Ministerstwo Nauki i Szkolnictwa Wyższego
John Kerry meets young Polish constructors and scientists
Vice-Minister of Science and Higher Education, Professor Maria Elżbieta Orłowska participated in
the meeting the US Secretary of State with the participants in the TOP 500 Innovators government
programme and with constructors of the Hyperion Mars rover.
Yesterday John Kerry met with a group of participants in TOP 500 Innovators – the largest government
programme aimed to promote innovation in science. Among other issues raised, young scientists shared their
experience from their two-month fellowships at Stanford University and the University of California in Berkeley,
US. 320 Polish scientists and staff members of technology transfer centres have already been granted
fellowships at those leading science centres. By the end of 2015, 500 people in total 500 will have been granted
such the fellowships. Thanks to classes run by outstanding practitioners, study visits and fellowships at the most
innovative businesses, participants in the programme learn how to comercialise results of scientific research
successfully. The budget of the programme totals PLN 35 million.
Talented students of the Białystok University showed their Hyperion Mars rover to the US Secretary of State.
John Kerry tested the skills of the robot constructed by the students. This year the Hyperion team won the
prestigious University Rover Challenge 2013 (URC) in the US, scored 493 out of the maximum 500 points, the
highest score ever in the competition’s history. The Ministry of Science supported the team’s participation in the
Challenge with the funding available under the Generation of the Future programme. This year’s participation in
the Challenge added to a series of successes of the Białystok University of Technology students. In 2010 they
were ranked third, and in 2011 the first for their Magma 2 rover.
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