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The last Science Week is behind us
Almost sixty activities – lectures, workshops, presentations, and exhibitions – this is what the Materials Week at the Silesian University of Technology looked like. The event was organized as part of the European City of Science Katowice 2024.
This was the last Science Week in the European City of Science Katowice 2024. From December 16th to 22nd, the participants could take part in the Materials Week. During the event, issues related to broadly understood materials used not only in engineering and construction were presented.
“We want to show that we come into contact with materials on a daily basis, both in large engineering structures and in everyday life. Regardless of whether we are talking about plastics, ceramics, composites, metals and alloys, and textile materials, we are all dealing with materials on a daily basis – said Professor Krzysztof Nowacki, Dean of the Faculty of Materials Engineering.
The Week of Materials is also an opportunity to present the potential and educational offer of the Faculty.

- We are in the centre of the Metropolis; we want to show that the Silesian University of Technology is a very important point on the map of Katowice. Events such as the Materials Week are also an opportunity to present our educational offer related to materials engineering – added the Dean.
The Materials Week was inaugurated by the Open Labour and Employers' Exchange at the Faculty of Materials Engineering. During the event, almost twenty companies from the materials industry prepared their offers.
We started the event with the Day with an Employer, i.e. a large labour exchange, addressed mainly to students. There will also be lectures and workshops as well as advice on writing a CV or interview training – said Dr Eng. Sandra Grabowska, Vice-Dean for Infrastructure and Organization of the Faculty of Materials Engineering.
During the Materials Week there were also issues related to ecology, sustainability, and consumption. “We want to show not only the wide spectrum of materials we deal with, but also pay attention to social responsibility in this area and to the fact that we have a big impact on what happens to them. Currently, scientists are creating materials in order to ensure that they do not destroy the environment and are suitable for re-use – adds the Vice-Dean.

On the first day of the Materials Week there was also an online lecture entitled “Materials for the City of the future,” during which Dr Hab. Eng. Magdalena Jabłońska-Czapla, Prof. IPIŚ, raised the issues of challenges, future, and ecological risk of photovoltaics as an alternative energy in smart cities in Poland.
In the afternoon, at the railway station in Bytom, a workshop entitled “Wicker - material with soul” was held. The participants learned the basic techniques of wicker weaving and the history of this craft.
During the whole week you could also visit the exhibition of fine art works at the Academy of Fine Arts in Katowice entitled “BioCraftLab.” The exhibition presented an experimental approach to the design of materials.
- “We show here various types of natural raw materials and how they can potentially be used in design - said Martyna Piątek, lecturer at the Academy of Fine Arts. - Students were doing their own experiments with a given material, e.g. made of beeswax into a massager by adding Himalayan salt or biomaterials from banana or topcoat” - added the lecturer.

On the second day of the Materials Week at the Faculty of Materials Engineering, ecological materials such as wood were discussed.
- “This is the material of the future. Ecological material of all time” – said Dr Eng. Tomasz Pawlik, curator of the Materials Week.
It wasn’t just about wood. The Faculty also held a meeting under the slogan “EcoFashion and Renewal” on the topic of ecological approach to fashion.
"The aim of all the events during the Materials Week is to show that we are surrounded by various types of materials, without which we would not be able to cope in life, and that is what material engineering does," explained Dr Eng. Sandra Grabowska, Vice-Dean for Infrastructure and Organization of Faculty of Materials Engineering. She added that we also need the materials from which clothes are made. – It is important not only what and what quality we buy, but also how much. We want to talk about sustainable consumption, responsible use of clothes and following fashion styles consciously.
The clothes presented during the show were prepared and presented by students of the Complex of Administrative and Economic and General Education Schools in Bytom under the supervision of MSc Eng. Katarzyna Kęsik. The costumes were prepared from various materials, which were used again, they were given a second life. The costumes were made, among others, of foil or elements of other, unused clothes.

An important part of Tuesday's events was also the debate of women representing the world of materials engineering.
- “Invited guests talked about science, industry, work, passion, and everyday life. They talked about how to combine all this and shared advice for students and younger generations on how to start their career in the materials engineering industry,” said Dr Eng. Sandra Grabowska
The guests of the debate were outstanding personalities: Dr Hab. Joanna Wojewoda-Budka, Professor of the Polish Academy of Sciences – Director of the Institute of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering of the Polish Academy of Sciences; Dr Eng. Barbara Juszczyk – Director of Lukasiewicz – Institute of Non-Ferrous Metals, President of the Association of Non-Ferrous Metals Engineers and Technicians; Dr Hab. Eng. Anna Dolata, Prof. Silesian University of Technology, President of the Polish Society of Composite Materials; Prof. Dr Hab. Eng. Agnieszka Kopia – AGH, Dean of the Faculty of Metal Engineering and Industrial Computer Science.
The speakers encouraged students listening to the debate to listen to their own needs while choosing their career paths, not the expectations of others. They also proposed to write down one’s goals and plans on a sheet of paper and, if necessary, verify themselves in connection with emerging circumstances.
The Materials Week at the Silesian University of Technology was also an opportunity to participate in numerous workshops, among others under the slogan "In pursuit of adrenaline", during which speedway sports enthusiasts and automotive technology enthusiasts had the opportunity to meet Krzysztof Sichma, President of the Association of Friends of Speedway.

The next day of the Week of Materials abounded in a number of events, including charitable ones.
- “On the third day we had a lot of different events – from excellent lectures conducted by scientists of the Warsaw University of Technology, in which both elementary and popular science appeared, to sports games or testing your strength on simulators. We try to present the strength of materials from every possible side “– explains Dr Eng. Tomasz Pawlik, curator of the Materials Week.
A lot of positive impressions provided everyone with the opportunity to support the Cordis Hospice in Katowice. The event was held under the slogan “Sport and heart – we work together for Hospice Cordis!”
The hospice collection was carried out throughout the day. At the Faculty of Materials Engineering of the Silesian University of Technology, a fair was held, the culmination of which was a large auction. The participants fought for, among others, a sabre, but above all for coffee and a cake with the dean’s Council, which was particularly popular among students.

- “It is very important for us that we can support a noble goal, and I am glad that so many people have willingly joined this initiative” - summed up the event Dr Eng. Sandra Grabowska, Vice-Dean for Infrastructure and Organization of Faculty of Materials Engineering.
A real treat were sports events, and above all volleyball matches, in which students, sports section and employees, and even Deans of the faculty participated. There were some exciting meetings.
- “We organized the Endurance League, which was additionally combined with personal training led by Karol Ślepaczuk from estetyk-sylwetki.pl. Therefore, everyone could come and take classes under the supervision of a professional” – explains Vice-Dean Sandra Grabowska.
Participants of the third day of the Materials Week could also visit the building of the K. Szymanowski Academy of Music in Katowice, thanks to the activity “What’s squeaking in the material?” There was an open lecture “The Sound of Matter” on sound and a workshop for children “BudoGranie” on the construction of simple musical instruments.
In the afternoon, however, there was also the opportunity to test one’s strength on drone simulators and locomotives, which were preceded by a lecture by Dr Hab. Eng. Janusz Cebulski "Materials drive the world" - says Dr Eng. Tomasz Pawlik.
Participants of various ages were also interested to visit the Materials Escape Room – an escape laboratory, where the participants solved various tasks, but above all they had to find their way through the map in the building of the Faculty of Materials Engineering, which hides many secrets.

On the penultimate day of the Materials Week, the participants moved to the world of sculpture, ceramics, and stained glass.
New skills, relaxation, creativity – under these slogans, workshops began at the Katowice branch of the Faculty of Architecture of the Silesian University of Technology on Saturday morning. The event was attended by dozens of people, which definitely delighted the organizers, who were available to help. Everyone said that it was a time well spent.
- “The participants created clay forms of birds, including spatial and bas-reliefs. After drying, clay forms will be burned out, and at a later time they will be exhibited at the Faculty “- explains the workshop leader Dr Eng. Krzysztof Groń from the Faculty of Architecture of the Silesian University of Technology. – “The most important and most beautiful in these workshops was that there were children, youth, adults, and pensioners. It was a great multi-generational collaboration. Everyone wanted to deal with ceramics, play with clay, show off their sculptural skills. Maybe it will inspire them to do something bigger, or maybe even create their own studio. This was often the case after other workshops I conducted, which I am very pleased with.
The participants took part in three workshops “Pots are made not only by holy people,” “Ceramics” and “Colourful world of stained glass.”
- “Without any barriers we also talked about our work, studies, helped each other, talked about our dreams and plans. It was a wonderful Saturday morning and afternoon. The European City of Science is a great initiative that has created a space for establishing relationships” – concluded the lecturer.

On Sunday, on the last day of the Materials Week, the participants of the event could visit the Museum of Metallurgy and take part in exceptional activities “Asana for Puppies,” i.e. yoga with puppies.
The organizers invited the inhabitants of our region to a unique visit to the Museum of Metallurgy in Chorzów. It was an extraordinary opportunity to discover with a guide how metallurgical technology and materials have changed over the centuries, shaping industry and everyday life.
- “We are from Silesia, where the metallurgical traditions are very strong. As organizers of the Materials Week, we wanted to talk not only about what awaits us in the future, but also about what is happening now, what was once, what we grew out of. These are our traditions, and it is here, in the Museum of Metallurgy, that we can find them” – said Dr Eng. Tomasz Pawlik, curator of the event.
The choice of the Museum of Metallurgy was not accidental, also because without metallurgical products there would be no industrial revolution and modern civilization.
- “Steelworks produce various types of sheet metal, pipes, profiles, which then go to industrial plants. Metal sheets are used, for example, car bodies, long-distance water, and gas pipelines. In turn, the profiles are used in the construction of halls or bridges. Therefore, it can be said that metallurgical products are almost ubiquitous” – said Dr Eng. Eugeniusz Skwaradowski, retired metallurgist, one of the heroes of the museum exhibition and participant of the Materials Week.
Visitors to the Museum of Metallurgy were guided by Andrzej Szubert.
"During today's tour, I will talk about the education of steelworkers, show some metallurgical equipment and explain what the work of the steelworker looked like," the guide said.
The visit to the Museum of Metallurgy was not only an opportunity to learn about history in a modern edition, it was also an inspiration to explore knowledge about technology and materials, and the interactive exhibitions and fascinating stories of the guide made it possible for both children and adults to discover something interesting.
The week of materials ended with “Asana for Puppies” or yoga with dogs.

