University researcher wins "Polish Nobel Prize"

The Foundation for Polish Science (FNP) has awarded its Prize to distinguished scientists for the twenty-first time. The FNP Prize is regarded as the most prestigious scientific award in Poland. One of the four laureates who granted the prize this year was Ewa Wipszycka, a retired Professor of the University of Warsaw.

The researcher has received the FNP Prize in humanities and social science for interdisciplinary reconstruction of the functioning of monastic communities in Greek ancient Egypt [grounds]

Professor Dr hab. Ewa Wipszycka is a worldwide recognized expert in the history of ancient Christianity and the history of Christian Church in ancient Egypt. Her career has been closely connected with the University of Warsaw. She got fascinated with archaeology first in the Institute of Archaeology. After graduation Ewa Wipszycka worked as a UW associate, later being granted a PhD degree and habilitation. Over the period of 1972-1990 Professor Wipszycka was working in the Białystok Branch of the University of Warsaw, serving, among others, as the Dean of the Faculty of Humanities.

Since her graduation the research done by the laureate of FNP Prize has been focused on the history of Greek ancient Egypt, i.e. Egypt after the conquest of Alexander the Great and before the Arab conquest. However, the main topic of the scientist’s habilitation was the Church’s industrial history. She has been loyal to Church history ever since; in her works she describes its activities avoiding any bias or evaluative approach, which reflects her purely scientific perspective.

Professor Wipszycka has made a number of unique archaeological discoveries. She has participated in numerous scientific projects and archaeological excavations, including the sites in Marea, near Alexandria, in Naklun and Ptolemais.

The researcher has been on many scholarships in Paris, Berlin and in Italy. She writes and publishes her works in Polish, Italian, French and English. She has been the author or co-author of textbooks for students, as well as for primary and secondary school pupils. Together with her husband she is an author of one of the most popular academic textbooks for history students – "The History of Ancient Greeks".

The FNP Prize honours renowned scientists for significant advancements and scientific discoveries which shift cognitive boundaries and open new perspectives for research, provide an exceptional contribution towards the advancement of our nation’s progress and culture as well as assure Poland a significant position for undertaking the most ambitious challenges of the modern world. The prize amounts to PLN200,000. Apart from Professor Wipszycka "Polish Nobel Prize" has been granted to three other distinguished researchers: Professor Krzysztof Palczewski from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland (USA), Professor Mieczysław Mąkosza from the Institute of Organic Chemistry of Polish Academy of Sciences and Professor Maciej Wojtkowski from the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń.

The ceremony of awarding the Prizes will be held on December 6th in the Royal Castle in Warsaw.

The FNP Prizes have been granted annually since 1992. The group of the laureates, including this year’s winners, consists of as many as 76 people. Among them there are many scientists representing the University of Warsaw, among others, professors Tomasz Giaro, Tadeusz Marek Krygowski, Andrzej Koliński, Karol Modzelewski, Tomasz Dietl, Andrzej Udalski, Jadwiga Staniszkis and Jerzy Szacki.

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