Ministerial Support for Our Popular Science Projects
Robots, smart city designs, mechanical engineering hidden inside racing cars and hydrogen engines, space technologies – Cracow University of Technology is once again proving that science can truly fascinate and change the world around us. Thanks to ministerial funding from the Social Responsibility of Science III programme, our university is launching three exceptional science popularisation projects that will open the doors of modern technology to curious minds of all ages. The message is simple: innovation is not a distant theory — it is the “everyday magic” we rely on every day.
The #nauka4future project will be run by FutureLab PK, the interdisciplinary innovation unit of Cracow University of Technology established to support creative and ambitious students. The project has received PLN 270,600 in funding from the Ministry of Science and Higher Education). This is a continuation of an initiative launched in 2024, whose previous two editions attracted thousands of participants, primarily secondary school students from Kraków and the entire Małopolska region. #nauka4future includes a diverse range of activities and formats: expert lectures, workshops, popular science demonstrations, as well as debates. This year’s edition focuses on space technologies, responsible architecture and construction, chemistry, design, and the smart cities of the future. Participation is fully open.
“We address the project particularly to young people — high school and vocational school students, and recent graduates — who are facing choices about their future education. We also invite adult residents of Kraków and Małopolska. We want to show them, in a modern and accessible way, that science is not an abstract set of theories, but genuinely responds to global challenges and transforms our everyday lives.” — Monika Firlej, MSc Eng., Director of FutureLab PK.
Previous editions of the event took place not only in CUT lecture halls, but also in the university’s unique labs — including the Laboratory of Environmental Aerodynamics and the Małopolska Energy-Efficient Building Laboratory, as well as real-world engineering sites such as the Kraków waste-to-energy plant (Ekospalarnia). A distinctive feature of the project is its inclusive approach: sessions are tailored for participants on the autism spectrum (ASD) and are available to small groups; assistants are also available.
ProjektON — A National Competition in Design Thinking
“ProjektON — Switch On Design Thinking” is a response to the need for developing design competencies among young people. The three-stage educational competition introduces secondary school students to the fundamentals of architectural and construction design, including practical training in AutoCAD.
“ProjektON is more than a knowledge competition. We want to bring design education to the younger generation in an attractive, modern, and fully accessible way — combining the popularisation of knowledge with its practical application.” says Paweł Gałek, PhD, Eng., coordinator, from the Department of General Construction and Building Physics, Faculty of Civil Engineering, CUT
Any school in Poland may enter the first stage, where students complete a knowledge test based on materials provided by CUT. The best advance to the central online stage, which assesses their practical technical drawing skills in AutoCAD. The national final, involving the top 20 participants, will be held in person at our university, and will include additional workshops and laboratory demonstrations. The project’s strength lies in its reach and durability. Organisers estimate that approximately 400 students will take part directly, while up to 50,000 recipients may be reached indirectly through online materials. A key tool will be the expanded Akademia Młodego Projektanta (Young Designer Academy) platform, which will host around 35 instructional and educational videos forming a permanent, freely accessible knowledge base.
ProjektON has received PLN 132,000 in funding from MNiSW.
Mechanical Engineering Demystified — Learning Through Experience
The project “Mechanical Engineering Demystified — Popularising Science Through Experience”, run by the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at CUT, has received PLN 173,200 in funding. Its aim: to break stereotypes about what engineers do and who they are.
“We want to show that mechanical engineering is an integral part of our lives — from technical solutions powering industry to technologies that improve the quality of life, health, and environmental protection. The goal is to present the fascinating world of research at our faculty in a way that is both understandable and inspiring.” — Prof. Aneta Liber-Kneć, DSc Eng, project coordinator, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, CUT
The project is built around three pillars:
1. Laboratory workshops — a series of eight sessions for approximately 200 students from Kraków and the entire Małopolska region. Participants will experiment under the guidance of researchers in areas such as mobile robotics, virtual reality in engineering, 3D printing, and hydrogen combustion engine technology.
2. Popular science films — seven professional short films, distributed via social media, explaining the research process in an accessible way: from tests in a climate chamber simulating extreme conditions, to aerodynamic testing of a racing car in a wind tunnel, and the latest electromobility technologies.
3. Festival of Mechanics (Festiwal Mechanika) — A spectacular public event linking a passion for motorsport with cutting-edge science. The programme includes rallies of sports and vintage cars, displays of electric and hydrogen racing cars built by our students, panel discussions on the future of motorsport, laboratory workshops and demonstrations.
“We want everyone, regardless of age, to be able to touch mechanical engineering and feel that it is creative, dynamic, and accessible to all.” — adds Prof. Aneta Liber-Kneć
Recruitment Opens Soon
Registration for all three projects will open in the coming months. Details will be published on the Cracow University of Technology website and across CUT’s social media channels. The discussed projects received funding under the Social Responsibility of Science III programme of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, which supports universities in popularising science by communicating research results in a clear and accessible way. Across Poland, 110 projects received funding under this programme, totalling over PLN 26 million. It is worth noting that three of them are led by our university.
Photos:
1. Project #nauka4future attracted thousands of young fans of science / Photo by FutureLab PK
2. PKMech Power race car will be one of the highlights of the project / Photo credit: Faculty odf Mechanical Engineering
