Public awards of the Košice Self-Governing Region (KSK) for the year 2023 were ceremonially presented on Tuesday, 23 April 2024, at 6 p.m. at the State Theatre in Košice. Among the awardees were also prominent figures and a team from the Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice.
Each year, the Regional Parliament awards prizes to individuals and teams for their special contribution to the development of the region, for acts of bravery, humanity and heroism, for outstanding creative acts and achievements in humanitarian, religious, cultural and artistic, journalistic, public service, entrepreneurial, technical, sporting and scientific-educational activities. This year, 32 nominations were received for the award in the category of the Košice Self-Governing Region Award and 6 nominations for the Historical Personality of the Region Award. Nominations could be submitted by members of the KSK Regional Parliament, as well as by towns, villages and important institutions operating in the Košice Region. The nominations considered by the committee were discussed by members of the Regional Parliament at a meeting in December last year.
The President’s Award of the Košice Self-Governing Region was awarded to professor Pavol Jarčuška, MD, PhD., Vice-Rector for Strategic Development and Investments, leading expert in the field of infectology and internal medicine in Slovakia and Europe, professor of public health, Head of the Clinic of Infectology and Travel Medicine at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Medical Sciences in Košice and Head of the Centre for Care of HIV Positive Persons at the Louis Pasteur University Hospital in Košice.
The award of the Košice Self-Governing Region from the hands of the President Rastislav Trnka was received on behalf of the entire staff of the Faculty of Law of the Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice by the Dean of the Faculty, professor Miroslav Štrkolec, PhD. In 2023 the Faculty celebrated 50 years of its existence. For half a century it has been developing its creative potential and material and technical background in order to approach the quality and level of law schools in the European Union as much as possible. It equips students with high quality education who successfully find employment in legal practice as judges, attorneys, bailiffs, notaries, investigators, as well as in various positions in the EU institutions, diplomacy and state and public administration.
In memoriam, the award in the category of Historical Personality of the Region was given to the first Dean of the UPJŠ Faculty of Medicine, professor Ján Kňazovický, MD, and the pioneer of transfusion medicine in Slovakia.
For his contribution to Slovak transfusiology, since 2007 Slovak blood donors have been awarded the Professor Ján Kňazovický Medal for donating blood more than 100 times for men and more than 80 times for women, which is the highest possible award for non-contributing donors. Last year marked the 100th anniversary of the first transfusion performed in Slovakia by professor Kňazovický. On this occasion, the National Bank of Slovakia issued a collector’s euro coin. The award was received by Miloš Kňazovický, MD, PhD, MPH, grandson of professor Kňazovický and author of the book publication which maps the life of professor Ján Kňazovický (1893 – 1987), on which he collaborated with President Rudolf Schuster.
A video recording of the 2023 ceremony is available online.
Congratulations to all the award winners and we wish them much success in their future endeavours.
