Professor Henryk Skarżyński awarded the University of Warsaw Honorary Doctorate

On June 13^th at the UW Faculty of Management the ceremony of awarding the Honorary Doctorate to Professor Henryk Skarżyński was held. Professor Skarżyński is a distinguished otosurgeon, an expert in hearing physiology and pathology, a founder of the World Hearing Center.

The highest academic degree was conferred to Professor Skarżyński – in recognition of his contribution to global development of otolaryngology and innovative organizational solutions in treatment and prevention of hearing diseases – jointly by UW Faculty of Biology and Faculty of Management. The nominee was presented by Professor Alojzy Nowak, Dean of the Faculty of Management and elected Vice-Rector for Research and International Relations; Professor Andrzej K. Koźmiński, Professor Marek Krawczyk and Professor Wojciech Noszczyk acted as the doctorate reviewers.

The diploma was conferred after the presentation delivered by the supervisor – Professor Alojzy Nowak and Professor Joanna Pijanowska – Dean of the Faculty of Biology. Professor Skarżyński delivered an occasional lecture entitled "The risk of innovative product management in medicine". – The fact of being granted this prestigious degree encouraged me to present you the idea of developing an innovative product, the risk related to its daily clinical implementation, the chances of popularizing it as a result of optimal organization and the impact of similar popularization on further scientific research in such medical fields as otolaryngology, audiology, phoniatrics or rehabilitation as well as in the areas of pedagogy, psychology, speech therapy and clinical engineering – Professor Skarżyński stated in the introduction to his lecture.

The scientist expressed his gratitude to the Deans and the Councils of the Faculty of Management and the Faculty of Biology for initiating the idea of awarding him the honoris causa doctorate. – The degree granted by this particular community is of special importance to me. As a physician I develop my knowledge on the basis of biological sciences, at the same time I apply managerial sciences by selecting the components that might serve a human in their everyday life and stimulate their development. – Professor Skarżyński stated. He expressed special thanks to the reviewers of his doctorate: Professor Marek Krawczyk, Professor Wojciech Noszczyk and Professor Andrzej Koźmiński as well as to the Rector of UW, Professor Katarzyna Chałasińska-Macukow.

Professor Skarżyński has been assisting patients in overcoming their disease for many years. His extensive achievements and contribution to the development of medicine include a number of innovative otosurgical methods, which have been implemented in numerous clinical centres worldwide. In 1992 he was the first scientist to perform the cochlear implant surgery in Poland, in 1998 an auditory brainstem implantation and in 2003 middle ear implantation. In 2002 Professor Skarżyński, for the first time in the world, conducted cochlear implantation surgery in an adult patient with partial loss of hearing, and two years later in a child with a similar disability. In 2008 in Kajetany he participated in the first ever surgery of a two-sided auditory brainstem implantation. The researcher published therapeutic scheme for partial loss of hearing and the first classification of the disease in the world.

Professor Skarżyński is a co-author of a dozen of patents, the author of several hundred publications frequently referred to in the world scientific literature – over the last four years – he has been quoted in more than 300 instances. Apart from medical activity, Professor Skarżyński conducts extensive social work as well as educational activity dedicated for students and physicians from all over the world.