Gdynia Maritime University GMU

Professor Mirosław Jurdziński (born 24th November 1930) is a distinguished scientist, the co-creator of maritime education in Poland, the father of the Polish school of navigation, an academic teacher with an extraordinary professional biography of almost 69 years of experience, including 62 years of involvement in the Polish and world maritime economy. His activity in international maritime organisations, professional practice, and teaching and research activities to date combine to give Professor Mirosław Jurdziński a unique legacy.

Education and Seamanship Training

His career has always been connected with the sea both in theory and practice. After graduating from the Faculty of Navigation at the State Maritime School in Szczecin (he relocated from Gdynia in 1947), he began work on the ships of the Polish Merchant Navy, becoming a qualified master mariner in 1963. Six years later, he completed his studies within the Faculty of Electronics at the Gdansk University of Technology, and in 1975, he was awarded a technical sciences doctorate in navigation. He was granted the title of associate professor in 1984.

Maritime Education

Professor Jurdziński has been connected with maritime education since 1959 when he took up the role of lecturer and head of seamanship training at the State School of Marine Fishing. For many years, he held the post of director of the Maritime Navigation Institute (during 1978 – 1984 and 1987 – 1991). Beginning in 1984, he fulfilled the role of deputy rector for scientific research and International Cooperation. He was for an extensive time involved in the work of the IMO and its predecessor – the Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organization (IMCO).

Activity In International Maritime Organisations 

In 1983, the secretary-general of the IMO appointed Professor Mirosław Jurdziński visiting professor at the World Maritime University in Malmo, where he taught satellite navigation and route planning until 1990. In 1977, he was made a member of the International Association of Maritime Universities (IMLA), and in 1979, the Nautical Institute in London. From 1977 until 1982, he chaired the STW section of the National Centre for IMO  Affairs, followed by the Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (1983-2000). He was also a long-standing member of the environmental team of the Basic Operations Section of the Mechanical Engineering Committee and the Navigation Section of the Geodesy and Navigation Committee of the Polish Academy of Sciences.

Gdynia Maritime University

Professor Mirosław Jurdziński has been involved with Gdynia Maritime University since 1964. Starting as a senior lecturer, he later went on to become an assistant professor, associate professor, and in 1994, a full professor. He has also taught astronavigation and navigation to students and officer cadets attending courses organised by the Officer Training Centre, and currently lectures on navigation, route planning, and magnetic compass deviation.

Scientific Research Activity

The professor's main areas of interest and research activity are the safety of navigation, including optimisation of decision-making processes in restricted waters having regard to traffic engineering principles, safety modeling of maritime transport systems and processes, and ship voyage planning and execution in different phases of navigation.

He co-authored the revision of the maritime navigation concept based on spatial planning and ship traffic modelling in fairways and other restricted and shallow water areas.

Research and publications

Professor Jurdziński is the author of more than 50 textbooks and part works on navigation and vessel operation, including core works such as  „Astronawigacja” [Astronavigation], „Nawigacja”[Navigation], „Podstawy bezpiecznej eksploatacji masowców” [Safety essentials in the operation of bulk carriers]. He is also the author of more than 300 papers, research works, and expert appraisals and reviews, including peer reviews of motions for the title of Professor and other academic titles. 11 of his textbooks have been published in English.

Awards, distinctions, and Merits

Professor Jurdziński has been awarded Bronze and Gold Crosses of Merit, the Knight’s Cross, the Officer’s Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta, a gold medal for long service, the National Education Committee Medal, silver and gold badges for “Meritorious Maritime Personnel” and a badge of honour “For Meritorious Service to the Lands of Gdansk”. 

In 2019, Professor Jurdziński was awarded the prestigious Hevelius Award by the Poland Branch of The Nautical Institute during the TransNav Conference 2019 for his exceptional contribution to the field of navigation.

Professor Emeritus

Even at 92 years of age, Professor Jurdziński remains an active academic teacher. He is currently employed as Professor Emeritus at Gdynia Maritime University. After exceeding the age of retirement at 70 years of age, he withdrew only from active involvement in the work of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), the National Centre for IMO affairs, and the Maritime Chamber of Appeal, dedicating himself fully to his scientific and academic work and writing textbooks on maritime navigation, trip planning, and ship operation.

Since 2012, he has published five academic textbooks: two in 2014 "Nawigacja Morska” [Maritime Navigation] and “Dewiacja i kompensacja morskich kompasów magnetycznych” [Deviation and Compensation of Magnetic Marine Compasses] as well as one in 2012, 2018 [“Kotwiczenie dużych statków” [Anchoring Large Ships]) and 2020  [Navigation Processes in Ocean Shipping). In recent times, he has written 29 research papers, including eight for English language journals indexed in the Web of Science database.

Activity in Support of Maritime Culture and Tradition

As Chair of the Association of the Friends of “Dar Pomorza” until 2014, Professor Jurdziński was also involved in the preservation of the museum ship as an object of maritime cultural and national heritage as well as the creation of conditions allowing the ship to be made fully open to visits from the public. In doing so, he pursued the statutory aim of the association to uphold Polish maritime traditions and provided an important element in the maritime education of society, supporting the development of local communities in realising the vision of a strong maritime Poland that makes full use of its maritime capabilities.

The Co-Creator of Maritime Higher Education in Poland

Professor Jurdziński can be confidently declared one of the co-creators of maritime higher education in Poland. He created the academic and teaching foundation on which generations of maritime personnel were educated in Poland.

In 2021, for meritorious service to the University, the GMU Senate initiated the procedure for the award of the title of Doctor Honoris Causa of Gdynia Maritime University to Professor Mirosław Jurdziński. Under resolution no 111/XVII of 31st March 2022, in recognition of his extraordinary service to the foundation and development of maritime education in Poland, including his contribution to Gdynia Maritime University and significant contribution to the development of the Polish school of navigation, the Senate of Gdynia Maritime University conferred on Professor Mirosław Jurdziński, the educator of many generations of officers of the Polish Merchant Navy, the title of Doctor Honoris Causa.  

The promoter for the procedure for the conferral of the honorary title was Piotr Jędrzejowicz, and the reviewers were Captain/Dr Stanisław Gucma of Szczecin Maritime Academy, Professor Andrzej Zdzisław Felski of the Polish Naval Academy in Gdynia,  Professor Roman Smierzchalski of Gdansk University of Technology, and Professor Cezary Specht of Gdynia Maritime University.

The ceremony of the conferral of the honorary title of Doctor honoris causa of Gdynia Maritime University took place on 19th March 2021.