Poland in South Africa

The Benedict of the Pole award has been awarded annually since 2015, for two contestants, a Pole and a foreigner (in 2020 it was exceptionally three Laureates for outstanding exploratory and research achievements on the ground, in the sea, in the air and in space). The patron of the award is a friar - Franciscan Benedykt the Pole, who, together with the Italian friar Giovanni da Pian del Carpine made an envoy to the Mongol Khan in the years 1245-1247 and were received in the then capital of the Empire, Karakoram. These envoys then gave the Europeans the first detailed description of Asia, 50 years before the famous work of Marco Polo.

The winners of the 7th edition of the Prize were ex aequo dr. hab. Hacer Topaktaş Üstüner (Department of Polish Language, University of Istanbul) and prof. David Frick (Department Of Slavic languages ​​and literatures, University of California, Berkeley). The winner of the Main Prize in the category for the Polish citizens was dr. Wojciech Kołątaj, an outstanding conservator of monuments, associated with the Centre of Mediterranean Archeology of the University of Warsaw in Cairo.

The jury also awarded a Special Award to Mr. Maciej Grzelczyk (Jagiellonian University) in recognition of his discoveries of rock art in Tanzania.

Participation in the ceremony and symposium was limited to 100 participants, solely with the personal invitations, due to the pandemic restrictions and capacity of the Ballroom in the Łańcut Castle. The entire event, including all the presentations of the symposium participants, was available in the form of streaming on the YouTube platform, and is still available there to watch: http://theexplorersclubpolska.pl/2021/10/23/transmisja-na-zywo-z-zamku-w-lancucie-z-ceremonii-wreczenia-nagrod-im-benedykta-polaka/.

The speaches were presented by:
-   prof. Henryk Jankowski (AMU)
-   prof. Leszek Zasztowt (University of Warsaw)
-   prof. Adam Łukaszewicz (University of Warsaw)
-   prof. Andrzej Rozwadowski (AMU)
-   dr hab. Hacer Topaktaş Üstüner
-   prof. David Frick
-   dr inż. Wojciech Kołątaj
-    Maciej Grzelczyk, MA

The ceremony was attended by dr. hab. Małgorzata Gawin, Deputy Minister of Culture, National Heritage and Sport, who read a congratulatory letter from Deputy Prime Minister prof. Piotr Gliński, Marshal of the Podkarpackie Voivodeship Władysław Ortyl, Vice-Rector of the University of Rzeszów prof. Paweł Grata, Mr. Paweł Dowgier Honorary Consul of Turkey in Krakow, Mrs. Tsakhiur Urtnasan Honorary Consul of Mongolia in Krakow, who read the congratulatory letter of HE Dorj Barkhas, the Mongolian Ambassador in Poland, Mr. Jacek Magdoń Chairman of the Committee for Foreign Liaison with Poles of the Podkarpackie Voivodeship, Representatives of the City Council Włodzimierz Wołyński. Congratulatory letters were also sent by President Andrzej Duda and HE Archbishop Salvatore Pennacchio, Apostolic Nuncio in Poland.

Media representatives, including Polish Radio SA, which took media patronage over the ceremony, were also represented.

As in previous editions, this ceremony was granted the Honorary Patronage of the President of the Republic of Poland, Mr. Andrzej Duda, and the prize pool was funded by the Minister of Culture, National Heritage and Sport, prof. Piotr Gliński. The event was sponsored by the Marshal's Office of the Podkarpackie Voivodeship, the Ministry of Education and Science and the PZU Group. The event was also supported by the Department of Public and Cultural Diplomacy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland, which disseminated information about the Award through the diplomatic missions of the Republic of Poland abroad. In this context, it is worth adding that two of this year's Laureates are people nominated by diplomatic missions: dr hab. Hacer Topaktaş Üstüner (by the General Consultate of the Republic of Poland in Istanbul) and Maciej Grzelczyk, MA (by the Polish Embassy in Dar es Salam).

After the official part of the ceremony, the ARSO Subcarpathian Philharmonic Group presented a chamber music concert followed by a cocktail in honor of the Laureates, issued by the Marshal of the Podkarpackie Province.

Prof. Mariusz Ziółkowski
Vice-chairman of the Chapter
Benedict the Pole Award