Polands Legendary Programming Mentor

Polands Legendary Programming Mentor | Generated by AI

Home 2026.02

Question: Provide a comprehensive introduction to Ryszard Szubartowski, the programming teacher.

Answer:

Ryszard Szubartowski (born August 30, 1952, in Kraśnik, Poland) is one of the most influential and successful informatics and programming teachers in Poland. Widely regarded as a legendary mentor, he is often called “Wielki Szu” (Great Szu) by his students and admirers. He holds the title of Professor of Education (profesor oświaty) and is a Knight of the Order of Polonia Restituta (Krzyż Kawalerski Orderu Odrodzenia Polski).

Background and Career

He graduated from the Faculty of Cybernetics at the Military University of Technology (WAT) in Warsaw.
He initially worked as an academic and teaching staff member at the Naval Academy in Gdynia.
Later, he shifted focus entirely to teaching young people and became a computer science / informatics teacher in prestigious secondary schools in the Tricity area (Gdańsk-Sopot-Gdynia), most notably at III Liceum Ogólnokształcące im. Marynarki Wojennej RP (3rd High School named after the Polish Navy) in Gdynia, where he has worked for over 30 years.
He is retired from military service (received military retirement at age 38) but continues teaching with passion well into his 70s.

Achievements as a Teacher and Coach

Szubartowski has prepared generations of students who achieved extraordinary success in competitive programming and informatics olympiads. Under his guidance:

His students have won dozens of medals at the Polish Informatics Olympiad (Olimpiada Informatyczna) and International Olympiad in Informatics (IOI).
Over the last 25+ years, students associated with his teaching and training collected around 126 medals at the most important global informatics competitions.
In earlier periods (e.g. 1999–2008), 28 of his 89 students who reached the central stage of the Polish Olympiad became laureates (7 gold, 7 silver, 14 bronze).

Among his most famous alumni are world-class figures in modern AI and programming:

Jakub Pachocki — Chief Scientist at OpenAI, one of the key creators behind ChatGPT and other GPT models.
Szymon Sidor and Filip Wolski — prominent AI researchers / engineers (Wolski is also a former world champion in programming competitions).
Many other graduates who became leading researchers, engineers at top tech companies, and PhD holders at prestigious universities (e.g. Carnegie Mellon, University of Warsaw).

The Szubartowski Method (Metoda Szubartowskiego)

He developed his own distinctive teaching philosophy, often referred to as the “Szubartowski Method”. Core principles include:

Emphasis on action, experiencing, and learning through doing rather than passive listening.
Peer tutoring — students frequently teach each other, lead lessons, choose topics, and explain concepts to classmates.
Focus on the subconscious learning processes, trial-and-error, clearly defined goals, and connecting abstract ideas to real-life objects and situations.
High tolerance for creative, non-standard thinking — even if it conflicts with rigid school grading systems.
Creating an environment where students feel safe to experiment, make mistakes, and grow through practical problem-solving.

He has been critical of the traditional Polish school system, arguing that it often punishes creative and independent thinking and fails to support exceptionally gifted students properly.

Other Activities and Recognition

Co-founder and President of Stowarzyszenie Talent (Talent Association), which supports gifted young people in informatics and related fields.
He has conducted webinars, given interviews, and created educational materials about his method (available e.g. via metodaszubartowskiego.pl and YouTube channels such as CampusAI).
In 2025–2026 he received the Kolibra Award for his outstanding contribution to Polish education and inspiring approach.
A documentary film titled “Mistrz” (The Master) about his life and work was released in 2025, highlighting his humble personality and monumental impact.

At 73+ years old (as of early 2026), Ryszard Szubartowski remains active, still teaching in the same modest classroom in Gdynia and continuing to shape some of the brightest minds in global technology and artificial intelligence.

References:

Back Donate