Prof. Maksym Pogorielov from University of Latvia visits Opole

On 13th March 2024 University of Opole hosted Prof. Maksym Pogorielov from University of Latvia in Riga. He is the leader of transdisciplinary research projects on the uses of nanomaterials and nanotechnologies in medicine and biotechnology. He also coordinates the FORTHEM Lab Resilence, Life Quality and Demographic Change on behalf of University of Latvia.

During the stay, prof. Pogorielov met the UO’s Vice-Rector for Research, Prof. Jacek Lipok and presented his research projects realized with the support of multiple grant and exchange funding lines: ARGO - antibacterial strategy for dentistry, MX-MAP - innovative biomedical applications of MXenes nanomaterials, ESCULAPE - electro-conductive polymers, and Personalised 3D implants. Potential areas of joint research between UO and UL were discussed.

The guest was also invited to the International Research and Development Centre of the University of Opole for Agriculture and Food Industry), where he was shown around by Dr Vira Hovorukha, Aleksandra Ślusarczyk oraz Agnieszka Jakubowska who presented the ongoing projects and the centre’s infrastructure. Meanwhile, Jerzy Pogrzeba discussed the commercial offer of the centre. Both sides exchanged experiences regarding access to resources and challenges of running research centres like this.

In the UO’s FORTHEM Office, Prof. Pogorielov could discuss how to use FORTHEM labs to foster better collaboration among research groups and to include students. Patrycja Bochenek explained how UO is managing the financing of student-driven projects and how external stakeholders are recruited and good practices of co-creation are implemented in the planning of Lab activities.

Finally, Martin Hultsand from the UO Museum showed the guest around current exhibitions and talked about how scientific activities in Opole were conducted in the past and how the UO came to be recognizable globally regarding its paleontological collection.

The visit was co-organized by Prof. Dominika Malchar-Michalska from the Faculty of Economics, who collaborated with Prof. Pogorielov in the Resilience FORTHEM lab and Prof. Katarzyna Molek-Kozakowska from the Faculty of Philology, who coordinated the FIT FORTHEM project that finalized in Riga Conference in November 2023 and who is currently the UO’s representative in FORTHEM Lab and Co-creation Mission Board.

Photo: Dominika Malchar-Michalska