Funding under the SONATA BIS 6 programme of the National Science Centre has been granted to an interdisciplinary project which brings together research by experts in psychology, biotechnology and the chemical sciences and obstetrics in a study into empathy with respect to the quality of family life and child development.

The project is entitled: Pair Empathy as a Predictor of Responsivity to a Child Crying in Situations Activating the Parental Role: The Mediating Role of Oxytocin and Vasopressin (HEART model).

The NonHazCity project for the years 2016 – 2019 is an educational project aimed at changing consumer behaviour in order to improve the natural environment. We want to get directly to the sources of pollution and attempt to reduce the consumption of hazardous substances at the source. The education part of the project is aimed at municipal institutions, small and medium-sized enterprises and domestic households.

“Science for Nature” is an initiative launched by scientists from several universities and institutes of the Polish Academy of Sciences who met at the University of Warsaw on 10 and 11 December 2016. The initiative will serve as a forum for substantive discussion on the state of nature in Poland and methods for its protection.

Among the initiators is Dr Marta Kras, adjunct at the Department of Plant Taxonomy and Nature Conservation of the Faculty of Biology of the University of Gdańsk.

For the past two years and with support from Gdynia City Council, the University of Gdańsk and the DBAM O MÓJ Z@SIĘG Foundation have been conducting research into the phenomenon of phonoholism (mobile phone addiction). Headed by Dr Maciej Dębski from the UG’s Institute of Philosophy, Sociology and Journalism, the work has resulted in a report made public in December during an international conference entitled “Mobility in the Net. Relations. Safety. Development.” co-organised by the University of Gdańsk.

The project entitled “Cross-border development and transfer of innovative and sustainable aquaculture technologies in the South Baltic area (acronym: InnoAquaTech)”, part of the INTERREG South Baltic Programme, brought together 20 representatives of partners and associated partners from the area of research, technology and development (including main partner BioCon Valley GmbH) from four

Prof. Marek Żukowski from the Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Informatics of the University of Gdańsk has been nominated by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education for membership of one of the European governance bodies ─ the FET Flagships Board of Funders.

The latest issue of Scientific Reports (an online open access science journal published by the Nature Publishing Group) contains an article by an international team of researchers, entitled "A fossil biting midge (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) from early Eocene Indian amber with a complex pheromone evaporator", authored by Frauke Stebner, Ryszard Szadziewski, Peter T. Rühr, Hukam Singh, Jörg U. Hammel, Gunnar Mikalsen Kvifte and Jes Rust.

Archaeological research in Nørre Sandegård Vest cemetery was conducted between early August and mid-September 2016 by the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnology of the University of Gdańsk in conjunction with Bornholm Museum. The team from the University of Gdańsk was headed by doctoral students Bartosz Świątkowski and Karolina Czonstke and the Bornholm Museum team by Christina Seehusen and Finn Ole Nielsen.

The third ALLIANCE (INTERREG BSR) Partner Meeting took place on 25–27 October 2016 in Helsinki. The project brings together blue biotechnology actors from across the Baltic Sea Region (BSR) to develop innovative marine biotechnology based products and services. The event was hosted by one of the ALLIANCE project partners - the Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE).

The University of Gdańsk was represented by prof. Katarzyna Palińska and dr Ilona Złoch (Faculty of Oceanography and Geography) as well as by dr Anna Kaczorowska (Faculty of Biology).

Since early September 2016 the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnology of the University of Gdańsk has been conducting a survey in the medieval ruins of St. Nicholas’ Church in Łeba. The results of the excavations will allow a future reconstruction and display of the entire site. The medieval building, together with the entire town, fell victim to the elements in the 16^th and 17^th centuries. The remains of the building were uncovered for the first time in 2015.