We already know this year's winners of the ‘Michał Serzycki’ Data Protection Award
Barbara Grądkowska, Jen Persson and Maciej Gawroński joined the group of laureates of the ‘Michał Serzycki’ Data Protection Award. The winners were distinguished for their activities in the field of education about personal data protection.
The award ceremony was held in Warsaw on 27th January 2021, on the eve of the 15th Data Protection Day.
Laureates of the ‘Michał Serzycki’ Data Protection Award in 2021
This year, the award was presented for the fourth time and went to:
- Barbara Grądkowska, Director of the Special School and Educational Center in Zamość, for many years the coordinator of the national educational program of the Personal Data Protection Office "Your data - Your concern". She included the subject of personal data protection in the area of the Center's activities, meeting the educational needs of students in this area. Thanks to her commitment to protect the privacy of students with intellectual disabilities and the educational activities in the field of personal data protection, those who are the most vulnerable in the world of modern technologies have the opportunity to learn how to safely navigate in the digital world and avoid threats. Her achievements in this area also attracted the attention of local authorities and the media, contributing to the promotion of the principles of personal data protection and the right to privacy.
- Jen Persson, Director of the NGO DefendDigitalMe, founded in England, working for civil liberties, and in particular supports the safe, fair and transparent processing of children's data in the education sector. The laureate cooperates with UK government bodies, educational institutions, industry, children's rights and international organizations such as the Council of Europe, which is particularly important in times of rapid technological development in education. The excellent cooperation undertaken by the Personal Data Protection Office in 2020 with Ms. Jen Persson resulted in organising a seminar for teachers from European countries on remote education.
- Maciej Gawroński, legal advisor, experienced lawyer, expert and very good practitioner who has been actively supporting the protection of personal data for many years. He is an authority dealing with the issues of personal data processing in the cloud (cloud computing), cybersecurity, IT and intellectual property. He is appreciated by national and international legal rankings, listing Mr. Gawroński among the leading law specialists in these areas. By participating in numerous conferences and other events related to the protection of personal data, both in the country and abroad, he adds his invaluable voice to the discussion on the directions of activities in this area. In terms of popularizing public awareness of personal data protection, it is also worth appreciating his active participation in social media with a valuable voice on issues related to the protection of personal data.
About the ‘Michał Serzycki’ Data Protection Award
‘Michał Serzycki’ Data Protection Award, established by Ph.D. Edyta Bielak-Jomaa, the previous President of the Personal Data Protection Office, is a distinction for those who contribute to raising awareness of privacy and the role of personal data protection in many areas and environments.
Since 2018, this award has been presented every year during the celebration of the Data Protection Day. This date has a symbolic dimension, as Poland joined the celebration of the Data Protection Day in 2007, so at a time when the patron of the award - Michał Serzycki - held the position of the Inspector General for Personal Data Protection of the 3rd term of office. One of the results of his activities was the initiation of a large-scale informational and educational activities of the data protection authority.
