The Polish edition of the monthly magazine National Geographic has selected 24 Polish researchers who are changing the way we understand the world. Among them is Mariola Paruzel-Czachura, PhD, DLitt, Assoc. Prof. – a psychologist from the Faculty of Social Sciences of the University of Silesia.
Prof. Mariola Paruzel-Czachura specialises in moral psychology (how people understand good and evil), as well as the links between morality and personality, violence, crime, and the influence of social and cultural factors on morality.
In an interview with National Geographic, the researcher spoke about her academic inspirations: ‘One of the things that particularly interests me is the fact that morality can impact what we perceive as beautiful’.
The psychologist is a three-time recipient of a scholarship from the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, a scholarship holder of the Polish Science Foundation, and a recipient of the NAWA Becker Scholarship titled ‘Moral Thinking and Unethical Behaviour’. In 2025, she was among the finalists for the POLITYKA Science Awards. She was also nominated for the Silesian Scientific Award 2025.
The researcher runs the website and social media account ‘Moja moralność’ (My Morality), where she provides updates on her own and her research team’s ongoing scientific projects.
You can read more about Prof. Mariola Paruzel-Czachura’s research in an article on the Gazeta Uniwersytecka UŚ (USil Magazine) website entitled ‘Where is my morality?’ and in the article ‘Who would you save: a dog, a human or a chimpanzee?’ on the website dedicated to the ‘Freedom of Research’ (Research Excellence Initiative).
‘National Geographic’ profiled 24 Polish scientists as part of the Year of Science Communication initiative. The July issue features experts representing as wide a range of disciplines as possible, including virology, archaeology, computer science and photonics.
Mariola Paruzel-Czachura, PhD, DLitt, Assoc. Prof. at the University of Silesia | photo: Weronika Cygan-Adamczyk