On June 13, during the ceremonial session of the Senate of the Medical University of Lodz, the highest honorary degree i.e., the title of doctor honoris causa, was conferred on Maria Długołęcka-Graham MD PhD, who dedicated her entire professional life to the development and strengthening of the academic cooperation between Polish medical universities and the University of Edinburgh.

The list of invited guests included among others:

Prof. Michał Markuszewski, Vice-Rector for Science Medical University of Gdańsk, reviewer of the doctor honoris causa document M. Długołęckiej – Graham,

prof. Błażej Męczekalski, Plenipotentiary of the Rector of Poznan University of Medical Sciences for cooperation with the University of Edinburgh, reviewer in the doctor honoris causa document by M. Długołęcka – Graham.

prof. Jacek Wachowiak, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, former coordinator of scholarship programme University of Edinburgh,

prof. Andrzej Bartoszewicz, President of Lodz Division of PAS,

Agnieszka Kwiecińska, a former scholarship holder, an ambassador of the scholarship programme of the University of Edinburgh,

former Rectors of the University

prof. Marek Pawlikowski,

prof. Henryk Stępień,

prof. Paweł Górski.

Prof. Lucyna Woźniak, Vice-Rector for Research Strategy and International Relations MUL, a supervisor of the doctoral dissertation for the award of doctor honoris causa degree, in the laudation recalled not only the professional path of the Laureate, but also her social commitment, many years of activity for the education and cooperation of Polish medical specialists and researchers at the University of Edinburgh. Preservation of the heritage and tradition of the Polish Faculty of Medicine at the University of Edinburgh has become the basis of the activities of the Doctor, who actively helps Polish doctors and scientist through various scholarship programmes to date.

It was a ceremony of a special nature, full of beautiful memories recalled with emotion.

The Laureate gave a speech in which she mainly emphasised that the Poles who she had an opportunity to cooperate with and whom she could help via scholarship programmes have always been and still are very special to her.

Let us remember that on 27 April 2023, the Senate of The Medical University of Lodz unanimously  agreed to confer the highest honorary degree on Maria Długołęcka – Graham MD PhD.

Along with her distinguished career in medicine and health sciences, Maria Długołęcka – Graham MD PhD devoted her professional life to the development and strengthening of  the academic cooperation between Polish medical universities and the University of Edinburgh, developing an extremely valuable historical period of 1941 – 1949 which saw the functioning of Polish School of Medicine at the University of Edinburgh. The school provided education for Polish doctors during WWII and directly after the war. Over 300 students graduated from the school, 20 of them obtained their PhD degrees and a large number of graduates linked their activities with post-war medical education in Polish centres.

Since the beginning of her professional career and social activities, Maria Długołęcka – Graham MD PhD has been associated with the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, where she graduated from the Faculty of Pharmacology at the Department of Medical Sciences, and next, in 1975, she obtained a PhD degree in Pharmacology. In 1977 she received MA degree in Communication in Medicine, and in 1994 she received a Diploma in Medical Education at the University of Dundee in Scotland.

She is an author and a co-author of numerous scientific publications, and her major scientific interests initially concerned nephrology and later on a broad spectrum of health sciences including the education standards at medical faculties.

Maria Długołęcka – Graham MD PhD is an honorary member of the interdepartmental Usher Institute, Collegium of Medicine and Veterinary, the University of Edinburgh.

In 2010 University of Edinburgh distinguished Maria Długołęcka – Graham with the title of the University of Edinburgh Benefactor.

She was recognised for her activities on numerous occasions i.a. she received Polish awards: Golden Cross of Merit in 1997 and Knight’s Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta in 2006.

In 2009 was made a Knight of the Order of the British Empire.

In 2009 Maria Długołęcka – Graham was honoured with the Medal of Merit of the Medical University of Poznań and in 2007 the Medal for Merit of the Medical University of Gdańsk.

In 2016, in recognition of her contributions and engagement in the collaboration between the University of Edinburgh and Polish Medical Universities, she received the degree of Doctor Honoris Causa of the University of Edinburgh together with Piotr Laidler, the Vice-Rector for Collegium Medicum Jagiellonian University and Prof. Jacek Wysocki, Rector of Poznan University of Medical Sciences.