The recommendation by the authorities of the Shupiks National University of Healthcare of Ukraine (Shupiks Medical University in Kyiv) to award an Honorary Doctorate of Laws to Prof. Robert Rejdak was approved unanimously by the university’s Senate. The honorary degree ceremony on March 19 in the online format was not even interrupted by the night rocket attack on Kyiv. The proceedings were stationary, but the professor participated online. The photo of the honorary guest and the toga in the hands of the rectors was a symbol of the event.
– With his extensive experience and expertise in ophthalmology, Professor Robert Rejdak, head of the Department of General and Pediatric Ophthalmology at the Medical University of Lublin, has shown exceptional dedication and support for Ukrainian ophthalmologists and citizens, which makes him an extremely deserving candidate for this honor,” Professor Oleksii Putiienko, vice-rector of Kyiv University, said in his laudation. – The exceptional surgical skills of the professor, who has performed more than 40,000 cataract operations and more than 10,000 vitrectomies in his practice, have benefited many ophthalmologists from Ukraine during specialized training courses in Lublin and abroad.
Prof. Robert Rejdak’s scientific output is impressive and includes several hundred scientific articles, the vice-chancellor enumerated. – It is an honor for us that our university has been cooperating with the professor for years. Throughout his career, the head of the Lublin clinic has been actively involved in various professional organizations, including the European School of Advanced Ophthalmic Studies and the Society of Ophthalmic Surgeons of Poland (SCOP), which he has headed for several years. The professor is an internationally respected authority, having received numerous awards for his scientific activities and contributions to the field of ophthalmology.
– It is an extraordinary honor for me to be awarded the Doctorate Honoris Causa, which has special significance for me because of the dramatic circumstances under which I receive it online,” Prof. Rejdak stressed. – Since the beginning of the terrible war in Ukraine, the Lublin Department of General and Pediatric Ophthalmology has been supporting Ukrainian doctors, who now have limited opportunities to perform complex procedures. We are actively trying to help not only in the training of Ukrainian ophthalmologists and collection of medical equipment, organized by SCOP , but also in the treatment of patients suffering from serious eye injuries sustained during Russian rocket attacks.
Cooperation between the Lublin Clinic and Kyiv University has been going on for many years, but the war has given it a completely different character. The awarding of the Doctorate of Honoris Causa to Prof. Rejdak was an expression of the highest respect and gratitude for his selfless help in the treatment and rehabilitation of patients who became victims of the war in Ukraine.
Bestowing this highest dignity on a scientist, also had symbolic overtones. Prof. Robert Rejdak’s intern, Dr. Olga Denisiuk, from the University of Kyiv, who has repeatedly participated in specialized training in Lublin, received her habilitation during the ceremony. – We express our deep gratitude to Professor Rejdak for working with us in these extremely difficult times. Together we unite our efforts to alleviate suffering and restore hope to those affected by this terrible war, said Olga Denisiuk.
Professor Robert Rejdak in 2023 became, Doctor Honoris Causa, of Lviv National Medical University named after Danyl Halitsky. In 2024, he also received this honorary title in Tashkent, awarded by the Ministry of Health of Uzbekistan and the National Center for Eye Microsurgery for outstanding scientific and professional achievements.
Jolanta Czudak
