The commission included representatives of all ten departments of the University of Wroclaw. Its purpose will be to find outstanding students, community champions, science enthusiasts, and athletes in junior and high schools and encourage them to study in Wroclaw.
"This is probably a pioneering project in Poland, at least I haven't heard of such committees at other universities" says Prof. Piotr Chruszczewski. "However, at the major universities in the United State,s there are special units that head-hunt talented student hopefuls, and they do a great job.
For a few semesters now, the university departments of mathematics and IT have held programmes dedicated to fishing out the mathematically gifted young people and to attract them to study at the University of Wroclaw. Lecturers in these specializations also teach at the best high schools in Wroclaw. This is also a method to track down the best logical minds. The effects are there for all to see - computer scientists from the University of Wroclaw are considered to be one of the best in Poland. They regularly win awards at the programming events around the world. The Interdepartmental College of Humanities and Social Studies works effectively at the university, recruiting great and very hard-working students annually. They already publish under the aegis of the Polish Academy of Sciences.
For now, the members of the Extremely Talented Youth Commission are working to develop a specific action plan. "It's a pioneering work, there are no manuals on how to do it. We need to turn to our headhunting sense, " said Prof. Chruszczewski.
One of the ways to do it is for the university's representatives to take part in the national and regional subject competitions. Also, an excellent opportunity for the scientists to meet the inquisitive and knowledge-hungry youth is the science fair, held in the autumn.
"A personal meeting of a scientist and a young science passionate is sometimes exciting. Professor Kenneth Arrow, an American economist, Nobel Prize winner and the promoter of the next five Nobel Prize winners, told me that he chose his tutees personally" says Prof. Piotr Chruszczewski.
The lecturer points out that the search for exceptionally talented will not be limited to schools in Poland. "I would like to bring to Poland the children of Polish emigrants. We have an outstanding, diverse offer for them. Here, studying is free and more and more courses are taught in English" says Prof. Chruszczewski, and adds "I hope that I will live to see a Nobel laureate from the University of Wroclaw one day".
