The have finally met the winners of the 2024 Futurist of The Year Competition. They have been announced during the Gala Awards Ceremony, which marked the culmination of the first day of the Futurist of The Year Congress.
Outstanding personalities, persons of merit who’s work impacts the future, were awarded for their significant contributions in a given discipline in nine categories: Astronomy, Economy, Banking, Medicine, Technology, Philosophy/Psychology, Cyber Security, Energy and Charity.
The Futurist of The Year awards were presented by Dr. Piotr Turek, Rector of the Nicolaus Copernicus Superior School, organizer of the Futurist of The Year competition and congress.
The Futurist of The Year statuette is a spherical astrolabe – Nicolaus Copernicus’ most sophisticated observational instrument – symbolizing mankind’s quest to explore every area of the universe.
The winners of the first Futurist of The Year 2024 Competition are:
Futurist of The Year | ASTRONOMY
Dr. Maciej Mikolajewski – Professor Mikołajewski is a Polish astronomer and popularizer of science, known for his significant contributions to the study of variable stars and solar activity. He is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Włodzimierz Zonn Award from the Polish Astronomical Society, and the Copernican Medal.
Futurist of The Year | ECONOMY
Tomasz Biernacki – Polish entrepreneur, manager, founder and co-owner of Dino Polska. He is one of the largest domestic shareholders of companies listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange (January 2019). In 2021, he ranked second on The Richest Poles Forbes list.
Futurist of The Year | BANKING
Prof. Paul Krugman – economist, winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics (2008), creator of the New Economic Geography (the location theory of production, that explains phenomena related to, among other things, the process of globalization) and the New Trade Theory.
Futurist of The Year | MEDICINE
Beata Drzazga – entrepreneur, Founder and President of BetaMed S.A., the largest medical company in Poland. She is considered one of the Polish most influential female entrepreneurs.
Futurist of The Year | TECHNOLOGY
Michał Świerczewski – entrepreneur, owner and president of X-kom – one of the largest computer and electronics chain stores in Poland.
Futurist of The Year | PHILOSOPHY/PSYCHOLOGY
Dr. Jordan B. Peterson – renowned clinical psychologist, professor of psychology at the University of Toronto. He is the author of “12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos,” published in January 2018 and translated into dozens of languages, and “Out of Order: 12 more rules for life,” published in March 2021.
Futurist of The Year | CYBER SECURITY
Jaroslaw Królewski – scientist, programmer, entrepreneur, investor and sports executive, CEO and Co-Founder of IT company Synerise – one of the world’s most technologically advanced companies in the field of artificial intelligence and big data.
Futurist of The Year | ENERGY
Wojciech Dąbrowski – former president of the Polish Energy Group (PGE). Politician, local government official and manager. Creator of the new PGE 2030 strategy, which aims for the PGE to achieve climate neutrality by 2050. In 2017, he was awarded the Cross of Freedom and Solidarity and in 2019, the Silver Medal for Long Service for his contribution to the development of the heating industry in Poland.
Futurist of The Year | CHARITATIVITY
Rafal Brzoska and Omenaa Mensah – in February 2022, they got involved in helping Ukraine. They organized the “Convoy of Polish Hearts,” a private transport of humanitarian aid to the civilian population. In the same year, they also supported the campaign of the “Free Place” Foundation under the slogan “Christmas Eve for the Lonely.”
Additionally, the competition committee decided to award the following persons with the Futurist of The Year 2024 SPECIAL AWARDS:
Prof. Didier Queloz – world-renowned astronomer, professor of physics at the Cavendish Laboratory at the University of Cambridge and at ETH Zurich. In 1995, together with Prof. M. Mayor, he discovered the first exoplanet (planet outside the solar system), orbiting the star 51 Pegasi. In 2019, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics, together with J. Peebles and M. Mayor. His lecture entitled “The revolution of exoplanets in the footsteps of Copernicus” inaugurated the Futurist of The Year 2024 Congress.
Jonathan Brill – futurologist, scientist and columnist. According to Forbes magazine, he is “the best futurologist in the world,” and according to the Harvard Business Review, “the world’s leading transformation architect” Inc. magazine called Brill “a Silicon Valley legend”.
Prof. John Tasioulas – researcher, Professor of Ethics and Legal Philosophy and the Director of the Institute for Ethics in AI at Oxford University. He is a member of the Science and Technology Option Assesmnet (STOA) Panel at the European Parliament, a Senior Fellow in the AI2050 program, and a member of the High Advisory Committee on Artificial Intelligence to the Prime Minister of Greece.
Dr. Michael L. Brodie – visiting professor at DASlab, Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and M.I.T. His work focuses on data science, databases, distributed systems, artificial intelligence and the application of multidisciplinary approaches to problem solving. He is the author of more than 200 articles and seven books on advanced technologies. He was a chief scientist at Verizon, one of the world’s largest companies, where for more than 25 years he was responsible for technology strategies.
Dr. Dorothea Baur – founder and head of Baur Consulting. She specializes in issues of responsibility, sustainability and ethics in business, with a particular focus on the technology and financial industries. She is an expert in adapting ethical values to corporate strategies.
Prof. Mark Coeckelbergh – Professor of Philosophy of Media and Technology at the Department of Philosophy of the University of Vienna and is a global expert and advisor on artificial intelligence, robotics and technology. Previously, he has served as President of the Society for Philosophy and Technology. He is a member of the European Commission’s Expert Group on Artificial Intelligence and the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence Council at UNESCO.
Dr. Ousmène Jacques Mandeng – Director and Founder of Economics Advisory. Currently associated with Accenture, that provides services in the area of implementation of the blockchain-based financial applications, especially in CBDC (central bank digital currency) projects. For more than 20 years, he held senior positions in the financial sector institutions, including the International Monetary Fund.
Thomas Frey – internationally respected futurologist, renowned speaker and founder of the DaVinci Institute. He is the most awarded engineer at IBM. A respected author, creator of the “Future Like a Boss” course. His speeches on futuristic topics attract the attention of both NASA and Fortune 500 companies. Thomas Frey is the founder of 17 companies and has supported the development of hundreds of others.
Prof. Peter C Bishop – Peter C. Bishop is a professional futurist, professor emeritus of strategic cooperation and former director of the graduate program in Future Studies at the University of Houston. He is also the founder and executive director of Teach the Future. He has written two books, “Thinking about the Future: Guidelines for Strategic Envisioning” and “Teaching the Future: Fundamentals of Future Education,” both co-authored with Andy Hines.
Congratulations to all the winners!
Live concert – Krautwurst, Moś, Jarecki and orchestra
For the conclusion of the Award Ceremony, the organizers prepared a live concert led by Mateusz Krautwurst, music producer and songwriter. Kasia Moś and Jarecki appeared on the musical stage accompanied by an expanded musical ensemble, including a brass section, choir and harp. They presented songs from their original repertoire, as well as some newly arranged musical surprises.
The selection committee for the Futurist of The Year 2024 Competition deliberated with a panel of prominent academics, scientists, specialists and practitioners:
Prof. Marios Loukas, President of the American Society of Clinical Anatomists, Dean of the College of Medical Sciences at SGMK.
Prof. Peter C. Bishop, futurologist, former director of the Future Studies program and professor of strategic foresight at the University of Houston;
Prof. Saša Horvat – our Dean of the College of Philosophy and Theology at SGMK. Professor Saša Horvat is a philosopher who contributes significantly to the intellectual landscape within the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences in Medicine at the renowned Faculty of Medicine at the University of Rijeka;
Sophia Bugajna-Kasdepke – Founder and President of SEC Newgate CEE, leader in the field of Public Affairs;
Nikola Bukowiecka – M.Sc., is a young scientist affiliated with Harvard University and PAN. She is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in theoretical astrophysics and cosmology at the University of Rhode Island (USA);
Agnieszka Kępińska-Sadowska – Communications and PR strategist and practitioner with for more than 20 years of experience in the industry;
Grzegorz Piwnicki, known as “Forin”, visual artist, graphic designer, author of more than 200 album covers, creator of social initiatives and winner of many industry awards;
Karol Sadaj, manager specializing in introducing to market new companies and solutions from the finance and high-tech sectors;
Łucja Woźnica, Industry Manager at Google, expert in digital marketing, public relations and online sales;
Anna Żywiołek, Relationship Manager at Julius Baer Bank & Co. Ltd. in Zurich, an expert in finance and banking industry;
Philipp Eichholzer, expert in the media industry, specializing in artificial intelligence, Director of International Affairs and Development at the Nicolaus Copernicus Superior School SGMK.
