Internationally acclaimed engineer and founding director of the University of Aberdeen's Centre for Applied Dynamics Research (CADR), Professor Marian Wiercigroch FREng FRSE, has been officially inducted as a Foreign Member of the prestigious Polish Academy of Sciences.
Professor Wiercigroch’s election to the Academy’s Division IV: Technical Sciences originally took place during the General Assembly on 25 June 2026. The appointment places him in elite international company, chosen within the same cohort as a distinguished group of global researchers that includes five Nobel Prize winners.
Foreign membership of the Polish Academy of Sciences is among Poland's highest academic honours, reserved exclusively for scholars outside the country whose scientific discoveries and leadership have made a monumental impact on global science.
At a formal ceremony on 7 September 2026, Professor Tomasz Kapitaniak, the Dean of Division IV: Technical Sciences, deputised for the Academy President to officially present the membership certificate to Professor Wiercigroch. The ceremony marked a significant celebration of international scientific collaboration, particularly within the field of theoretical and applied mechanics where both scholars are globally recognized leaders.
Founded in Warsaw in 1952, the Polish Academy of Sciences is the country's paramount scientific institution and its largest research network. Operating both as an elite learned society and a vast collective of over 70 specialized research institutes, the Academy is structured into five core scientific divisions. Its highly exclusive, elected governance comprises a statutory maximum of 350 national members alongside a capped limit of 160 foreign members, all recognized globally for transformative contributions to human knowledge.
Holding a Sixth Century Chair in Applied Dynamics at the University of Aberdeen, Professor Wiercigroch has spent decades at the forefront of theoretical and applied nonlinear dynamics, vibration engineering, and energy extraction. He is widely recognized for inventing and developing patented Resonance Enhanced Drilling (RED) technology, a game-changing drilling advancement that significantly enhances penetration rates while dramatically reducing costs and carbon footprints across the energy sector.
He serves as the Editor-in-Chief of the flagship mechanics journal, the International Journal of Mechanical Sciences, and has supervised dozens of doctoral and postdoctoral researchers while publishing hundreds of seminal scientific works. This recognition follows his election as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (FRSE) and as a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering (FREng).
Professor Marian Wiercigroch said: "It is a profound honour to be elected a Foreign Member of the Polish Academy of Sciences, particularly alongside such an extraordinary cohort of global scientists and Nobel Laureates. Receiving this certificate from Professor Kapitaniak, a highly respected peer and Dean of Division IV, made the official presentation on 9 September a memorable occasion.
“Having completed my foundational education in Poland before conducting research across the UK and internationally, this recognition carries deep personal significance. I share this milestone with my exceptional colleagues at the University of Aberdeen's Centre for Applied Dynamics Research."
Professor Tomasz Kapitaniak, Dean of Division IV: Technical Sciences at the Polish Academy of Sciences, said: "It gives me immense pleasure to see my esteemed colleague and close friend recognized in this way by the Academy. Professor Wiercigroch's contributions to the field of engineering and mechanics are truly world-class, and his election reflects the exceptional quality of his scientific achievements. Presenting this certificate on behalf of the Academy President is a proud moment for our division and a testament to our deep, ongoing scientific partnership."
Professor Peter Edwards, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Aberdeen, said: "We are immensely proud of Professor Wiercigroch’s election to the Polish Academy of Sciences. Being chosen alongside multiple Nobel Prize winners is testament to the world-leading calibre of Marian’s research and his transformative contributions to nonlinear dynamics. Having Dean Kapitaniak personally present this distinction highlights the strong global networks and mutual respect that define our academic community at Aberdeen."