More than 500 students, doctoral candidates and young researchers from Poland and abroad are taking part in the Lem Next Gen Science Forum 2026, which has opened at Wrocław University of Science and Technology. The inauguration ceremony included the presentation of the Stanisław Lem European Research Prize.

– The event beginning today is not just another conference, but a space for young researchers to meet, talk, ask questions, exchange experiences and discuss what kind of science and what kind of university they want to build – said Prof. Arkadiusz Wójs, Rector of Wrocław Tech, during the opening ceremony. – At our university, supporting the development of young academic careers is not an additional activity, but a central element of our strategy. In recent years, we have made a number of decisions to strengthen this community. We have increased support for early-career researchers and invested in doctoral education, developing our doctoral school despite nationwide trends – he added.

Investing in young researchers as a priority 

Prof. Wójs emphasised that a strong university must support and nurture new ideas and new research ambitions. Although scientific talent is essential, it is not enough on its own. Young researchers also need funding, time, trust, mentors, international contacts, infrastructure and an institution that takes their ambitions seriously.

– This is precisely our model of a university. I hope some of you will consider Wrocław University of Science and Technology or our partner institutes from the Max Born Research Alliance as a place for your doctorate or future research career – said Prof. Wójs. – However, this forum is not about recruitment. It is a sign of respect for young researchers, for their perspective, priorities and concerns. Young researchers are often described as the future of science. That is true, but you are already part of the present of our science. You co-create grants and publications and enrich academic communities – he added.

The Rector also noted that Stanisław Lem is an excellent point of reference for the forum, as the writer combined imagination with critical thinking. He understood that technology is never only about progress, but also raises questions about responsibility, uncertainty and the limits of our understanding.

– This is also the task facing your generation: not only to develop new technologies, but to understand their consequences. Not only to produce knowledge, but to use it responsibly. I hope this event will help you make new contacts and talk openly with one another. The greatest ideas are sometimes born from chance conversations – said the Rector.

Lem Prize for a breakthrough in immunotherapy

The inauguration also included the presentation of the 2025 Stanisław Lem European Research Prize to Prof. Li Tang from École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), a world-class expert in cancer immunoengineering.

– Every day, I am inspired by the idea that science, together with imagination, allows us to redefine the limits of what is possible for human health. I think this resonates strongly with the spirit of Stanisław Lem. He once wrote in one of his novels that we do not need other worlds, we need mirrors. I believe this reminds us that through science we ultimately study ourselves – said Prof. Li Tang during the ceremony.

The competition jury awarded him the prize, worth PLN 100,000, for the project “A Paradigm Shift in Cancer Immunotherapy: Harnessing Type 2 Immunity for Curative and Accessible Therapies”. 

Prof. Tang’s research provides new insights into how T cells respond to immunomodulatory cytokines such as IL-10 and IL-4, a process that had not been fully understood before. T cells are a key component of the immune system – white blood cells that help the body fight disease.

The Lem Prize 2025 laureate’s team discovered new properties of these cells, helping scientists better understand how they recognise and fight cancer cells. This marks an important step towards developing more effective cancer treatments based on the body’s natural defence mechanisms, known as immunotherapy.

– In my laboratory, we are not just working on cancer; we are trying to reimagine how we can outsmart this disease. We need to develop new therapies that are precise, adaptive and deeply human for patients – said the laureate. – It is a special privilege to share this moment with the young researchers taking part in the Next Gen Science Forum. I wish you all a successful two days – he added.

Prof. Tang also thanked his mentors, Prof. Jianjun Cheng and Prof. Darrell Irvine, who introduced him to his scientific journey, as well as Prof. Douglas Hanahan, Prof. Carl June and Prof. Jeffrey Hubbell, who nominated him for the prize, and the members of his research team.

He also delivered a special lecture presenting his latest research.

The prize is funded and supported by Bergman Engineering, Grupa Impel, KGHM Polska Miedź S.A. and PCC Group.

What is cancer immunotherapy? Can engineering help reduce the cost of expensive cell-based therapies? Do doctors and engineers speak the same language? What role does imagination play in a scientist’s work? An interview with Prof. Li Tang, winner of the 2025 Lem Prize.

Neurobiology and the limits of human motor control

The programme of the two-day event is filled with meetings and debates featuring outstanding scientists. The first plenary lecture was delivered by Prof. Anna Kuppuswamy from the University of Leeds, a renowned clinical neuroscientist and member of the Young Academy of Europe. She stressed that taking part in the event was a great honour for her, as the forum’s participants represent the future of science in Europe.

In her talk, she discussed her research into how the brain controls the body and how motor control deteriorates in people suffering from various diseases.

– One of the fundamental principles of motor control is sensorimotor integration. Importantly, however, even more crucial is the ability not to respond to, or to attenuate, sensory information that is irrelevant to a given task – said Prof. Kuppuswamy. – To study fatigue in disease, my team combines brain stimulation and brain imaging with behavioural methods and modelling techniques – she added.

The researcher also spoke about her involvement in science communication aimed at raising awareness of fatigue, as well as her work on policies concerning fatigue, healthcare and employment.

Career paths and the responsibility of science 

Further speakers will include Dr Tobias Dornheim from Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf in Germany, a theoretical physicist and the 2024 Lem Prize laureate. Panel discussions will also feature leaders of the Polish science system, including Prof. Krzysztof Pyrć, President of the Foundation for Polish Science, and Prof. Krzysztof Jóźwiak, Director of the National Science Centre.

– We treat doctoral studies as the next stage of education, but one supported very strongly both financially and scientifically. We hope that inviting people such as Prof. Li Tang or Dr Tobias Dornheim will show students and future doctoral candidates what a brilliant career they can have and how meaningfully they can contribute to the development of our society – said Prof. Katarzyna Matczyszyn, chair of the forum’s organising committee.

The event will also feature distinguished Polish researchers: Dr Anna Byzia from McKinsey & Company, Prof. Marcin Drąg from Wrocław University of Science and Technology, who specialises in biological chemistry and enzyme inhibitor design, and Prof. Agnieszka Dobrzyń, Director of the Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw, a molecular biologist and biochemist.

Young researchers will also address the topics of cities and the society of the future, as well as health engineering and future medicine, showing how technical research has a real impact on quality of life and longevity. Other important themes will include ethics and research integrity, science communication and mental wellbeing in academia.

– Initiatives like this are very welcome because they create an excellent space for discussion and the exchange of experiences. That is why the programme includes twelve different panel discussions featuring many experts, representatives of young researchers and doctoral candidates. We will be able to discuss mobility, career paths, research funding and all the issues that matter to us as doctoral candidates – said Izabela Walendzik, chair of the Wrocław Tech Doctoral Students’ Council.

Partners and sponsors

The scientific partners of the event are the institutions forming the Max Born Wrocław Research Alliance: the Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy of the Polish Academy of Sciences, the Institute of Low Temperature and Structure Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences, and Łukasiewicz – PORT Polish Center for Technology Development, as well as the Agreement of Technical Universities’ Doctoral Students.

Lem Next Gen Science Forum is held under the patronage of Dr Marcin Kulasek, Minister of Science and Higher Education; Prof. Krzysztof Pyrć, President of the Foundation for Polish Science; the National Science Centre; the Polish Academy of Sciences; Paweł Gancarz, Marshal of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship; and Jacek Sutryk, Mayor of Wrocław.

The sponsors and partners of the forum are Nokia, Grupa Impel, PKO Bank Polski, KGHM Polska Miedź S.A. and PIT-RADWAR S.A.

The media patron of the event is Forum Akademickie.

The task is co-financed from the budget of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship Government.

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