National Day of Materials Engineering at the Silesian University of Technology
Establishing the Polish record, lectures, workshops in laboratories and presentations – the National Day of Materials Engineering was held at the Silesian University of Technology. The celebration involved: Faculty of Materials Engineering, Faculty of Chemistry and Faculty of Mechanical Engineering.
The aim of the event is to popularize materials engineering and manufacturing technology especially among secondary school pupils. The event was attended by 15 universities and 6 research institutes from all over Poland, including Silesian University of Technology.
- “The National Day of Materials Engineering is a unique opportunity to popularize this dynamically developing field, crucial for modern industry and technology. For our Faculty of Materials Engineering, ODIM (National Day of Materials Engineering) is of special importance – it is not only a celebration of our field, but also an opportunity to present the achievements of our scientists. We want to show that materials engineering plays a key role in the development of modern technologies, from the aerospace industry to medicine,” said the Dean of the Faculty of Materials Engineering Prof. Krzysztof Nowacki.
The task of material engineers is to search for material and technological solutions that will allow the best use of material properties in many industries.
“Materials engineering is basically all the materials that surround us. For example, a mobile phone that is common today contains dozens of different materials from simple to very advanced electronics. Without modern materials, there would be no flights into space, no development of the aviation or automotive industry.” – said the Dean of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering Dr Hab. Eng. Marcin Adamiak, Prof. SUT.
Sustainability is a key issue in materials engineering nowadays.
“When designing a material, we must also think about how it will be managed after a full life cycle, i.e. how to recycle it or how to neutralize it safely for the environment,” added Dean Adamiak.
The Faculty of Chemistry also joined the celebration of the Materials Engineering Day, where students listened, among others, to the lecture “Green nanotubes – Eco(techno)logy of the future.”
– “We are glad that this year this event took place for the first time at our Faculty and immediately met with great interest.” – said the Vice-Dean for Infrastructure and Organization, Dr Eng. Piotr Latos. The participants had the opportunity to visit the laboratories and also took part in interesting workshops prepared by scientists of the Faculty of Chemistry, such as “Electrochemical potential. From dentistry to aviation” or “Heat – cold, where is the energy hiding?”
The main event of the National Day of Materials Engineering 2025 was the setting of the Polish record in the largest number of people solving crossword puzzles simultaneously. The topic was materials engineering.
- “The idea to set this record came from the fact that this year it has been a hundred years since the first crossword puzzle was published in Poland. It appeared in the Warsaw Courier in January 1925. We decided to celebrate this anniversary by combining it with our event.” – said Dr Hab. Eng. Janusz Mazurkiewicz, prof. SUT, coordinator of the Materials Engineering Day at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering.
- “Beating the Polish record, additionally attracts the attention of the public, showing that science can be fascinating and engaging.” - adds the Dean of the Faculty of Materials Engineering, Prof. Krzysztof Nowacki.
All universities and scientific units participating in the National Day of Materials Engineering participated in the setting of the record. The crossword puzzles were solved by secondary school pupils participating in the event.
The crossroad puzzle was interesting and not very difficult. Some of the knowledge was from the school material, some from today's lecture. I also liked it very much. In the future, I would like to study this course at the Silesian University of Technology – said Oliwer from the District School Complex in Bieruń.
- “My whole class liked this way of spending the day and the opportunity to see and learn something new.” - adds Amelia, a pupil from the Complex of Chemical-Medical and Secondary Comprehensive Schools in Tarnowskie Góry.
After the lectures, pupils went to the laboratories of the Silesian University of Technology, where workshops took place.
