Wacław kulczykowski
Science, popularization and education
2025
January
January 17 – I designed, created, populated with content, and launched this website.
January 24 – I co-organised, together with the Museum of the Second World War in Gdańsk, the Global Game Jam – a three-day game design marathon for first-year students of the Historical Game Design programme.
February
February 19 – I discussed the use of modern technologies in historical research, education, and public history with Łukasz Kępski as part of the Żuławy Historical Café series.
February 19 – I shared my reflections on what science means to me and why it is worth supporting in an article prepared by the University of Gdańsk as part of Polish Science Day.
February 24 – I co-organised the second edition of the international academic conference Games of War at the Faculty of History, University of Gdańsk.
March
March–June – I organised a series of classes for students of the Historical Game Design and History programmes, devoted to historical role-playing games, held at the Mefisto pub in Gdynia.
March 3 – I was awarded a grant under the UGrants-EDUCATIO programme, funding my participation in international academic conferences focused on games and digital media.
March 6 – I was appointed by the Rector of the University of Gdańsk, Prof. Piotr Stepnowski, to the committee awarding the Krzysztof Celestyn Mrongowiusz Prize for the 2024–2028 term.
March 12 – I conducted classes for school students as part of the Open Days of the Faculty of History, University of Gdańsk, entitled “Survive in a Ruined City – War Through the Eyes of a Civilian in a Digital Game.”
April
April – I co-organised a series of meetings with experts specialising in modern forms of public history and the use of new technologies in history education. The invited guests included Dr Joanna Mercik (University of Silesia) and Piotr Małecki (the Powojnie channel).
May
May 25 – I appeared on the main stage of the 4th Fahrenheit Science Picnic at the Hevelianum Science Centre with a presentation entitled “Click and Turn Back Time: History in Video Games.”
May 31 – I took part in a discussion on the main stage of the Faculty of History, University of Gdańsk, with Prof. Anna Paner, Prof. Iwona Sakowicz-Tebinka, and Prof. Tadeusz Stegner during the World Congress of University of Gdańsk Alumni.
June
June 13 – I provided substantive support for the student event “Animalia Domestica – The History of Domesticated Animals.”
27 June – I completed my original gamification project “Settlers of UGrowo,” developed for students of the Historical Game Design programme.
July and August
August 16 – I co-organised the second edition of the event “The Less I Know, the Better I Sleep – A Discussion on the Fatal Consequences of Ignoring Science,” held at the Creative Work Centre of the Institute of Art of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Wdzydze.
September
September 3-5 – I participated in the international conference History of Games at Jagiellonian University.
September 8-10 – I took part in the international conference Central and Eastern European Game Studies at the University of Wrocław, where I presented the paper “From Local History to Global Play: Science-Based Video Games as Tools for Cultural Heritage and Education.”
September 10-11 – I participated in the conference “How to Shape the Future of History? Academic History Education in Times of Uncertainty,” organised as part of the centenary celebrations of History studies at the Faculty of History, University of Warsaw, taking part in an expert panel on modern history education.
September 17 – I conducted workshops for young people as part of the “Zdolni z Pomorza 2.0” project, focusing on how video games can serve as tools for the reconstruction and promotion of world cultural heritage.
October
October 1 – I received the First Degree Rector’s Award for my contribution to the development of the comprehensive curriculum concept of the Historical Game Design programme (SSL) and its successful implementation into the educational offer of the Faculty of History, University of Gdańsk, in 2024.
October 3 – I participated in the recording of two episodes of the podcast “Świat Okiem Nauki” (The World Through the Eyes of Science), produced by Polish Radio Programme Four in cooperation with the Polish Academy of Sciences, devoted to the significance of local histories and the challenges posed by modern technologies in historical research.
November
November 12 – I delivered a lecture as part of the University of the Third Age in Gdańsk entitled “An Archaeologist in the Service of Destroyed Cemeteries: Research in Nowe Monasterzysko.”
November 14 – I conducted a webinar entitled “Historical Video Games as a Digital Form of Reconstruction and Promotion of World Cultural Heritage,” as part of cooperation with the Regional Digitisation Lab at the European Meeting Centre “Światowid” in Elbląg.
November 17 I published a scholarly article entitled „Kanał Kumieli i jego znaczenie dla mieszkańców średniowiecznego Elbląga” in Studia Historica Gedanensia, Vol. XVI (2025).
November 27 I participated in the development of the official position of the Polish Academy of Sciences’ Council for the Promotion of the Public Understanding of Science on the responsibility of scholars for public statements..
December
December 10 – I completed the implementation of the “Multimedia Studio at the Faculty of History” project, carried out within the framework of the Academic Participatory Budget.
December 23 – I was awarded a grant under the “Open Science” Programme of the Polish Academy of Sciences to carry out the third edition of the event “The Less I Know, the Better I Sleep? – A Discussion on the Fatal Consequences of Ignoring Science.”
2024
January
January 17 – started the year with the Professor Tadeusz Dmochowski Award for “exceptional commitment to student scientific initiatives and promoting science in an innovative way.”
February
February 20 – conducted workshops for high school students from Rumia and Człuchów on video games as educational tools and methods of popularizing history.
February 24 – co-organized the international scientific conference "Games of War" at the Faculty of History, University of Gdańsk.
February 29 – received the "Teacher of the Year" Award named after Krzysztof Celestyn Mrongowiusz.
March
March 12–13 – During the Open Days at the University of Gdańsk, I presented the concept of a new study program: Historical Game Design. I also conducted workshops on historical video games.
April and May
April 9–22 – participated in training sessions on Problem-Based Learning and Its Application in Education.
May 25 – organized a workshop for students about historical role-playing games at Mefisto Pub in Gdynia.
June
June 3 – discussed historical video games with editor Mateusz Witczak during the CD Action EXPO at Atlas Arena in Łódź.
June 6 – participated in workshops "Gamification – Designing a Gamified Academic Course".
June 13 – delivered a lecture: "Historical Video Games in Education and Science Popularization", during International Archives Week in the historic BHP Hall in Gdańsk.
June 19 – provided academic support for the student event "Pipe and Teacup – The History of Everyday Addictions".
June 25 – attended training on Science Communication and Working with the Media.
July and August
July – reviewed papers as a member of the Scientific Committee for the CoperniConf conference, part of the Copernicon Games and Fantasy Festival.
August 10 – co-organized the event "The Less I Know, the Better I Sleep? – A Discussion on Disasters and the Dire Consequences of Ignoring Science" at the IBW PAN Creative Work Center near Lake Wdzydze.
September
September 12–13 – presented at the Digital Public History in a Divided World conference in Belfast with a paper titled: "From Archaeological Video Games to Historical Game Design Classes – How We Do It at the University of Gdańsk".
September 16–20 – conducted seven archaeological and historical workshops as part of the Talented from Pomerania 2.0 project.
September 24 – delivered the inaugural lecture, "How Do Games Teach History?" at the Lubichowo University of the Golden Age.
October
October 1 – The new study program, Historical Game Design, which I coordinate, officially launched at the Faculty of History, University of Gdańsk. The recruitment was a success, with five applicants per spot!
October 12 – delivered two lectures at the GDArena Board Games Festival at Polsat Plus Arena in Gdańsk: "From Archaeological Video Games to Historical Game Design" and "Between Games and History".
October 25 – discussed Historical Video Games as an Educational Tool with editor Mateusz Witczak at Poznań Game Arena 2024.
November
November 5, 12, and 19 – delivered a series of archaeological and historical lectures for the Gdańsk University of the Third Age.
November 7 – My project Multimedia Studio at the Faculty of History won funding through the Academic Civic Budget initiative.
November 20 – gave an online lecture, Historical Games in Science Popularization, at the invitation of the Center for Science Popularization at the Silesian University of Technology.
November 22 – presented a paper titled "From Archaeological Video Games to Historical Game Design – How We Do It at the University of Gdańsk" during the Quality Day at FarU conference at the University of Gdańsk Library.
November 28 – conducted a workshop, "Let’s Play! – A Few Words on How to Promote Research and Teach History through Games Effectively", in a “Board Room Discussion” format at the international OEB conference in Berlin.
December
December 2 and 4 – attended training sessions on "How to Use Design Thinking in Classes with Students" and "Empathy and Professionalism in Working with Students".
December 7–9 – concluded the year at the 8th Silesian Science Festival in Katowice, participating in a debate and delivering lectures on the future of historical games in academia.
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