The 3rd Edition of the "Engineers of the Future" Programme Launches
Research grants, scholarships, training with leading scientists, and initial original research projects – these are just some of the opportunities that await pupils of general and technical secondary schools in the new edition of the nationwide educational programme "Engineers of the Future". The initiative is organised by the ORLEN Foundation named after Ignacy Łukasiewicz. The patronage over the initiative was taken by the Rector of the Silesian University of Technology, Professor Marek Pawełczyk.
Learning through experience
"Engineers of the Future" is a programme designed for ambitious young people and teachers seeking to develop innovative projects in the fields of science, natural sciences, technology and engineering. It provides a unique opportunity for secondary schools pupils to assume the role of young researchers, gain practical experience and recive support for the implementation of their own ideas.
As part of the program, participants will:
- develop original research concepts,
- receive grants to initiate their projects,
- attend in training sessions and webinarsled by scientists and experts from technical universities,
- write the first scientific publication,
- have the opportunity to obtain scholarships and awards foroutstanding works.
The program was under the honorary patronage of Barbara Nowacka, Minister of Education, the Centre for Education Development, and the Łukasiewicz Research Network – the Institute of Industrial Chemistry named after Prof. Ignacy Mościcki. The initiative is also supported by The Rectors of: Warsaw University of Technology – Prof. Krzysztof Zaremba, The AGH University of Krakow – Prof. Jerzy Lis, Gdańsk University of Technology – Prof. Krzysztof Wilde, Silesian University of Technology – Prof. Marek Pawełczyk, and the Maritime University of Szczecin – Prof. Wojciech Ślączka. The media partner of the event is TVP Nauka.
The programme comprises several key stages:
- Project concept development – pupils, together with their teachers develop ideas for research projects, which may cover various fields of science, natural sciences, technology, and engineering.
- Recruitment and selection of participants – teachers submit their students’ project concepts to be carried out within the framework of the programme.
- Selection of laureates – specialists from technical universities, wwhose Rectors have placed the programme under their patronage, as well as experts from Orlen evaluate the submitted concepts. Authors of the highest rated projects receive grants in theؘ amount of PLN 2,000, which can be used to purchase materials, equipment or other resources necessary for conducting research.
- Project implementation – pupils carry out their planned research projects at their schools under the supervision of their teachers
- Support activities – participants take part in the November meeting, inaugurating the program at the Warsaw Gasworks Museum, as well as webinars and inspiring training sessions.
- Project evaluation – completed projects are evaluated by specialists from various scientific and industrial fields. We select the authors of the 20 best works.
- National Scientific Conference of Secondary Schools – pupils gain experience by publishing their first reserch reports in conference proceedings. Authors of the highest-rated presentations receive scholarships, and their supervisors are awarded prizes.
What’s new in the 3rd edition
This year’s edition of the programme places an even stronger emphasis on the development of future skills. Participants will take part in soft skills workshops, such as public speaking and scientific communication. Online sessions with scientists and industry experts are also planned, providing insights into real-world research and development projects. Pupils will have the opportunity not only to carry out their own original research projects but also to produce a graphical abstract, a scientific poster, and their first publication in the conference proceedings.
Submit your project
Recruitment is open until 10 October 2025. To participate in the program, the supervising teacher registers an account at www.inzynierowie-przyszlosci.pl and submits the project concept to be implemented by their pupils.
