Prof. Fabrice Correia

attracted my attention as their subject was almost identical

with my interests and planned research. I e-mailed him infor-

mation about myself and an outline of my research project.

I also asked for mentoring. Prof. Correia treated my request

very favourably and thought that my project was interesting.

He also agreed to be my mentor. He proved to be a kind and

fully involved mentor, and so greatly contributed to improve-

ment of the quality of my work.

Project description

Generally speaking, the purpose of my project was to inves-

tigate the relations between the notions of time and pos-

sibilities, in particular to make an attempt to analyse the

intuition that the past is very diff erent from the future in

the context of modal properties. The past seems set, deter-

mined, constant and beyond our infl uence, whereas the fu-

ture is perceived as not fully determined, open to possibili-

ties and prone to our infl uence. This intuition was already

discussed in ancient times. The purpose of my project was

both historical and systematic. My purpose was to inves-

45




tigate the history of discussion on how time and possibili-

ties are interrelated, focusing on the discussion held in the

last half century. The systematic aspect of my research con-

sisted in investigating how the tools of contemporary logic,

especially those of modal logic and its various semantics,

have been used to perform a formal analysis of time-modal-

ity interactions. I was mainly focused on the branching time

model proposed by Saul Kripke and Arthur Prior. Apart from

purely formal results (for example proof of the fullness of

some logics or the modal defi nability of some properties of

semantic models), I was also interested in the philosophical

and especially metaphysical implications of various models

proposed. I also wanted to investigate these issues from the

viewpoint of philosophy of language. The main problem

in this fi eld is the question concerning the logical status

of phrases concerning contingent future, that is asking if a

phrase like “This coin will fall tails up” is true or false already

before we toss the coin. I was to try to analyse formally the

tension that exists between the conviction that the future

may develop in many ways, but it will develop in just one

of them. I wanted to prove whether and how phrases con-

cerning a contingent future might be true a priori. I was also

interested in creating semantics for occasional expressions

as part of branching time models and a proper semantic in-

terpretation of name category expressions. I also wanted to

investigate the topological properties of various branching

time and space-time models. I was interested in the topo-

logical properties of time understood this way and a topo-

logical approach to investigating more global properties in

such models.

In the course of the project I was particularly preoccupied

with its parts connected with the logical and linguistic as-

pects of time-possibility relations. I started researching on

this, modifying the research plan (for example investigating

the logical properties of branching time models which allow

time loops). I continually cooperated with my mentor, took

part in seminars and works of research groups at the Univer-

sity of Geneva. These works were a constant inspiration to

broaden my interests and investigate new issues. As a result

part of the project was reduced, the part that was to deal with

the topological research. But to me the benefi ts of extending

DID YOU KNOW THAT…• When in Switzerland you mainly live

off cheese, chocolate and wine.

• The colour of the lines on roads tells

you if and for how long you may park

your car there.

46

the research fi eld in the other part were much more impor-

tant than the loss resulting from the reduction of this part.

The most important results of my research

During my research I significantly improved my under-

standing of the historical context of my PhD thesis subject.

I also became familiar with the latest techniques and tools

used in modal logic and the possibilities they offer for the

problems that I researched. I created branching time- and

circle time models, proving certain modal properties of

those kinds of models. I analysed Kripke’s influential ar-

gument concerning the possibility of existing contingent

a priori truths and I demonstrated the limitation of this the-

sis in temporal contexts. I devoted myself to an attempt at

creation of a model which would bring together the thesis

of undetermined future and the conviction that the future

will develop in just one way. I presented my research re-

sults in five conference speeches and papers. During one

of the presentations I established cooperation with Alex

Malpass, a Bristol University researcher, which resulted in

a jointly written article, published in a prestigious peri-

odical called Synthese. Most of the research for this article

was done when I was at the University of Geneva work-

ing on my project. Another article summing up my Geneva

research is awaiting a go-ahead from the editors of the

perio dical Erkenntnis.

I made every attempt to participate actively in the scientifi c

life of the Institute of Philosophy at the University of Geneva.

I took part in the process of internal evaluation of and review

of articles sent to a periodical called Dialectica, published in

Geneva. I participated in meetings and working groups for

students and Institute workers. I discussed with Geneva’s

PhD students their latest ideas and I presented mine to them.

I cooperated with my mentor in works on issues forming part

of my project and I discussed his latest works and ideas with

him. I presented some of my achievements at a seminar at

the EIDOS Centre. The supervisor of my PhD thesis, my home

mentor, presented his latest achievements when he visited

Geneva to supervise my project.

My Swiss mentor delivered a speech in the course of his Cra-

cow research visit as part of the SCIEX Programme. In this way

workers and students from Cracow’s university were able to

become familiar with a new research trend. I had an opportu-

nity to take a closer look at a number of issues and the latest

trends in philosophy when participating in several meetings,

seminars and workshops. I am passing this knowledge onto

my students when working with them.

I remain in touch with my Swiss mentor. I hope that in the

future a more real dimension can be given to our coopera-

tion, for example through organisation of a joint conference

or through reciprocal research visits of students and workers

from both HEIs. I am hoping to be able to participate in future

research programmes run at the University of Geneva.

My most recent visit to Switzerland was a milestone in my

work on my PhD thesis, in my academic and personal devel-

opment. Working in a thriving, international research team,

My most recent visit to Switzerland was a milestone in work on my

PhD thesis, in my academic and personal development. Working in a

thriving, international research team, among people fully committed to

philosophy, had an immensely stimulating infl uence on me

47




among people fully committed to philosophy, had an im-

mensely stimulating infl uence on me.

I had the opportunity of confronting my latest ideas with

certain critical remarks coming from excellent philoso-

phers – experts on my subject area. I met Prof. Fabrice

Correia. My conversations with him, his remarks and in-

structions helped me a lot in understanding a number of

problems and in broadening my mind. I was able to par-

ticipate in a lot of workshops organised by the EIDOS Cen-

tre, owing to which I met ‘big names’ in world philosophy

and scholars who were in the process of making a name

for themselves and I was able to listen to their presenta-

tions. I participated in living philosophy, getting familiar

with its latest trends and methods. I had access to a fan-

tastically rich library and to an extensive digital database

at the University of Geneva. I was offered perfect working

conditions, including my own desk and computer. I would

not have been able to have such benefits if I had stayed in

my home institution.


Working on my project gave me wings, broadened my mind,

extended the spectrum of my philosophical refl ection and al-

lowed me to become familiar with the latest philosophy. The

scientifi c enthusiasm of Geneva’s researchers infected me.

The research I did there helped me confi rm that PhD studies

were the right choice. My motivation for work and research

curiosity, which fl ourished so much in Geneva, stimulated me

to continue searching and infl uenced my decision to spend

the academic year 2011/12 at the University of California in

Berkeley. This choice was made possible by the Polish-US

Fulbright Commission.

If not for the fellowship, instead of being a philosopher

I would now be an accountant, journalist or salesman. The

decision to award me the grant coincided with my serious

doubts about continuing on the academic path. The grant

dispelled my doubts and I hope it was not a mistake.

If not for the fellowship, I would not have spent that great

year at a perfect university. I would not have met many out-

standing persons. Moreover, I would not have spent that

year in such a charming city as Geneva, I would not have

seen the (almost) highest fountain in the world, I would not

have bathed in Europe’s deepest lake, I would not have seen

Mont Blanc, I would not have had fondue and I would have

not known how to go about opening an account in a bank or

renting a fl at using my broken French.

DID YOU KNOW THAT…• There are no familiar supermarkets

that are well-known from home. You

do your shopping in a shop belong-

ing to one of two national chains.

• Swiss white wines rank among the

best in the world.

• When watching German-language

Swiss fi lms the Germans have to read

the subtitles.

• Supermarkets sell a 4.5 kg tablet of

chocolate.

• Gruyère cheese is supposedly the

tastiest cheese in the world.

48

Fellow: Ewelina Kusiak–Nejman, PhD studentProject: Preparation of carbon-modifi ed TiO2 photocata-

lysts for environmental applications



Sending institution / Home mentor: West Pomeranian Uni-

versity of Technology in Szczecin / Prof. Antoni W. Morawski

Host institution / Host mentor: Swiss Federal Institute of

Technology of Lausanne / Prof. Cesar Pulgarin

Ewelina Kusiak–Nejman, born in 1983, graduated from the

University of Technology in Szczecin in 2007 having been

awarded a Master’s degree in environmental protection. In

the same year she completed her Bachelor’s degree studies

in political science and in 2009 she obtained her Master’s

degree from the Pedagogical University of Warsaw. Since

2007 she has been a PhD student at the West Pomeranian

University of Technology in Szczecin. She has been awarded

two grants by the Mayor of the City of Szczecin and one grant

from the Provincial Job Centre in Szczecin. In 2010 she was

a SCIEX fellow with a placement at the Ėcole Polytechnique

Fédérale de Lausanne in Switzerland.

Project description

The project consisted in obtaining active materials with good

antibacterial properties applicable in pollutant degradation.

These materials could be applied in water purifi cation pro-

cesses and other processes aimed at environmental protec-

tion. In the course of the project the scope of my research

was extended to include new materials obtained by way of

magnetron sputtering and the investigation of their antibac-

terial properties in the process of E.coli inactivation.

The most important results of the project

I published the EPFL research results in scientifi c articles in

the following periodicals with a high IF quotient:

1. E. Kusiak-Nejman, A.W. Morawski, A.P. Ehiasarian, C. Pulga-

rin, O. Baghriche, E. Mielczarski, J. Mielczarski, A. Kulik, J.

Kiwi, E. coli inactivation by High Power Impulse Magnetron

Sputtered (HIPIMS) Cu-surfaces, The Journal of Physical

Chemistry C 15 (2011) 21113–21119.

2. O. Baghriche, A.P. Ehiasarian, E. Kusiak-Nejman, C. Pulga-

rin, R. Sanjines, A.W. Morawski, J. Kiwi, High power impulse

magnetron sputtering (HIPIMS) and traditional pulsed sput-

tering (DCMSP) Ag-surfaces leading to E. coli inactivation,

Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology A: Chemistry

227 (2012) 11–17.

3. O. Baghriche, A. Zertal, A.P. Ehiasarian, R. Sanjines, C. Pul-

garin, E. Kusiak-Nejman, A.W. Morawski, J. Kiwi, Advantages

of highly ionized pulse plasma magnetron sputtering of silver

for improved E. coli inactivation, Thin Solid Films 520 (2012)

3567–3573.

One more publication, whose co-authors are workers at the

CHUV hospital in Lausanne, is still being reviewed.

DID YOU KNOW THAT…To get registered at the place of resi-

dence the relevant Swiss offi ce has to

be shown your birth certifi cate or mar-

riage certifi cate translated into English,

French, German or Italian (depending

on the canton). No registration is possi-

ble without that kind of document.

49




What after the SCIEX fellowship…

In the near future, we are planning a new Polish-Swiss project,

which would continue the cooperation started in the course

of the SCIEX fellowship. This cooperation is very valuable for

the Polish party as the Swiss institution enjoys a worldwide

reputation.

The added value of the project is that I am now familiar with

new methods of antibacterial material preparation and have

expanded my knowledge of micro-organism inactivation

processes.

The project has resulted in broadening the scope of my re-

search by adding some issues concerning the antibacterial

properties of new materials. My fellowship in the foreign in-

stitution has raised my employability on the labour market,

especially the local one.

Fellow: Anna Horszwald, PhDProject: Infl uence of processing on bioactive compounds in

pomegranates

Subject area: natural science and biology


Sending institution / Home mentor: Polish Academy of Sci-

ences in Olsztyn / Prof. Mariusz K. Piskuła

Host institution / Host mentor: HES-SO Valais, Institute of

Life Technologies / Prof. Wilfried Andlauer

Dr Anna Horszwald was born in Olsztyn in 1981. She stud-

ied biotechnology at the University of Warmia and Mazury.

In 2009, for research on rye bread and cereal products, she

was awarded a PhD in agricultural science (Food and Nutri-

tion Technology) at the Institute of Animal Reproduction

and Food Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences in

Olsztyn. Her main interest focused on the Maillard reaction

which occurs in the course of thermal processes. After her

PhD thesis presentation she went to Switzerland for a post-

doctoral placement as part of the SCIEX programme at the

HES-SO Valais – University of Applied Sciences in Sion where

she worked on bioactive compounds in pomegranates. She

also investigated the possibility of applying selected drying

techniques to obtain fruit products and their infl uence on the

quality of such products.

Having returned from Switzerland she participated in a pres-

tigious placement-training programme entitled Top 500 In-

novators, organized by the Ministry of Science and Higher

Education at Stanford University, USA. She is currently Assis-

tant Professor at the Laboratory of Chemistry and Food Bio-

dynamics at the Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food

Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Olsztyn. She

50

continues her research on the Maillard reaction in selected

fruit products.

Project description

In the course of the project I intended to analyse the infl u-

ence of processing on the content of selected bioactive com-

pounds in pomegranates. First I investigated the content of

these compounds present in various parts of the fruit. Then

I prepared juices from diff erent parts of the pomegranate to

analyse their content with respect to the selected bioactive

compounds.

In the course of the project I extended it by adding the issue

of obtaining powders based on the juices – a continuation

and development of my preliminary research. I also started

working on another project to compare the profi les of poly-

phenol compounds in strawberries and their leaves.

As a result of this research I systemized my knowledge of

where the selected bioactive compounds are situated in

pomegranates. The results I obtained allow me to state that

the skin is the richest part in bioactive compounds. I demon-

strated that juices made with whole fruits are richer in probi-

otic compounds than juices made in the food industry, which

are based mainly on the pulp. I dried the juices in selected

ways and powdered them. I compared the infl uence of vari-

ous drying methods on the powder quality and chose the

best method for quality preservation.

The most important benefi ts of the project

Both Polish and Swiss institutions have signifi cantly benefi t-

ed from the joint implementation of the research project and

also from expansion of methodological skills. Moreover, they

have worked out a new project which will continue the co-

operation commenced during my fellowship. This close co-

operation between the institutions results in more research

workers visiting them and in more research. All that means

joint publications and participation in conferences.

Improving my professional qualifi cations by enriching my

skills with methods used in Switzerland, and being able to

implement them in Poland is one of the most signifi cant ben-

efi ts for the home institution. The creation of an international

network of contacts and of pooling workers’ skills has re-

sulted in a mutual research project serving the develop ment

DID YOU KNOW THAT…Over 50 peaks in the canton of Valais

rise to over 4000m above sea level.

51




of my career. The knowledge and experience that I gained

working with the industry allowed me to take part in a pres-

tigious placement-training programme entitled Top 500 In-

novators, organized by the Ministry of Science and Higher

Education and run at Stanford University.

This inter-institutional cooperation is continuing. Both par-

ties’ mutual interests have resulted in more visits to Switzer-

land in order to do research on the process of drying selected

fruits. At the moment, we are investigating the analysis of the

powders obtained in Switzerland on the basis of other fruits.

A joint international project has been proposed which is now

awaiting review.


Changing my working environment was the added value of

the fellowship. Meeting new people and watching their work

made me change my way of thinking and my approach to

problem solving. Thanks to the opportunity to work in an

international team in a diff erent environment I now have es-

sential experience needed when working in a laboratory.

The experience I gained when working on the project al-

lowed me to expand my research tasks. At the moment the

purpose of my research consists in applying in practice the

results obtained. It is worth stressing that the fellowship in

Switzerland has a bearing on my personal plans and on dis-

covering new interests.

Fellow: Aleksandra Pelczarska, PhD studentProject: Validation of HTS-solubility measurements method

for drug–nanoparticle–solvent systems



Sending institution / Home mentor: Warsaw University of

Technology / Prof. Urszula Domańska-Żelazna

Host institution / Host mentor: University of Geneva/Prof.

Pierre-Alain Carrupt

Aleksandra Pelczarska, born in 1982, is a PhD student at

the Faculty of Chemistry of Warsaw University of Technol-

ogy. In 2001-2008, she studied at the same faculty and at the

Pharmaceutical Faculty of the Medical University of Warsaw.

When studying for her PhD, she also had a placement in the

Republic of South Africa in addition to her Swiss fellowship. A

grant holder of the Centre for Advanced Studies at the War-

saw University of Technology and of the Offi ce of the Mar-

shall of the Mazovia Province, she works on investigating and

predicting physical and chemical properties of drugs as well

as on improving their bioavailability in systemic circulation.

When she is not working she frequently travels and describes

it in a “Cocktail of Cultures” (http://tratatatabec.blogspot.

com).

DID YOU KNOW THAT…Holidaying on a farm and sleeping on

hay is very popular in Switzerland.

52

The choice of my host mentor and host institution was a

matter of accident, however, it was a winning ticket! Having

prepared an initial outline of the project I sent it, together

with my CV, to a number of Swiss professors. Prof. Carrupt

decided to take up the challenge after a short conversation.

The main purpose of the project consisted in the validation

of an innovative method which measures drug solubility

in drug-nanoparticle-solvent systems. However, I then ex-

tended my research by a detailed defi nition of the method

parameters which appeared in the course of the project.

I presented my research results at a scientifi c conference

and an article summing up the results is being prepared.

The research method is the main project-related benefi t for

both institutions. In addition the home institution has had

some benefi ts as a result of technology transfer. In the case

of this project the whole research work is its added value as

technically it was impossible to do that kind of research in

Poland for a number of reasons.

When my project came to an end, the Swiss party visited the

Warsaw University of Technology. There is a real chance that

this joint research will be continued.

Each visit abroad broadens your mind and opens it up to

new ideas. Apart from the obvious benefi ts resulting from

acquiring new skills, the project has boosted my self-confi -

dence, thus allowing me to start a job in the medical indus-

try a short while ago. If not for the fellowship I would never

have believed that one e-mail could start several-months’

international cooperation.

.

Fellow: Anna Elżbieta Sikorska, PhD studentProject: SedTrace – Organic Micropollutant-based Finger-

printing and Tracing of Sediment Emissions from Urban

Areas

Subject area: Environment and forestry



Life Sciences / Prof. Kazimierz Banasik

Host institution / Host mentor: Eawag: Swiss Federal Insti-

tute of Aquatic Science and Technology / Dr. Jörg Riecker-

man

Anna Elżbieta Sikorska, born in 1984, studied at Warsaw

University of Life Sciences (SGGW) in 2003-2008 and was

awarded fi rst a bachelor’s degree (2007) and then a Master’s

degree (2008) in environmental protection. She completed

her Master’s degree studies with distinction and received the

Prof. Kazimierz Dębski award (runner-up) from the Associa-

tion of Polish Hydrologists for her Master’s thesis written un-

der the supervision of Prof. Kazimierz Banasik. In the autumn

of 2008 she started working on her PhD thesis at the Faculty

of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Warsaw University

of Life Sciences.

She is a holder of a number of grants, for example those of

the DAAD (Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst, 2009),

and the SCIEX (Scientifi c Exchange Programme NMSch, 2010).

When working on her PhD thesis she had several placements

abroad, in Germany; at the Technical University of Hamburg

(spring of 2009), at Kassel University (autumn of 2009), and in

Switzerland; at Eawag – the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic

Science and Technology (2010-2011). She has participated in

numerous conferences, both in Poland and abroad. She is,

53




since 2008, a member of the Association of Polish Hydrolo-

gists and, since 2010, a member of the European Geosciences

Union.

Supervised by Prof. Kazimierz Banasik and in cooperation

with the ETTHZ Eawag, where Prof. Jörg Rieckermann is an

additional mentor, she is currently working on her PhD the-

sis concerning the hydrology of urban drainage basins. Her

main interests focus on the hydrology of urban drainage

basins, analysis of uncertainty in hydrological predictions,

urban sediment analysis and transport and, fi nally, on the

chemistry of sediments.

Project description

The main purpose of my project was to conduct a pilot

study in order to fi ngerprint pollutant emissions from dif-

fuse sources (mainly sediments) in urban areas. Sediments

in drainage systems can be of various origins (rural areas,

urban sewage, rainwater) and that is why it is diffi cult to

determine directly their emission sources. There are, how-

ever, a number of other substances (heavy metals or phar-

maceuticals) entering the environment in diff erent places,

making identifi cation of sources much easier. Moreover,

when substances diff use in a water environment, they are

adsorbed on the sediment surface. Therefore, determining

the unique composition of such pollutants on the sediment

surface (so-called organic micropollutants) by way of ad-

vanced chemical analyses would enable sediment tracing

and the identifi cation of the sources from which pollutants

entered an urban sewage system.

The intended goal was to be achieved through proposing

and testing a methodology of tracing sediment emissions

in urban sewage systems on the basis of other pollutants,

whose direct identifi cation is easier. This would enable

better management of urban pollutants and would conse-

quently lead to reduced emissions.

While my initial intention remained unchanged, in the

course of the project I extended the research scope by in-

troducing additional analyses dismissed at the beginning.

This was mainly due to my eagerness to widen the scope

of my PhD research. As a result, apart from the fi eld and

desk trials that I had already planned, I also ran a number

of study analyses, that is computer modelling and statistical

analyses, aimed at determining the precision of hydrologi-

cal forecasts (for example of occurrence of fl oods) for urban

areas.

The most important project results

The outcome of my research is that together with my men-

tors I have worked out an innovative methodology for

fi ngerprinting emission sources and tracking emissions of

diff use pollutants (mainly sediments) in urban areas us-

ing other, more easily identifi able pollutants (for example

heavy metals). The methodology that I proposed was tested

in an experimental facility, giving promising results. The fi -

Being able to work in a Swiss institute leading in my subject area –

water resources management research – helped me shape my own

personality as a mature scientist, aware of my skills and prospects.

The Swiss fellowship helped me to defi ne my own passion for

aquatic research and strengthened me in the conviction that I had

chosen the right career path

54

nal result of that part of the project was a conference article

and the presentation of that methodology at a conference

in Belgrade on modelling pollutants in urban sewage sys-

tems (Serbia, autumn of 2012).

I have also worked out a methodology of uncertainty es-

timation in fl ood forecasting for rainfall – runoff models

(transforming rain into river fl ow). My analysis was pub-

lished in a leading international periodical describing water

research and presented at a conference in Bratislava (Slova-

kia, autumn of 2011).

The most important project benefi ts for the host and home

institutions

The host institution derived measurable benefi ts from the

joint publications in international periodicals and from

the participation in the scientifi c conferences mentioned

before. What is more, the project implementation meant

that the methods and technologies worked out in Switzer-

land were able to be tested in a foreign facility. At the same

time knowledge and experience transfer from the Swiss

institution to its Polish counterpart helped strengthen the

former’s position. Our joint and successful SCIEX project im-

plementation is a basis for long-term cooperation between

the two institutions in joint international projects, and in

student and worker exchanges (students, grant holders,

young researchers).

After the SCIEX project offi cially ended and I returned to Po-

land, the two institutions have continued their cooperation.

My host mentor and I have prepared another publication fea-

turing new research conducted in Poland and we are plan-

ning to extend our Swiss research by including new issues.

And the cooperation between the two Polish and Swiss men-

tors was crowned by my PhD thesis, supervised by both of

them, something previously not even considered.


Applying certain innovative techniques that are only spo-

radically used in Poland is the added value of this project.

During this Swiss fellowship in a leading aquatic research

institute I gained experience which I can now use in my

country, especially as regards advanced chemical analyses

of urban sewage system sediments and analyses of fl ood

forecast uncertainty estimation. I think that conducting

such analyses in the home institution would hardly have

been practicable for a number of reasons. First of all – the

analyses I conducted in Switzerland are only sporadically

used in my country and – consequently – there are not

enough people experienced in this area. Secondly, there

are neither specialists nor suffi cient funds to conduct that

kind of costly and advanced chemical analysis. Therefore

my Swiss research supervised by experts and internation-

ally recognised scientists dealing with water engineering

helped me gain that valuable experience.

55




The opportunity to have a foreign placement and the SCIEX

project implementation have greatly infl uenced my profes-

sional prospects and initiated some events. Thanks to the

fellowship I was able to do much of my PhD research in the

Swiss institution, which brought about the continuation of

this joint research (jointly supervised PhD thesis) and al-

lowed me to publish the research fi ndings in a leading in-

ternational periodical. Moreover, being in Switzerland I es-

tablished numerous professional contacts and I also paved

the way for cooperation with other scientifi c institutes, not

to mention the fact that I was able to improve my English,

develop my German skills and start studying Italian.

Being able to work in a Swiss institute leading in my

subject area – water resources management research –

helped me shape my own personality as a mature scien-

tist, aware of my skills and prospects. The Swiss fellowship

helped me to define my own passion for aquatic research

and strengthened me in the conviction that I had chosen

the right career path.


I would probably not have had the chance of research

work in a Swiss institution nor of establishing numerous

professional contacts abroad. Without this SCIEX fellow-

ship conducting advanced research for my PhD would

have been difficult for every reason - time, cost or meth-

odology - and publishing the findings in an international

periodical, almost impossible. Without being in Switzer-

land I would not have met so many kind persons, both

professionally and privately, such as my mentor Dr. Jörg

Rieckermann and Andreas Scheidegger of Eawag, whose

help and support have been invaluable in implementing

my intended objectives.

DID YOU KNOW THAT…Switzerland is a country of contrasts? Although its area is relatively small (1/7

of Poland’s area), there are four official languages with German as the most

widespread one. However, the German language spoken here is a variation of

German, it is called Schweizerdeutsch and has not got much in common with

German as such (Hochdeutsch), much to the disadvantage of those who boast

being able to speak German. Switzerland is a neutral country, never involved

in armed conflicts, but few people know that it has one of the largest armies

per capita. This is also the first country in Europe where women were allowed

to study at HEIs (since about 1840 at the University of Zurich), but also the

country whose women were the last in Europe to obtain voting rights (in the

canton of Appenzell as late as in 1990).

56

Fellow: Joanna Bryś, PhDProject: Human Milk Fat Substitutes (HMFS)



Sending institution / Home mentor: University of Life Sci-

ences in Warsaw / Dr. Piotr Koczoń

Host institution / Host mentor: ETH Zürich (Swiss Federal

Institute of Technology Zurich) / Prof. Laura Nyström

Dr Joanna Bryś, born in 1977, is a food technologist and As-

sistant Professor at the Chair of Chemistry, Faculty of Food

Science (University of Life Sciences) in Warsaw. In 2005 she

presented her PhD thesis on Investigation of the properties

of milk fat and vegetable oil interesterifi cated mixtures to

the Council of the Faculty of Food Technology (University

of Life Sciences) and was awarded her PhD. She currently

focuses on optimising the conditions of obtaining human

milk fat substitutes by enzymatic interesterifi cation and on

the characteristics of the structured lipids obtained. She is

the author or co-author of 77 press releases and scientifi c

publications and the manager of a MNiSW grant. She was

the mentor and supervisor of several Master’s degree the-

ses. When studying for her Master’s degree she had a three-

month placement at ENSIA, a French HEI, ENSIA within the

framework of the Socrates and Erasmus programmes, im-

plementing a research project entitled Diacetyl production

by Lactococcus Lactis Lactis Diacetylactis bacteria. Between

November 2010 and October 2011 she was a grant holder

under the SCIEX-NMSch Programme between Switzerland

and the new EU member states. She is married and has two

daughters: Anna and Lilianna.

Project description

The purpose of this project was to obtain human milk fat

substitutes by way of enzymatic acidolisation of such fats as

lard and cow’s milk fat with essential fatty acids. As a result

structured lipids were obtained which were then chemically

analysed. My research assumptions were as follows:

• Human milk is the most valuable and best food for babies

• Fat is of utmost importance for the correct physiological de-

velopment of infants, babies and children (fat is particularly

instrumental in building the human nervous system and in

supplying energy)

In the course of my project implementation I made slight

modifi cations to the preliminary research plan, namely oth-

er raw materials were used than those planned. Instead of

goat’s milk fat I used palm oil. Also, instead of using ready-

made essential fatty acids preparations I decided to obtain

these acids from various vegetable oils, such as evening prim-

rose oil, argan oil, linseed oil and borage oil. The decision to

make this change resulted from my preliminary investigation

of the analysis of fatty acid composition as well as of oil and

fat triacyloglycerol structure. This analysis was needed to se-

lect suitable compounds for the starting mixture.

The most important outcome of the project

The project fi ndings were consistent with my assumptions:

the experiments allowed me to obtain structured lipids simi-

lar to human milk. To get the substitutes I acidolysed a mix-

ture of fats, such as lard, cow’s milk fat, palm oil and rapeseed

oil with fatty acids from argan, linseed, borage and evening

primrose oils.

DID YOU KNOW THAT…• Switzerland’s national anthem is a

sublime psalm whose melody was

borrowed from a religious hymn

entitled Diligam, te Domine

• Switzerland is one of the world’s

leading countries as to expenditure

on research and development.

57




I think that the persons I had the pleasure of cooperating with

have a better knowledge of Poland now: our history, culture

and the natural environment. From the viewpoint of science

I think that my project allowed the Swiss team to become fa-

miliar with fat modifi cation and some methods of its analysis.

My home institution considers it very important to have had

this opportunity to cooperate during this project with one

of the best universities of technology in Europe and even

in the world. Access to an immense library and splendidly

equipped laboratories, getting to know new instrumental

analytical methods and their transfer to Poland were just as

important for me. And the cooperation that was established

between the institutions for the benefi t of my project will be

continued. Apart from human milk fat substitutes we intend

to do research on fats in grains.

The comfort of research work in Switzerland is immense.

When implementing my project I had access to a very well

equipped laboratory. All necessary reagents and laboratory

equipment were ready at all times. I was able to focus solely

on my work, do lots of repetitions and simply experiment in

peace and quiet. In Poland a lot of time and energy is lost to

red tape, teaching work, paying constant attention to costs

and sometimes you have to wait for reagents for half a year.


The project has broadened my mind, given me more courage

and boosted my confi dence. I have now regained my faith in

science and a willingness to continue research work. The visit

to Switzerland allowed me to refl ect on my life and to build

a new system of values. If not for the fellowship, I would not

have lived through one of best moments in my life. I would

have had no possibility for such extensive development as

a scientist. I would not have met such kind and outgoing peo-

ple. And I would not have done so much sightseeing in this

magnifi cent country of Switzerland.

58

Fellow: Paulina Wiecińska (Bednarek), PhDProject: Multifunctional saccharide derivatives in gelcast-

ing of high-tech. ceramics (MULTIGEL)




Technology / Prof. Mikołaj Szafran

Host institution / Host mentor: Swiss Federal Laboratories

for Materials Science and Technology, Laboratory for High

Performance Ceramics (EMPA) / Prof. Thomas Graule

Paulina Wiecińska has a PhD degree in engineering science,

is an engineer and currently Assistant Professor at the Labo-

ratory of Inorganic Technology and Ceramics at the Faculty of

Chemistry of Warsaw University of Technology. In 2006, she

graduated with an excellent grade from the Faculty of Chem-

istry at the same university. In 2008–2009, she had a three-

month placement at the NIMS (National Institute for Materi-

als Science) in Tsukuba, Japan. In 2010, she was awarded her

PhD with distinction after presenting her thesis entitled In-

vestigation of selected saccharide derivatives application in the

process of ceramic powders gelcasting and she started work as

an Assistant Professor. In 2011, she had an eight-month-long

Post-Doctoral fellowship at the EMPA – Swiss Federal Labo-

ratories for Materials Science and Technology in Switzerland.

She won the award for the best poster at the E-MRS Fall

Meeting 2008 conference. A member of the Polish Ceramic

Society, her research focuses on modern ceramic materials

forming methods and characterisation.

Project description

The cooperation between Prof. Thomas Graule of EMPA,

Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Tech-

nology and Prof. Mikołaj Szafran, head of the Laboratory of

Inorganic Technology and Ceramics at the Faculty of Chem-

istry of Warsaw University of Technology was established

several years ago. Both research groups have similar inter-

ests in ceramics technology, but diff erent conceptions in

scientifi c problem solving. Therefore both parties decided

to start cooperating to combine the knowledge and expe-

rience of both groups in order to develop research on ob-

taining ceramics with the use of colloidal methods, as these

methods have been enjoying popularity for some years. As

part of this cooperation in 2009-2011 three employees of

the Laboratory of Inorganic Technology and Ceramics were

awarded fellowships at Prof. Graule’s laboratory. The main

purpose of my project was to do research on the applica-

tion of saccharide derivatives, whose synthesis had been

worked out at the Faculty of Chemistry (Warsaw University

of Technology), as environment-friendly substances in ce-

ramic powders gelcasting. In the course of my project I ex-

tended my research by the application of new substances

and formation methods.

The most important outcome of the project

In the course of my work I conducted preliminary research

on obtaining ceramics from zirconium dioxide with the use

of colloidal methods, among other things by gel tape cast-

ing with a new non-toxic system based on glucose deriva-

tives. Gel tape casting allows production of thin and fl exible

ceramic sheets. The search for new, cheap and non-toxic

organic additives results in improvement of the method of

ceramics formation, and thus complies with so-called green

chemistry, and widens the range of its possible applications.

A patent application lodged at the Patent Offi ce of the Re-

public of Poland is a documented result of our joint research.

DID YOU KNOW THAT…The Trift Bridge, suspended over an

alpine glacier in Switzerland, is the

highest and longest pedestrian bridge

in Europe.

59




Two scientifi c publications are underway, written by work-

ers of both institutions involved in the implementation of

the project. This cooperation is and will be continued. At the

moment it includes joint research projects and Prof. Thomas

Graule’s lectures at Warsaw University of Technology.


My research work in Switzerland allowed me to expand my

knowledge of ceramics technology through cooperation

with persons involved in various research projects in ce-

ramic nanopowder synthesis and obtaining ceramics and

their characterisation. This work will help me determine new,

signifi cant research directions related to chemical synthesis

owing to which it will be possible to obtain new organic sub-

stances to be applied in ceramics technology.

In the course of my work in Switzerland I met new people

and started research cooperation with junior researchers.

The results of my EMPA research may constitute an im-

portant chapter of my habilitation work that I am already

planning.

If not for the SCIEX fellowship I would not have the oppor-

tunity to admire the biggest waterfall on the Rhine, get to

the top of the Pilatus mountain in the world’s steepest cable

car, visit the Frey chocolate factory, follow alpine routes and

indulge my professional interests at one of the world’s best

institutes.

If not for the SCIEX fellowship I would not have the

opportunity to admire the biggest waterfall on the Rhine,

get to the top of the Pilatus mountain in the world’s

steepest cable car, visit the Frey chocolate factory, follow

alpine routes and indulge my professional interests at one

of the world’s best institutes

60

Fellow: Agnieszka Kosińska, PhDProject: Investigation of absorption and metabolism of

hydrolysable and condensed tannins with an in vitro Caco

2 transwell model



Sending institution / Home mentor: Institute of Animal

Reproduction and Food Research of the Polish Academy of

Sciences in Olsztyn / Prof. Ryszard Amarowicz

Host institution / Host mentor: Institute of Life Technolo-

gies, University of Applied Sciences (HES-SO Valais) / Prof.

Wilfried Andlauer

Dr. Agnieszka Kosińska, born in 1980, graduated from the

University of Warmia and Mazury in 2004. In 2010 she was

awarded her PhD in technology of food and nutrition at the

Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research of the

Polish Academy of Sciences in Olsztyn where she is currently

employed as Assistant Professor. Her main interests focus on

issues of bioactive compounds in food, their identifi cation

and determining their biological activity and bioavailabil-

ity. In 2011 she won a stipend of the “Start” programme run

by the Foundation for Polish Science. She has had several-

month-long placements at the Department of Food Science

and Technology, University of Georgia, USA and was awarded

a year-long Post-Doctoral SCIEX fellowship at the University

of Applied Sciences of Western Switzerland. Co-author of 22

publications in so-called Philadelphia List periodicals.

In her leisure time she travels, fascinated by the local people

she meets and the local delicacies she tastes.


The choice of my host mentor and host institution was very

simple in my case. It was infl uenced by the similarity of in-

terests in, and by the already existing cooperation between,

the two institutions. My host mentor, Prof. Wilfried Andlauer,

is a well-known specialist in bioactive food compounds.

The cooperation between the Institute of Life Technolo-

gies, University of Applied Sciences (HES-SO Valais) and the

Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research of the

Polish Academy of Sciences had already been developing

for some years as part of the implementation of EU-funded

projects. Lately it has become particularly intensive as part

of the project REFRESH – Unlocking the potential of the Insti-

tute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research serving the

purpose of strengthening integration with the European

Research Area and of regional development (fi nanced in the

area of Research Potential 7 of the Framework Programme).

What is more, our institutions had previously implemented

a SCIEX research project. Using the experience acquired

and given the fact that Prof. Andlauer’s research profi le

coincided with my experience and the direction in which

I wanted to develop my research, we started preparing an

application.

Project description

The health-promoting properties of biologically active food

compounds depend not only on their content in individual

diet components, but also on their bioavailability. The pur-

pose of this project consisted in determining the intestinal

absorption of hydrolysable and condensed tannins extract-

ed from selected foodstuff s. I combined an in vitro model

of simulated digestion with investigation of the transport of

digestion products through the intestine epithelium. This in-

DID YOU KNOW THAT…• Every fi fth inhabitant of Switzerland

is a foreigner.

• Switzerland is a particularly varied

country: your experience, impression

and memories of the Suisse Romande

may be completely diff erent from

those of Zurich.

61




vestigation was conducted in a monolayer culture of epithe-

lial Caco-2 cells. Strawberries, cocoa and green tea served as

my source of variously structured tannins. We assumed that

the knowledge gained in the course of the project would al-

low us to obtain information which could be useful in raw

material selection and in choosing a functional method of

food processing that would make it possible to include the

maximum content of absorbable bioactive compounds in

the fi nal product.


In the course of the project, we managed to make some in-

teresting observations enabling the determination of more

areas for future cooperation. At the moment the research

fi ndings have been published in respectable scientifi c peri-

odicals. One of the manuscripts that we prepared, entitled

Cocoa polyphenols are absorbed in Caco-2 cell model of in-

testinal epithelium has been accepted for publication in the

periodical Food Chemistry.

My knowledge and experience have enriched the host insti-

tution which, in turn, made it possible to broaden the scope

of our research. The implementation of this project in a wider

milieu has resulted in improved publishing prospects, ex-

panding network of cooperation and the possibility of fur-

ther implementation of our joint research with fi nance from

European sources. The home institution, apart from some

solid prospects of continued cooperation, derives benefi ts

from the return of a grant holder/experienced worker open

to new challenges.

Apart from the obvious benefi ts of gaining experience, new

skills and qualifi cations, working in a diff erent environment

makes you see diff erent perspectives of a new idea for re-

search organisation and implementation. This is a hotbed of

new research projects


Access to high-quality research equipment, the necessity/op-

portunity to adapt to an existing working system, and fulfi ll-

ing and proving myself in that new and demanding group of

co-workers constitute the unquestioned added value of my

research work in Switzerland. Smooth administration, ease of

getting new reagents and materials needed in my research

and the ISO system of document management were not de-

void of importance.

The implementation of this project encourages me to con-

tinue upgrading my qualifi cations. Moreover, work in an in-

ternational environment stimulates enthusiasm for academic

work and off ers good possibilities of extending one’s coop-

eration network. My fellowship has determined the direction

of my research for years to come, helped me to see my strong

points as well as fi elds where I should gain more knowledge

and experience.


My habilitation period would have been some years longer

and my skiing skills would have remained at beginners’ level.

Apart from the obvious benefi ts of gaining experience, new skills and

qualifi cations, working in a diff erent environment makes you see diff erent

perspectives of a new idea for research organisation and implementation.

This is a hotbed of new research projects

62

Fellow: Katarzyna Dorota Raczyńska, PhDProject: Structure and interactions of U7 small nuclear

ribonucleoprotein



Sending institution / Home mentor: Adam Mickiewicz

University in Poznań / Prof. Artur Jarmołowski

Host institution / Host mentor: Institute of Biology at the

University of Bern / Prof. Daniel Schümperli

Dr Katarzyna Dorota Raczyńska was born and bred in Płock

where she completed her primary and secondary school-

ing. She chose to study at the Adam Mickiewicz University

in Poznań. In 2001, she graduated in biotechnology from the

Faculty of Biology of that university. Then she started her PhD

studies at the Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnol-

ogy at her alma mater. A FEBS and EMBO grant holder, she

has had three-month placements at the Institut de Biologie

Moléculaire des Plantes du CNRS in Strasbourg, France. In

2006, she was awarded her PhD in biology. In October 2006,

she began working as an Assistant Professor at the Laborato-

ry of Gene Expression of the Institute of Molecular Biology at

the Adam Mickiewicz University. In October 2010, she started

her Post-Doctoral fellowship in Switzerland, where she re-

mained until June 2012. Her fellowship was partly fi nanced

by Bern University and the Canton of Bern as well as under

the SCIEX–NMSch Programme, under which she was award-

ed a year-long grant. In Bern she worked at the Institute of

Cell Biology in the laboratory of Prof. Daniel Schümperli, Uni-

versity of Bern.

Project description

The cooperation established with the University of Bern was

intended to expand research at my home institution, Adam

Mickiewicz University, by looking at issues of maturing 3’end

histone transcripts and of experimental work on human cell

lines. The project consisted in the identifi cation of new pro-

teins reacting with the U7 small nuclear ribonucleoprotein

molecule. To achieve this we combined the affi nity chro-

matography procedure, based on a marked U7 snRNA, with

mass spectrometry. We also attempted to detect some new

functions of this molecule by using the CLIP procedure to-

gether with deep sequencing. As the research subject matter

was so extensive the project was not fi nished within the time

specifi ed, but it will be continued.

My main project purpose – looking for new chemical agents

reacting with U7 snRNA – was achieved. The affi nity chro-

matography procedure combined with mass spectrometry

protein sequencing allowed me to identify some interesting

proteins, potentially reacting with U7 snRNA and involved

in regulating histone gene expressions. My initial experi-

ments confi rmed the interaction of part of these proteins

with U7 snRNP and further research will go toward a bet-

ter determination of their functions. The part of the project

concerning my search for new functions of U7 sn RNP was

partly completed – I prepared cell lines permanently trans-

formed by appropriate vectors to be used at subsequent

research stages.


Among the benefi ts derived from this project by the host in-

stitution the following are worth stressing:

• continuation of the host institution’s promising research;

• interesting preliminary results, which open up new re-

search areas to future students, PhD students and the host

institution’s workers;

• future scientifi c publications of results obtained;

• establishment of academic cooperation with the Polish in-

stitution.

63




Among the benefi ts derived from this project by the Polish

institution the following are worth stressing:

• knowledge of, and experience gained in working with, hu-

man cell lines;

• future scientifi c publications of results obtained;

• continuation of RNA maturing research, essential for my

future habilitation work;

• possibility of project continuation as a cornerstone for cre-

ating a new research group;

• establishment of academic cooperation with the Swiss in-

stitution.

The research tasks that were described in the projects have

not been fully completed. We have therefore decided to con-

tinue the project in the Polish institution. This continuation

necessitates our bilateral cooperation in order to exchange

information and for the purposes of scientifi c consultation.

Short visits paid by those who will implement the project on

both sides are envisaged in the future. We intend to look for

fi nancial support from Polish foundations for continuation of

the research. The fi rst funding application has already been

lodged at the National Science Centre. Apart from involving

the two institutions working together, the project continua-

tion will be really signifi cant for me – in the near future I am

planning to create a new research group in Poland. The group

will focus on the maturation of 3’end histone transcripts in

animal cells – my Swiss subject area.

What was the added value of the project

Experiencing work in the research group that I joined

was undoubtedly the biggest added value of my Swiss re-

search work. Prof. Daniel Schumperli’s laboratory is one of

the world’s leading centres dealing with the project’s sub-

ject area. I saw from the inside the very issues that I want

to continue in my home institution. I also gained immense

theoretical and practical knowledge of working on human

cell lines, something I would have never achieved to the

same extent in my home institution. What I have achieved

in science is linked to the Laboratory involved mainly with

the molecular biology of plant cells, working on vegeta-

ble material and only recently branching into animal cell

research groups. I will be able to pass the knowledge and

experience that I gained in Switzerland onto other univer-

sity staff.

The project implementation was linked to a signifi cant pro-

fessional change – my transition from the experimental re-

search on plants that I had been conducting before leaving

for Switzerland to human cell line experimental research.

This necessitated the gain of new skills and new experience

and I had to acquire new knowledge of biology and animal

cell molecular processes. I wish to continue this research in

Poland. Moreover, the research that I started in Switzerland

is so interesting that I wish to devote my further professional

career to this subject.

Seen from the personal perspective – my going to Switzer-

land allowed me to discover the beauty of the Swiss natural

environment, especially the beauty of its mountains, the

charm of alpine meadows, the length of the skiing routes.

DID YOU KNOW THAT…• The Alps cover 3/5 of Switzerland,

making this country, after Austria, the

second most alpine country of Eu-

rope.

• The Eiger’s north face (3970m above

the sea level) in the Bernese Alps is

called the Mordwand (murderous

wall), earning this name after many

fatal climbing attempts.

64

I also rediscovered the taste for mountain treks (hiking). This

is a country to which I will be returning.


I would not have met so many magnifi cent people coming

from diff erent countries. I would not have formed so many

friendships and I would not have discovered the beauty of

the Swiss natural environment.

And the most important thing – if not for my fellowship in

Switzerland, I would not have became familiar with the fas-

cinating issues of 3’ end histone transcript maturing and

I would not have learnt about working on human cell lines.

Fellow: Łukasz Stokłosa, PhDProject: eTourism Reputation Index (eTourRep)

Subject area: journalism, mass media and communication

technologies


Sending institution / Home mentor: University of Informa-

tion Technology and Management in Rzeszów / Dr. Maciej

Piotrowski

Host institution / Host mentor: University of Lugano / Prof.

Lorenzo Cantoni

Dr. Łukasz Stokłosa is one of the academic staff at the Chair

of Tourism and Recreation of the Higher School of IT and Man-

agement in Rzeszów. His interests focus on new media appli-

cations in tourism, eTourRep and online presence research,

promotion of tourist destinations and cultural tourism.

Project description

The starting point of the cooperation between the University

of Information Technology and Management in Rzeszów and

the University of Lugano (Universita della Svizzera Italiana)

was the PREDIL project (Promoting Equality in Digital Litera-

cy) with the participation of both institutions. Dr. Maciej Pi-

otrowski – a Polish project team member – and Dr. Chiara

Bramani from the Swiss team found areas of mutual research

interest and decided to develop this promising cooperation

as part of SCIEX. The parties agreed to choose as host mentor

Prof. Lorenzo Cantoni, Dean of the Faculty of Communication

Sciences and Chief Scientifi c Offi cer at Webatelier.net, New-

MinE Lab (New Media in Education Lab) and eLab (eLearning

Lab).

65




The main purpose of the project was to follow the online rep-

utation of the Podkarpacie Province as a tourist destination

using a system worked out by the Webatelier.net laboratory.

To achieve this aim my attention focused on user generated

contents (UGC) in social media.

We then chose three goals:

1. evaluation of the region’s current online reputation;

2. identifi cation of the main problems and defects linked to

this reputation and its online presentation;

3. suggestion of possible solutions and improvements to elimi-

nate these diffi culties.

To analyse online comments and opinions of this kind I de-

fi ned three questions linked to the Podkarpacie Province as

a tourist destination:

1. what kind of websites do people fi nd in search engines?

2. what feeling is conveyed in the contents?

3. do the topics and opinions change depending on which key

words are used in searching?


The fi ndings of the project show that so-called electronic word

of mouth (eWOM), otherwise known as electronic whisper

marketing, relating to the Podkarpacie Province plays a vital

role. Out of 850 web pages found by the following three most

popular search engines google.com, yahooSE and bing.com,

almost 20% were classifi ed as UGC. Most of the categories ana-

lysed had a positive response. However, I also identifi ed some

indications of defects and faults in the regional tourism prod-

uct, which should be addressed. The research results and their

implications as well as recommendations for regional and lo-

cal tourist organisations and companies were then described

in a specially prepared report and in a scientifi c article. This

report can be downloaded from http://www.webatelier.net/

reports. The article is currently under review.

The Università della Svizzera Italiana (USI) specialises in scien-

tifi c research carried out in international teams. For the Swiss

partner this project was an excellent opportunity to establish

cooperation with the Polish partner – the University of Infor-

mation Technology and Management in Rzeszów, and also

to ascertaining the degree of development of Polish tourism.

They had an opportunity to get to know our country better

and to fi nd areas of mutual research interest, which may re-

sult in future projects. Just as in the case of the Swiss institu-

tion, the Polish institution in Rzeszów has also now gained

a potential partner for future projects. Apart from that, the

experience that I gained during the fellowship in Switzerland

is invaluable. It is bound to bear fruit now and in the future

in the shape of a number of research projects conducted by

this HEI.

Ideas for further joint research

Both institutions intend to continue their cooperation, espe-

cially in projects linked to etourism, new media and commu-

nication technology. We have recently fi nished joint research

My research work in the course of the fellowship broadened my mind and allowed

me to look at the research from a diff erent perspective. Thanks to this opportunity

I am now familiar with new research methodology and organisation of work. I also

had the opportunity to work in an international team and to make numerous

professional and private contacts. The fellowship shed some new light on my

research interests and helped identify a career path that I would like to follow

66

on online marketing application conducted in Polish tourist

institutions. I see my future and fulfi lment in this area, espe-

cially in the development and promotion of tourist destina-

tions. My research work in the course of the fellowship broad-

ened my mind and allowed me to look at the research from

a diff erent perspective. Thanks to this opportunity I am now

familiar with new research methodology and organisation of

work. I also had the opportunity to work in an international

team and to make numerous professional and private con-

tacts. The fellowship shed some new light on my research

interests and helped identify a career path that I would like

to follow.


I feel fulfi lled thanks to the opportunity to work with a num-

ber of like-minded persons. I intend to continue dealing with

etourism, cooperating with the people I met in the course of

my fellowship.

If not for the fellowship I would not have had the opportu-

nity to meet so many fantastic people, who were fi rst my co-

workers, then my friends. The fellowship gave me an oppor-

tunity for self-development, proving myself and discovering

new research interests.

Fellow: Grzegorz Garzeł, PhDProject: Determination of the size-dependent phase dia-

gram and thermodynamical behaviour of nanostructured

brazing fi ller metals



Sending institution / Home mentor: Institute of Metallurgy

and Materials Engineering of the Polish Academy of Sciences

/ Prof. Leszek Zabdyr

Host institution / Host mentor: EMPA – Swiss Federal Labo-

ratories for Materials Science and Technology / Dr. Jolanta

Janczak-Rusch

Dr Grzegorz Garzeł was awarded a Master’s degree at

the Faculty of Metallurgy and Material Engineering of the

AGH University of Science and Technology. In 2007 he was

awarded his PhD at the Institute of Metallurgy and Materials

Engineering of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Cracow. He

completed postgraduate studies in Software Engineering

and Business Tools at the Jagiellonian University. Since

2007, he has been employed as an Assistant Professor at the

Institute of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering of the Polish

Academy of Sciences in Cracow, where he has worked since

2000 (in 2002 he became an Assistant). His main scientifi c

interests focus on the experimental determination of the

thermodynamic properties of alloy and ceramic systems with

the use of electrochemical and thermal analysis methods

(DSC, DTA). He is also interested in critical equilibrium

systems: Calphad method optimisation.

67




Project description

This project was a continuation of the cooperation that had

already been established as part of the European COST pro-

ject. Its main goal was to determine the infl uence of size- and

shape-dependent nano-scale particles on the temperature

of phase transformations in Ag–Cu systems.

As a result of my research I worked out a thermodynamic

model describing the transformation of Gibbs free energy

depending on the particle temperature, composition, size

and shape. I used this model to create a thermodynamic

description of an Ag–Cu system. Using the database that

I obtained I ran a number of simulations of how changes

of the size and shape of a particle influence the phase dia-

gram shape. The particulars of the model, values of its pa-

rameters and results of the simulations are published in G.

Garzel, J. Janczak-Rusch L. Zabdyr Reassessment of the Ag–

Cu phase diagram for nanosystems including particle size

and shape effect, Calphad, Volume 36, March 2012, pages

52-56. ISSN 0364-5916. The project itself and the research

findings were presented at European Cost Action MP0903

international meetings held in Barcelona (14-16.04.2011)

and Bern (02-03.04.2012) and at a conference of the Pol-

ish Phase Diagram Committee members in Katowice on

21.04.2012.

The most important benefi ts of the SCIEX project

The research that I conducted helped the Swiss partner in-

terpret the results of experimental work and supported the

preparation and implementation of other projects.

The Polish home institution derives benefi ts from the trans-

fer of techniques and research methods and the cooperation

with the Swiss partner is now formalised. Both institutions

complement each other in their technical equipment which

will result in the implementation of another joint project.


The added value of the project consisted in my becoming

a member of a group involved in broad research and in my ex-

periencing its aspects, such as brainstorming, seminars, going

deeper into problems from other areas, getting familiar with new

research methods and problem solving. Being able to improve

my language skills and having an opportunity to meet scientists

– members of this multicultural team are also worth stressing.

A placement abroad is an important element of an academic

career. It allows you to gain experience in a new environment,

establish international contacts, familiarise yourself with new

techniques and research equipment and analyse your fi nd-

ings, as well as identify potential sources of error.

A placement abroad is an important element of an academic career. It allows

you to gain experience in a new environment, establish international contacts,

familiarise yourself with new techniques and research equipment and analyse

your fi ndings, as well as identify potential sources of error

68

Fellow: Dorota Kołbuk, PhD studentProject: Investigation of the eff ects of electrospinning

conditions on the structure and selected properties of

polymeric blended nanofi bres for tissue engineering, ES-

NANOTIS



Sending institution / Home mentor: Institute of Fundamen-

tal Technology Problems, Polish Academy of Sciences / Prof.

Paweł Sajkiewicz

Host institution / Host mentor: Federal Laboratories for Ma-

terials Testing and Research – EMPA, St. Gallen / Dr. Giusep-

pino Fortunato

Dorota Kołbuk, born in 1983, graduated from the Faculty

of Materials Engineering at Warsaw University of Technol-

ogy, where in 2007 she was awarded her Master’s degree.

Within the framework of the Erasmus programme she had

a six-month-placement at the Institute of Air Handling and

Refrigeration in Dresden, Germany. After her Master’s degree

studies she started studying for her PhD at the Institute of

Fundamental Technology Problems of the Polish Academy

of Sciences. She has participated in several training sessions,

international and domestic conferences. Every year as part of

the Science Festival she conducts activities for young people

at the Institute of Fundamental Technology Problems of the

Polish Academy of Sciences. She was a SCIEX grant holder

between 01.10.10–30.07.11. She focuses on the investigation

of the molecular structure of biomaterials, biopolymers as

well as on tissue engineering and clinical research. Since June

2012, she has been an activist of the Biotechnology Innova-

tions Platform programme.

When not working she is interested in art history and interior

design. She likes active leisure activities – skiing in winter and

trekking.

Project description

The host institution was chosen from the list of Swiss partici-

pants of the programme. Before this SCIEX project the two

institutes had never cooperated with each other. I only had

some information obtained by word of mouth concerning

the positive experiences of my home institution PhD stu-

dents working with the EMPA as part of the Polish–Swiss

School Programme.

In my research I was supposed to determine the eff ect of

the morphology, molecular and nanomolecular structure

of electrospinning-blended fi bres on tissue response. There

were some additional aims, too – that of learning about re-

search work and gaining knowledge in an institute boast-

ing long experience in working on electrospinning and, of

course, that of in vitro research on fi bres produced with the

use of selected cell types. I see the gaining of experience and

the running of biological tests as a very important and excit-

ing thing. I had had no opportunity of doing such research

before. At the moment, as part of the cooperation between

my home institution, the Ochota Biocentre and the CePT pro-

gramme, an in vitro research laboratory has been opened at

the Institute of Fundamental Technology Problems, where

I am able to draw on my Swiss experience.

The most important results of my project

In the course of my research I determined the eff ects of pro-

cess parameters on fi bre morphology and structure. I created

surfaces on which the degree of cell proliferation after 14

days is three times as high as in the control sample. I deter-

“A journey, after all, neither begins in the instant we

set out, nor ends when we have reached our door

step once again. It starts much earlier and is really

never over, because the fi lm of memory continues

running on inside of us long after we have come to

a physical standstill. Indeed, there exists something

like a contagion of travel, and the disease is essentially

incurable” Ryszard Kapuściński

69




mined the optimum amount of biopolymer to improve the

adhesion, activity and proliferation of selected cell types.

My research fi ndings can serve the host institution as a base

for future projects. I think that my work at the biological labo-

ratory was not only educational for me as a fellow, but also for

my mentor. We exchanged our knowledge of polymers and

biology. Additionally, owing to the long experience that the

home institution can boast, there was a fl ow of information

concerning the interpretation of research on fi bre hyper-

-molecular structure (crystallisation and hyper-orientation).

My research allowed me to fi nish my PhD thesis, to which the

project was directly linked. The experience I gained in Swit-

zerland helps me to train other PhD students to work in this

fi eld and I am hoping to be able to use my biological labora-

tory work experience directly in the in vitro laboratory. My

knowledge and experience in working with diff erent equip-

ment allows me to optimise the selection of research equip-

ment purchased by the home institution. My personal plans

are linked to biomaterials and clinical research. This fellow-

ship was an invaluable source of experience and it gave me

motivation for research work and for taking up new chal-

lenges.

Working in an international group enables not only expan-

sion of knowledge in a selected subject area. It also increases

academic and personal independence. It teaches openness

and gives confi dence. In the host institution I used equip-

ment of kinds that are non-existent in the home institution

(at the moment some of it is being purchased). Working un-

der the supervision of specialists in biology allowed me to

run my independent in vitro research on engineered mate-

rials, which would have been impossible in my home insti-

tution due to my education and previous lack of pre-clinical

testing laboratory skills.

DID YOU KNOW THAT…• You can see a part of Switzerland by watching a James Bond movie. In the mov-

ie On Her Majesty’s Secret Service among other things you will the Swiss Alps in

winter and the Schilthorn revolving restaurant near Interlaken.

• When going to the famous thermal springs in Vals you should visit the Hobbit’s

underground hut and you can enjoy a short stay there. The prices are exor-

bitant, but for true Tolkien fans and for interior design experts it is a fantastic

experience.

• Basel – one of the oldest Swiss cities – charms with beautiful houses and nar-

row paved streets. It is possible to visit the oldest state-owned painting mu-

seum or have a coff ee and cake at a café in… Basel cathedral.

70

The fellowship inspired me to take up challenges, develop

my skills and look at reality in a better perspective. The PhD

thesis project was an attempt to systemise and complete

data in the literature on the eff ect of the parameters of tis-

sue engineering on hyper molecular structure. I am strongly

convinced that such detailed knowledge of the process and

interactions of engineered tissue with selected cell types will

allow further research on innovative materials for commer-

cialisation purposes in accordance with the demand of the

pharmaceutical and/or cosmetic industry.


My PhD thesis, knowledge and skills would have been sig-

nifi cantly poorer. Being at EMPA allowed me to meet many

interesting people with whom I remain in touch, and I also

had an opportunity to see a number of breath-taking places

in Switzerland and South Germany. It gave me a chance to

implement some changes and acquire faith in the possibility

of dream fulfi lment.

“A journey, after all, neither begins in the instant we set out,

nor ends when we have reached our door step once again. It

starts much earlier and is really never over, because the fi lm

of memory continues running on inside of us long after we

have come to a physical standstill. Indeed, there exists some-

thing like a contagion of travel, and the disease is essentially

incurable” Ryszard Kapuściński

Fellow: Rafał ŚlefarskiProject: Simultaneous PIV/LIF determination of local fl ame

front characterisation



Sending institution / Home mentor: Poznań University of

Technology / Prof. Tomasz Dobski

Host institution / Host mentor: Paul Scherrer Institut / Dr.

Peter Janhson

Dr Rafał Ślefarski born in 1978, is a research staff member

and gas appliances designer. He was brought up in the Ku-

jawy region where he started his adventure with technol-

ogy, completing a mechanical secondary school in 1998. He

then started studying at Poznań University of Technology

from which he graduated with distinction in 2003, present-

ing his fi nal thesis “Investigation of the process of waste gas

afterburning in gas afterburners” (under the supervision of

Prof. Tomasz Dobski at the Laboratory of Gas Technologies,

Poznań University of Technology). In 2004, he had a four-

month placement at the Royal Institute of Technology in

Stockholm. When he returned, he developed his passion for

the process of gas fuel burning in the course of preparing

his PhD thesis entitled Investigation of the process of gas fuel

combustion with high-temperature heat regeneration, which

he presented in 2008. In the course of preparing the thesis,

he won a competition entitled Grants for the Wielkopolska re-

gion’s best PhD students in sciences contributing to the region’s

development (2006). In 2010, he became a SCIEX fellow, which

resulted in a fourteen-month-long stay in Switzerland and

research work at the Paul Scherrer Institute. He is the author

and co-author of over a dozen scientifi c articles and of three

international patents. Since the completion of his studies,

71




he has cooperated with an engineering company, designing

combustion systems running on gas fuels.

He is married and has two daughters – fi ve-year old Marta

and several-month old Julia. In his leisure time, he travels and

cycles.

Project description

Previous cooperation between Prof. Tomasz Dobski’s team

and Prof. Peter Janhson’s research group determined the

choice of the Swiss host institution. That cooperation consist-

ed in joint meetings and presentation of work done in both

laboratories, as well as in preparation of a joint application

for research funding. The Laboratory of Gas Technologies

(LTG) of the Poznań University of Technology and the Laser

Diagnostic Group (LDG) became more closely linked when

the LTG team was conducting research for the Swiss energy

engineering concern Alstrom. Moreover, before that a PhD

student of Prof. Dobski had completed PhD studies at ETH in

Zurich, conducting his research at the Paul Scherrer Institute.

The main purpose of the project consisted in determining

the so-called local turbulent combustion speed and work-

ing out correlations between that speed and the turbulent

combustion speed determined on the basis of the global fuel

consumption defi nition for methane gas fuels. To collect rel-

evant data I proposed the simultaneous combination of two

laser and optical measurement techniques: Particle Image Ve-

locimetry (PIV) and Laser Induced Fluorescence (LIF).

Were there any changes in the course of project implemen-

tation?

After doing preliminary research I modifi ed the research

programme I had planned, namely the PIV investigation of

the fl ames that I analysed was conducted separately from

the investigation aimed at fi nding the fl ame zone (LIF). Both

investigations were, however, conducted for the same test

bench operational parameters. This change was dictated by

the available equipment, as there were not the laser and

high frequency cameras needed to collect enough data for

statistical analysis. During the SCIEX project implementa-

tion the LDG team had high frequency equipment, but only

for PIV. At the moment high frequency equipment for LIF

is being purchased.


In the course of project implementation, I managed to

collect a very large amount of experimental data concern-

ing the kinetic fl ames of poor mixtures of methane gases.

The data was collected for a large group of performance

parameters, such as discharge velocity, air excess factor

and substrate temperature. The test bench operational

parameters were as close as possible to those in real gas

turbine burners with the only exception that the laboratory

tests were conducted under sealed pressure. In the course

of this research, I obtained measurements for various burn-

er geometries: two axisymmetric burners and one turbu-

lent burner. I determined the degree of turbulence, particle

image velocity, integral length scale, fl ame thickness and

position for the aforementioned burners. On the basis of

the experimental data I determined the turbulent combus-

tion velocity basing on two theoretical models: global fuel

consumption ST,g and local displacement ST,l. The values

of the turbulent combustion velocity based on the experi-

mental data coming from the LIF and PIV methods tied in

with those obtained with the help of the global fuel con-

sumption method. At the moment the data is being pro-

cessed further to fi nd any correlation between the separate

fl ame parameters and the ST,g and ST,l velocities.

The professional/scientifi c/personal benefi ts of the project

In my opinion, the gain of my home institution (Poznań Uni-

versity of Technology) consists not only in the fact that its

worker has higher professional qualifi cations which should

result in higher quality education but also that he possesses

knowledge of how a well-managed research team should

function. Closer personal and professional contacts have

been established between workers from both institutions,

which means that it will be possible to prepare joint research

Working at the Swiss institute helped me discover a new face of

science and directions of my further academic development. It also

showed me how to use the existing equipment in research

diff erent from that conducted so far

72

projects and maybe exchange students and PhD students as

part of various grant programmes.

Apart from the obvious advantage of doing research in

Switzer land, that is in its research laboratories with the latest

state-of-the-art measuring equipment, research staff have

much more time for research and scientifi c work. Poland’s

red tape, its Public Procurement Law, internal regulations at

HEIs (stamps, forms) makes the research preparatory period

several or a dozen or so times longer. Before research work-

ers are able to start real research work, they have to be clerks,

couriers and salespersons. The institute where I had the

pleasure of working had immense support from fi nance and

purchasing departments which negotiated with suppliers.

Therefore, I was able to do strictly scientifi c work. Moreover,

at a diff erent level - there was the institute’s IT support, where

software problems were solved almost while you waited and

when the equipment was out of order, its defective elements

were exchanged as soon as possible. I am impressed by their

management of research projects run individually by workers

and PhD students under the supervision of the team leader.

Progress made on each project was presented at fortnightly

meetings where the whole group consulted their results and

suggested other possible solutions.


Before the commencement of the SCIEX project research

work at LTG was aimed mainly at applied research result-

ing from cooperation with industrial partners. Most of the

research was to fi nd an answer to a given question put by

energy engineering or gas companies. When I fi nished the

project and returned to Poland, I took some steps aimed at

preparing research similar to that conducted in Switzerland

and by that I mean basic research. We have now submitted

applications for fi nancing the purchase of essential research

equipment. At the same time, we are doing research aimed at

identifying the possibilities of applying other measurement

techniques where one can obtain results similar to those

I had when I was in Switzerland. If not for the fellowship,

I would probably have given up my scientifi c work and gone

to the industrial sector.

Working at the Swiss institute helped me discover a new face

of science and directions of my further academic develop-

ment. It also showed me how to use the existing equipment

in research diff erent from that conducted so far.

DID YOU KNOW THAT…• When I was in Switzerland, I was

accompanied by my wife and

five-year old daughter for some

months. My daughter was most

impressed with being able to drink

water directly from fountains and

roadside springs.

• It is possible to cross Switzerland

by bike following specially desig-

nated and marked bicycle lanes.

73




Fellow: Izabela Bobowska, PhDProject: Optimisation and upscaling of the synthesis of

ferromagnetic nanoparticles and their integration in a

polymeric matrix. NANOMAGN



Sending institution / Home mentor: Łódź University of

Technology / Prof. Piotr Wojciechowski

Host institution / Host mentor: University of Applied Sci-

ence – Fribourg (HES-SO Fribourg) / Dr. Stefan Hengsberger

Dr Izabela Bobowska was born in Łódź in 1981. In 2005, she

completed her Master’s degree studies in chemistry at the

Faculty of Physics and Chemistry, University of Łódź. In the

same year, she started studying for her PhD at the Faculty

of Chemistry of Łódź University of Technology. In 2010, she

presented her PhD thesis entitled Organic – inorganic nano-

composites (2-hydroxypropylo) cellulose. Production, properties

and applications after which she was awarded her PhD title.

In March 2010, she started working at the Chair of Molecular

Physics, Łódź University of Technology. Between November

2010 and October 2011 she had a post-doctoral placement

in Fribourg, Switzerland, as part of the SCIEX–NMSch Pro-

gramme. In November 2011, having returned from that year-

long visit, she recommenced her work at the Chair of Molecu-

lar Physics of Łódź University of Technology.

Project description

My participation in the programme was possible thanks to

Prof. Jacques Bersier and Prof. Jacek Ulański, who met in the

course of preparations for a European project called CLUS-

TERPLAST. This meeting brought an off er of cooperation as

part of the SCIEX programme. My experience in working with

nanomaterials and organic-inorganic nanocomposites tied in

with the research of Dr. Stefan Hegsberger who agreed to be

my host mentor.

The project was intended to carry out the synthesis of iron

oxide ferromagnetic nanoparticles with shape anisotropy,

their modifi cation and incorporation into a polymer matrix.

The implementation of the project necessitated the coopera-

tion of two host institutions, that is the HES-SO Fribourg and

the Adolphe Merkle Institute (University of Fribourg), with

Dr. Herve Dietsch’s research group. The research direction

was slightly modifi ed as I started focusing mainly on basic

research whose fi ndings proved most interesting.


The fi nal result of my project was the creation of a method

for controlled reduction of hematite (Fe2O3) particles to

magnetite (Fe3O4) in a heightened temperature (300°C) and

under hydrogen pressure (11b). I managed to obtain hema-

tite/magnetite hybrid nanoparticles with diff erent phase per-

DID YOU KNOW THAT…Fribourg is home to the foundation

“Archivum Helveto – Polonicum” which

gathers and makes available any docu-

mentation of the Polish presence in

Switzerland. Among other things, the

foundation has a collection concerning

Polish soldiers detained in Switzerland

during World War II. For more infor-

mation about the collections of the

Foundation go to http://www.founca-

tionahp.ch

74

centages. The higher the magnetite percentage, the stronger

the material’s magnetic response (magnetisation value). At

the same time the soft conditions of the reduction allowed

me to preserve the original, fusiform shape of my hematite

nanoparticles. That kind of nanoparticle not only displays

shape anisotropy, but also magnetic properties anisotropy

and they orient in an external magnetic fi eld. I modifi ed the

nanoparticles obtained by coating them in a thin silica layer.

The nanoparticle modifi cation allowed their incorporation

into a polymer matrix (poly(methyl methacrylate) and pro-

duction of organic-inorganic nanocomposites with magnetic

nanoparticles.

These fi ndings were very interesting and promising. Further

cooperation is planned to continue research and implement

joint scientifi c projects. One of them has already been en-

tered in a competition organised by the National Science

Centre.


The perfect organisation and equipment of the Swiss labo-

ratories was the added value of the project. Free access to

research equipment, such as an electron microscope or vi-

bration magnetometer, was of paramount importance to my

research. Having access to that kind of advanced apparatus is

impossible in my home institution in Poland. Another partic-

ularly valuable thing was the fact that I got in touch with per-

sons specialising in various fi elds related to the project which

enables further cooperation and research development.

To me, the implementation of my research project at the

foreign institution was not only an important professional

experience, but also an important personal one. Thanks to

my work in a completely new academic environment I gained

invaluable knowledge, essential for my further professional

development. Discussions and exchange of experience with

specialists in various subject areas broadens your mind and

inspires to further work. If not for the fellowship, I would not

have had the opportunity to get to know either Switzerland

and its special charm, or its inhabitants’ exceptional kindness.

75




Fellow: Sebastian Tomasz Kołodziejczyk, PhDProject: Metaphysics of Mental Life

Subject area: philosophy



/ Prof. Jan Woleński

Host institution / Host mentor: University of Geneva / Prof.

Kevin Mulligan

Dr Sebastian Tomasz Kołodziejczyk, born in 1973, is a phi-

losopher and academic teacher at the Jagiellonian Universi-

ty. In 1994 – 1997, he studied philosophy at the Jagiellonian

University and the University of Bristol (UK). In the academic

year 2001/2002, he had a placement at the University of Ox-

ford. In 2002, he was awarded his PhD for his doctoral thesis

entitled Transcendental truth issues. Since 2002 he has been

employed at the Institute of Philosophy of the Jagiellonian

University. So far, he has published several dozens of arti-

cles on metaphysics, philosophy of mind, history of philoso-

phy and philosophy of religion. In 2006, he published his

book entitled The Cognitive Boundaries of Metaphysics (se-

ries: Monografi e Fundacji na Rzecz Nauki Polskiej, Wrocław;

University of Wrocław Publishing House 2006), and in 2011 a

work edited by him and entitled The Metaphysics Guidebook

was published (Cracow: WAM Publishing House). Together

with Dr. Janusz Salamon, he is the editor of a pioneering se-

ries entitled Guidebooks to philosophy, a multi-volume series

on basic areas of philosophy and periods in the history of

philosophy.

Since 2006, he has been editor-in-chief of an English lan-

guage periodical entitled Polish Journal of Philosophy and As-

sistant Editor-in-Chief of Forum Philisophicum (until 2012). In

2009 – 2011, he was editorial team member of the European

Journal for Philosophy of Religion. Moreover, he is a founding

member of the Central European Society for Philosophy of

Religion (President in 2007–2008 and 2011–present) and

member of the Centre for Culture and Dialogue (until 2010).

A member of the Polish Philosophical Society for many years

he is the winner of a number of awards and grant competi-

tions, among others those of the Stanislaw Estreicher Fund

of the Jagiellonian University, the Adam Krzyżanowski Fund

of the Jagiellonian University, the Foundation for Polish Sci-

ence, the foundation of the weekly Polityka, and SCIEX. In the

academic year 2008/2009, he had a placement at the Gradu-

ate Centre of the City University of New York and in 2010/2011

at the Department of Philosophy of the University of Geneva.

His book The Idea of Metaphysics is to be published soon, as

is Knowledge, Action, Pluralism: Contemporary Perspectives in

Philosophy of Religion edited together with Dr. Janusz Sala-

mon (Peter Lang Verlag, 2012). A book ,Metaphysics of Mental

Life, is under preparation.

Project description

Prof. Kevin Mulligan has cooperated with Prof. Jan Woleński

for many years. He has taken an interest in Polish scientifi c

(philosophical) life and participated in it. He has also pro-

moted Polish philosophy abroad. He was a long-standing

member of the Advisory Board to the English language

philosophical periodical published by the Jagiellonian

University and PDC (USA) of which I am the editor-in-chief.

Moreover, my junior colleague, Mr. Jacek Wawer, had al-

ready had a year-long PhD placement at the University of

Geneva. All these considerations and the fact that the Chair

of Philosophy headed by Prof. Mulligan at the University of

Geneva was so prestigious, were instrumental in the choice

of that institution. This choice guaranteed my academic

development, more contacts, participation in a strong re-

search group as well as in frequent and cyclical scientifi c

events.

76

The purpose of my project consisted in publishing some

articles and in the long run an English language book. The

research direction was not modifi ed. One part of this pro-

ject was complemented with research that had to be done

owing to the nature of the issues concerned. The scope of

this new research was not, however, signifi cant and concen-

trated mainly on the problem of ontological dependence/

independence, strictly related to the relationship between

what is concrete and what is abstract.

My research fellowship at the University of Geneva was fully

successful. Since I started it I have published some articles

(out of which half are directly project-related, the other half

indirectly related). I have been working on the book Meta-

physics of Mental Life which will be the principal result of that

visit. The book is planned for publication in 2013 or the end of

2013/the beginning of 2014. I have also made some speeches

at conferences at home and abroad. I had a short stay at the

Rutgers University and at the City University of New York

(USA), establishing cooperation with the Rutgers University

Centre for Cognitive Science.

Research work concerning philosophy, and especially meta-

physics has no direct and practical application. However, my

work focuses on metaphysical issues and those relating to

philosophy of mental life. The latter subject area allows me

to see at least some issues as more easily applicable. This is

especially true for the modelling of artifi cial intelligent cogni-

tive systems

The most important results and benefi ts of the project

In the future, the Swiss institution is bound to benefi t from

my SCIEX presence. At the moment, conceptual work on

launching joint studies at the Jagiellonian University and the

University of Geneva is in progress. It is planned to submit an

application for a joint research project to funding institutions

(NCN, Ministry of Science and Higher Education). My work for

the periodical Dialectica and participation in the organisa-

tional and scientifi c life of that University’s Chair of Philoso-

phy are direct benefi ts.

The benefi ts that the Jagiellonian University has derived

from the project are chiefl y academic. By employing me the

Jagiellonian University employs a specialist in leading philo-

sophical subject areas who is familiar with the latest research

trends and has extensive social and professional contacts.

Later, the Jagiellonian University will reap the benefi ts of

long-lasting institutional and academic cooperation.

The cooperation within the project consortium will be con-

tinued. The connection between the Jagiellonian University

and the University of Geneva will be maintained and it will

result in joint Master’s degree studies and – individually – in a

research project involving Swiss and Polish researchers, also

with my participation. Moreover, junior colleagues from the

Jagiellonian University are keenly interested in having PhD or

Post-Doctoral placements in Switzerland.

The added value of the SCIEX project

The added value can be categorised as:

1. Formal and organisational

The stay in Geneva allowed me to carry out regular academic

work, free from teaching, and focusing on research objec-

tives and nothing else. That is why I was able to participate in

a number (a dozen or so) of scientifi c events, such as sympo-

sia, workshops, conferences and occasional lectures, in which

I would not have been able to participate if I had stayed in Po-

land. This allowed me to meet leading European and Ameri-

can young and middle generation philosophers. Moreover,

owing to my visit to Geneva I became familiar with ways of

organising research work, grant application procedures and

the functioning of large projects. The opportunity to study

the functioning of an academic unit diff erent from that of my

home institution was also of considerable importance.

Research work concerning philosophy, and especially

metaphysics has no direct and practical application. However,

my work focuses on metaphysical issues and those relating to

philosophy of mental life. The latter subject area allows me to see

at least some issues as more easily applicable. This is especially

true for the modelling of artifi cial intelligent cognitive systems

77




2. Substantive

The above mentioned participation in a number of academic

events and my contacts with specialists allowed me to develop

my competences, gain a creative approach to the issues that

I worked on and look for alternative, innovative solutions of

problems that seemed out of date. This stay made me appreci-

ate the application of logical tools in analysing problems of the

philosophy of mind and the perspectives of issues bordering

on several subject areas, mainly the philosophy of language,

metaphysics, mental life philosophy and anthropology.

The project implementation has an eff ect on the develop-

ment of my previous interests. Having fi nished the project

and after publishing the book Metaphysics of Mental Life,

I intend to continue research on the status of representa-

tion, extending the research scope by fi ndings in the exact

sciences, thus entering the area of cognitive science. My per-

sonal plans are more linked to individual cooperation and its

extension in the context of contacts with junior researchers

at the University of Geneva to create a basis for further co-

operation.


Switzerland was a totally new and unique experience. Al-

though I had already had long placements in Great Britain

and the USA, my Swiss experience made me aware of the

academic potential of that country, the possibilities of im-

plementing research projects and the magnifi cent spiritual

and material culture of its inhabitants. When I think about

living in Switzerland (although I mainly lived in France, two

steps away from CERN) it makes me nostalgic, especially

when I contemplate its magnifi cent architecture, friendly

inhabitants, extremely good coff ee and Geneva’s wonder-

ful climate. My being there contributed to my better under-

standing of the academic culture of that part of Europe and

to my becoming familiar with the innovativeness in academic

research displayed by representatives of young generation

philosophers in Switzerland.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

79




Acknowledgements

On behalf of the SCIEX Poland Team, we would like to thank

all those who for the past three years have supported our

work as the SCIEX Contact Point in Poland.

We would like to express our gratitude to our partners in

Switzerland. If it was not for the Swiss contribution aimed at

the reduction of economic and social disparities in the en-

larged European Union, and the establishment of the Swiss-

-Polish Cooperation Programme, our joint research adventu-

re would not have been possible. The launching of research

partnerships by Polish-Swiss scientifi c consortia allowed for

the transfer of knowledge, technology and experiences be-

tween HEIs and research centres, and most of all, provided

opportunities for strengthening the scientifi c competences

and skills of individual doctoral candidates, junior resear-

chers and their mentors.

We would like to thank His Excellency, the Ambassador of the

Swiss Confederation to Poland for his invaluable support and

unceasing willingness to cooperate. We could always count

on the support of the Embassy in Warsaw and the staff of the

Swiss-Polish Cooperation Programme Offi ce operating there,

who willingly participated in the initiatives and events orga-

nised by us.

We would also like to express our thanks to the Rectors’ Con-

ference of the Swiss Universities (CRUS) and Polish Coordina-

tion Unit, i.e. the Ministry of Regional Development, for mo-

del cooperation and substantive support of our promotional

activities.

We sincerely thank the SCIEX fellows – it is due to your in-

teresting ideas for original projects and innovative research

that we are so proud of our work. We are very pleased that

Polish scientists and their expertise, experiences and skills

are widely recognized by their colleagues and mentors in

Switzerland.

We give our thanks to the Management Board and the te-

ams supporting us at the Foundation for the Development

of the Education System, which is our home institution. We

are grateful for successful cooperation, which although not

visible to the outside, is very valuable to our operations. It

was thanks to joint information and promotional campaigns

that the number of submitted applications grew each year.

In autumn 2013, we are facing the last selection round. We

are looking forward to resuming cooperation with the abo-

ve mentioned institutions which added to the success of the

SCIEX Scholarship Fund. Simultaneously, we are hoping that

the opportunity for cooperation between Polish and Swiss

scientists will be continued in the next fi nancing period of

the Fund.

SCIEX POLAND TEAMKATARZYNA ALEKSANDROWICZ

MAGDALENA GESSEL

SYLWIA IŻYNIEC

ANNA PAVLOVYCH

Foundation for the Development of the Education System / SCIEX Scholarship Fund

Mokotowska 43, 00-551 Warsaw / tel.: +48 22 46 31 470, fax: +48 22 46 31 028

www.sciex.pl

research projects implemented as part of the scientific exchange programme nmsch

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