Konorski's school of brain physiology--department of neurophysiology of the Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology.

Great schools in science are rare. In the field of brain research there are dozens of big scientific centers throughout the world, but only few deserve the name of scientific schools. These are research units endowed with intellectual and emotional bonds whose source is a live scientific tradition originating from the founder of the school. There are two basic conditions necessary for the founding of a great school. The first concerns the founder. He must be an eminent scholar. originator of. a new direction in research that would fascinate young and talented scientists. Specifically the young, who accept new truths easily and are then permanently affected. Also, the founder of a school must have a passion for sharing his knowledge directly with his disciples and co-workers and for exerting a direct influence on their work. In other words, he must be not only an investigator, but also a teacher and an organizer of scientific work. The other condition concerns external circumstances. Here the essential thing is to have the freedom of offering long-term employment to young researchers. Therefore, schools in science emerge when scientific research gets priority. In the life of a school there are three stages. In the first, the school is founded. This stage is the most important, for once founded, the school has a great staying power. The second stage is often noted for internal stability, and considerable expansion. Frequently it is a period of the school's greatest splendor and its greatest influence over the scientific community. The third stage follows the death of the founder. Then the school generally undergoes modifications, but in many cases maintains its specific features and its splend~r.