Date added: 2026-02-12
Ventus in Vela Educationis for Prof. Joanna Mytnik, Director of the Centre for Innovative Education
The Ventus in Vela Educationis prize has been awarded for two years.
“In fulfilling our statutory objectives as ‘Pomeranian Employers’, convinced of the key importance of education for the development of the region, civil society and the labour market, we established this award in 2024,” explained Zbigniew Canowiecki, the President of the organisation and originator of this category. “It is awarded to individuals, companies and institutions that support education. The award winners, acting consistently and with determination and a sense of mission, contribute in a special way to the implementation of this task, which is extremely important in social terms.”
In this year's edition, the jury recognised Prof. Joanna Mytnik for her consistent and systemic efforts to bring about real change in academic teaching and develop innovative, research-based teaching methods.
Prof. Joanna Mytnik is a biologist, researcher and academic lecturer who has been involved in education since 1999. She is the author and co-author of nearly 80 scientific publications, the principal investigator and co-investigator in several research grant projects, and the winner of numerous awards for her scientific, teaching and organisational achievements. Her key areas of expertise include educational change, neuroscience, gamification, the use of artificial intelligence in education, and innovative assessment models. In her work, she combines a research perspective with teaching practice, designing learning environments grounded in mindfulness, trust and responsibility.
Since 2020, Prof. Joanna Mytnik has headed the Centre for Innovative Education (CNE) at the Gdańsk University of Technology, which has quickly become one of the major teaching innovation hubs in Poland. Under her leadership, the CNE has developed and implemented a comprehensive support system for academic teachers, including certified training, mentoring programmes, coaching, efforts to improve well-being and the implementation of modern teaching methods, such as gamification and the responsible use of artificial intelligence. The CNE also fulfils the university's third mission by sharing knowledge and good practices with teachers at all stages of education on a national scale.
“The establishment of the Centre for Innovative Education was a conscious strategic decision. We wanted to create a place at the Gdańsk University of Technology that would support academic teachers and set the direction for national-scale educational changes. Thanks to Prof. Joanna Mytnik, this vision has been turned into a real, recognisable ecosystem of modern teaching,” emphasised Krzysztof Wilde, Rector of the Gdańsk University of Technology.
“Let me share this award with the team at the Centre for Innovative Education at the Gdańsk University of Technology, the authorities of the Gdańsk University of Technology, represented by Rector Krzysztof Wilde and Vice-Rector Barbara Wikieł, and many exceptional individuals at Gdańsk Tech, both from the administrative and academic staff, who contribute to efforts to bring about change in education, especially in academic teaching in Poland,” said Prof. Joanna Mytnik as she accepted the award. "It has been exactly six years since our first telephone conversation with Rector Krzysztof, during which he shared his dream of building a unit that would provide real support to academic teachers. I was captivated by Krzysztof's vision, which, in addition to the idea itself, also created space for innovative thinking and action. This is rare in Polish universities. While there are many passionate people at universities, there is usually no permission or support from the authorities to allow this passion to develop so that real change in the environment is brought about. At the Gdańsk University of Technology, this proved possible: placing trust in the person who was given the task of designing and implementing the innovation, mapping the potential among the staff, inviting all interested parties to join the newly created project, and taking action.”
The Ventus in Vela Educationis award confirms the significant role of the Gdańsk University of Technology in shaping a modern approach to academic teaching and the rising position of the Gdańsk Tech’s Centre for Innovative Education as a leader in teaching innovation in Poland.