The 3^rd edition of the Pomeranian Student Symposium on Chemistry (PSSCh) was held on 18-19 September this year. The event was attended by 86 speakers from 19 research centres all over Poland, who delivered oral and poster communications. This edition was organised by the Baltic Chemists’ Association in cooperation with the Chemists’ Research Club of the University of Gdańsk and the Council of the Students’ Self-Government of the Faculty of Chemistry of the University of Gdańsk. The content-related care of the Symposium was provided by the members of the Scientific Committee comprising researchers from three Pomeranian universities: the University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk University of Technology and Medical University of Gdańsk. The event was held under the honorary patronage of the Fahrenheit Union of Universities in Gdańsk. The Symposium was also supported, through patronage, by Pomeranian research centres and the local government, Polish national organisations and institutions, as well as by media platforms.

The Symposium on Chemistry is a regular Polish national scientific conference for undergraduate, graduate and Ph.D. students and young scientists who want to present the results of their own or review research on scientific topics in chemistry, environmental protection and ecology for the general public. One of the strong points of the PSSCh is the fact that presentation and poster sessions are held in real time – speakers present their research results live and then have discussions with the other participants.

During the Symposium, two opening lectures and one guest speech were delivered. The event was opened by Prof. Justyna Brasuń of the Wrocław Medical University with a lecture titled “From linear to bicyclic peptide ligands”. During the second day, the opening lecture titled the “Environmental impact of the cooling industry – 25 years of the 3R network in Poland” was delivered by Krzysztof Grzegorczyk M.Sc. Eng., President of the PROZON Foundation for Climate Protection, and the guest speech titled the “KRD – presentation of the organisation’s profile” was given by Patrycja Uram M.Sc. of the National Representation of Ph.D. Candidates (KRD).

The organisers granted awards to a total of four best speeches in the following categories: oral and poster communications of the presenters’ own and review research on scientific topics for the general public.

The main prize went to:

Nina Tarnowicz-Staniak of the Wrocław University of Science and Technology for the best oral communication of her own research titled the “Catalysis of the Z-E isomerization of azobenzene by gold nanorods”,

Aleksandra Myślak of the Gdańsk University of Technology for the best poster communication of her own research titled the “Hybrid dressings for slow-healing wounds”,

Przemysław Jarosiński of the Warsaw University of Technology for the best oral communication of the review research titled the “Compatibility of crude oils – who needs this?”,

Weronika Łukaszczyk of the Jagiellonian University for the best poster communication of review research titled the ”’Intelligent’” hydrogels in tailor-made therapy.