Founder and Creator of the NanoBioMedical Centre at Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań
Professor Stefan Jurga conducted interdisciplinary scientific research in the fields of physical, chemical, biological, and medical sciences, focusing on nanoscience and nanotechnology. His research addressed nanomaterials, nanostructures, and nanocomposites for multimodal applications in materials science, biomedicine, and environmental protection. Stefan Jurga’s studies concentrated on the synthesis and characterization of molecular structure and dynamics using techniques such as NMR imaging, diffraction methods (SAXS, WAXS), electron microscopy (TEM, SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), optical microscopy, NMR relaxation and diffusion, dielectric spectroscopy, FTIR spectroscopy, rheology, and computational modeling techniques. His scientific output includes over 270 publications listed in the interdisciplinary Journal Citation Reports (JCR). He was the editor of The Journal of Analytical Science and Technology (JAST) and a co-editor of the RNA Technologies series published by Springer Verlag. Since 2005, he led the international AMPERE NMR School in Zakopane, which annually hosts lecturers and participants from over 20 countries across Europe and the world. In 2011, he initiated the annual international conferences on nanoscience and nanotechnology in Poznań, now known as NanoTech Poland.
Professor Jurga supervised more than 60 master's theses in physics, over 20 doctoral dissertations, and mentored 10 postdoctoral habilitation processes, three of whom went on to receive professorial titles. He managed dozens of research projects and maintained extensive scientific cooperation with numerous research institutions both in Poland and abroad. He was a visiting professor at Cornell University (Ithaca), North Carolina State University (Raleigh, USA), and the University of South Africa in Pretoria (RSA). Professor Jurga was a laureate of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation and the Max Planck Foundation, having been a fellow at the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research in Mainz (Germany). He also worked at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign (USA), the Jožef Stefan Institute in Ljubljana (Slovenia), and other international scientific institutions.
From 1990 to 2002, Professor Stefan Jurga served as vice-rector and rector of Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, where he created the interdisciplinary NanoBioMedical Centre, which he directed from 2010 to 2022. He played a significant role in the development of the university campus at Morasko, the establishment of Collegium Polonicum in Słubice on the Oder River, and the Collegium Europaeum in Gniezno. From 2005 to 2007, he was the Undersecretary of State and Secretary of State in the Ministry of Education and Science and the Ministry of Science and Higher Education. From 1999 to 2002, he served as Chairman of the Conference of Rectors of Polish Universities and Vice-Chairman of the Conference of Rectors of Academic Schools in Poland. He was a board member of the International Scientific Society Groupement AMPERE and served as its Vice-President from 2002 to 2012. He was also the president of the European Universities Association "Santander Group". Professor Jurga was a member of the Saxon Academy of Sciences, an honorary doctorate recipient from the University of Warmia and Mazury, and was awarded the Golden Medal of the University of Gdańsk, along with numerous other medals from European universities. He was also a laureate of the Foundation for Polish Science in the International Doctoral Projects program. He received high state decorations and numerous regional honors, including the Commander’s Cross of the Order of Rebirth of Poland, the Commander’s Cross of the Order of Saint Sylvester, the Medal of the National Education Commission, and the 100th Anniversary of Poland's Independence Medal (2019).