Professor Andrzej Eliasz, the co-founder and first Rector of SWPS University, has received the Teofrast Superstar award, established by Charaktery, a Polish popular science magazine devoted to psychology.
“Twenty years ago, the status of Polish psychology was certainly slightly different than today”, said Professor Roman Cieślak during the award ceremony. “We owe the development of this discipline in the country to the group of extraordinary professionals and to those, who provided the place for working and growth to the people, who wanted to become psychologists. One of these people, without a doubt, is Professor Andrzej Eliasz.
First Private University in Poland
Professor Andrzej Eliasz is not only a renowned psychologist and academic teacher, but also a visionary, who thanks to his courage, perseverance, and trust he puts in his colleagues, has co-created SWPS University, the first private university in Poland - a place for the development of social sciences and humanities. Professor Eliasz has co-created a higher education institution that offers innovative study programs, teaches critical thinking, openness, curiosity in seeking innovative solutions, and prepares students for meeting the challenges of professional life.
Today, SWPS University finds itself in the group of highly regarded higher education institutions in Poland and it has become one of the best psychology study and research centers in the country. The University provides researchers with optimal conditions for development and for conducting innovative research projects, including interdisciplinary studies.
Professor Andrzej Eliasz
Professor Andrzej Eliasz was the first Rector of SWPS University, from 1996 to 2016. Apart form his continuous contributions to the quality of Polish higher education and the development of study programs, he has held numerous positions of responsibility, including Deputy Director of the Institute of Psychology at the Polish Academy of Sciences (PAN), Chair of the European Association of Personality Psychology, Editor in Chief of Psychological Studies journal, and an editorial consultant for European Journal of Personality Psychology. He was also a member of the Board of Conference of Rectors of Academic Schools in Poland (CRASP), advising to the President of the Republic of Poland.
Professor Andrzej Eliasz specializes in psychology of individual differences, the evolution of temperament in human development, and ecological psychology. His studies on temperament, the correlations between temperament and character traits as well as the environment, resulted in the formulation of the Transactional Model of Temperament.
Professor Eliasz is an author of numerous publications, including: Temperament a system regulacji stymulacji [Temperament and the System of Stimulation Regulation], Ryzyko chorób psychosomatycznych: Środowisko i temperament a wzór zachowania [The Risk of Psychosomatic Disorders: Environment, Temperament and Models of Behavior], and Advances in research on temperament.
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Photos by Krzysztof Plebankiewicz
Teofrast Award
The annual Teofrast Award, established by Charaktery magazine, recognizes authors of the best books on psychology. The list of recipients includes renowned Polish psychologists, among them some of SWPS University academics, including Professor Dariusz Doliński, Professor Paweł Boski, Professor Bogdan Wojciszke, Professor Wiesław Łukaszewski, and Professor Piotr Oleś. The prestigious annual ceremony promotes the achievements of Polish psychologists. The event is organized under the auspices of Professor Michał Kleiber, the President of the Polish Academy of Sciences.
This year, Teofrast Superstar was also awarded to Professor Jerzy Mellibruda for his breakthrough contributions to the understanding and treatment of alcohol addiction in Poland. The Teofrast Superstar was awarded for the first time in 2015. The first recipient of the award was Professor Jan Strelau, a world renowned psychologist specializing in psychology of individual differences, who has been associated with SWPS University for many years.