On May 31, 2023, during the meeting of the Malopolska Council for Information Society (MRSI), Cyfronet AGH received the Polonia Minor Award.
The Polonia Minor Award is one of the most important distinctions awarded by the Marshal of the Małopolska Region and the Chairman of the Małopolska Regional Council. The medals have been awarded since 2011 for outstanding achievements in the field of disseminating and popularizing the idea of self-governance and for activities for the benefit of Małopolska region. Polonia Minor has the form of a medal, the obverse of which depicts Prince Bolesław the Chaste and his wife St. Kinga and St. Stanislaus BM, while the reverse shows the coat of arms of the Małopolska region inscribed in the contour of its contemporary borders. The author of the bronze cast is a Krakow sculptor, prof. Wincenty Kućma.
The Polonia Minor award was presented to the Director of Cyfronet AGH, prof. Kazimierz Wiatr by the Deputy Marshal of the Małopolska Region, Józef Gawron, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Cyfronet AGH, "in gratitude for professional activity for the development of IT infrastructure and many years of service and work for Polish and Małopolska science".
- It is impossible not to mention on this occasion the extremely important role played by the Academic Computer Centre Cyfronet AGH in the development of Polish and Małopolska science, as well as innovative economy. On behalf of the region's authorities and the chairman of the Małopolska Regional Council, I would like to thank you for this invaluable contribution. At the same time, I wish you further success in attracting scientific talents and carrying out outstanding research works - said Deputy Marshal Józef Gawron.
The diploma accompanying the medal was signed by the Marshal of the Małopolska Region, Witold Kozłowski, and the Chairman of the Regional Council of the Małopolska Region, Jan Duda.
The Małopolska Council for Information Society was established in 2004 and since then it has been an advisory and consultative body to the Małopolska Region Board in the field of:
- stimulating and monitoring the development of the information society in the Małopolska region,
- integrating projects for the development of the information society,
- shaping cooperation between public administration units in the region in the field of modern, digital administrative solutions,
- monitoring activities in the field of public information in the region.
The meeting of the MRSI was organized at the headquarters of ACC Cyfronet AGH. After adopting relevant resolutions by the Council, prof. Wiatr presented the most important facts from the history of the Centre since its establishment in 1973, as well as current ICT resources. After Cyfronet AGH was honored with the Polonia Minor award, the gathered representatives of the Council visited the Nawojki Data Center, getting familiar with the installed supercomputers, data storage systems and accompanying infrastructure.
At the end of the meeting, the guests signed in the commemorative book of the 50th anniversary of Cyfronet AGH.