The Polish Botanical Society honoured the Dean of the Faculty of Biology at the University of Gdańsk, Prof. dr hab. Dariusz Szlachetko, with the Prof. Władysław Szafer Medal in recognition of his entire scientific achievement. Prof. Dariusz Szlachetko is the first scientist to receive this distinction twice!

The Prof. Władysław Szafer Medal was established in 1980 and has been awarded every three years since 1989. The Polish Botanical Society awards it to authors of works in the field of botany that are of exceptional research value and have been published between successive PTB congresses. The medals are also awarded to outstanding researchers for their lifetime scientific achievements.

Prof. Dariusz Szlachetko's research interests focus on the taxonomy of orchids (Orchidales). He is one of the best specialists in this field in Poland and one of the few tropical botanists in our country. He was the founder and long-time head of the Department of Plant Taxonomy and Nature Conservation at the University of Gdańsk, and since 2020 he has been the Dean of the Faculty of Biology, without interrupting his scientific work related to orchid taxonomy. According to the International Plant Names Index (IPNI), he has described nearly four thousand new taxa from this group of plants! Prof. D. Szlachetko has also made dozens of long-term research trips to herbaria around the world and to rainforests.

The scientific achievements of Professor Dariusz L. Szlachetko are highly regarded and widely cited around the world. His work has made a significant contribution to the advancement of research on orchids, providing extremely valuable data for scientists involved in the taxonomy, morphology and ecology of these plants. Professor D. Szlachetko is not only an outstanding specialist but also a mentor and inspiration for younger generations of researchers.

The Medal for Lifetime Scientific Achievement of the Polish Botanical Society was awarded to Prof. Dariusz Szlachetko during the ceremonial opening of the 60th Congress of the Polish Botanical Society, which took place on July 1, 2025, in Katowice. For the first time in the history of the award, the same researcher was honoured with it twice! Prof. Dariusz Szlachetko received his first Prof. Władysław Szafer Medal in 1998 for his monograph Systema Orchidalium, which was the basis for his habilitation.

You can read more about the professor's scientific achievements here.