Health connects generations - lecture as part of MUW Patronage Program

A woman in a white dress speaks into a microphone while standing in front of a poster announcing an event entitled “The power of Generation Z: how young people are shaping a healthy future” on 18 June 2025. Next to the poster is a wooden desk with a laptop. The background is made up of mustard and red curtains.
Another edition of the MUW Patronage Program prepared by the Communication and Promotion Office has ended. Its culmination was the lecture “The power of Generation Z: how the young shape a healthy future” delivered by Lena Serafin, MD, PhD, from the Department of Clinical Nursing. The meeting was attended by students from the Władysław IV High School in Warsaw.

Health - more than the absence of disease

Dr. Serafin began her lecture by reflecting on the WHO's definition of health, emphasizing that health is not only physical condition, but also mental and social well-being. As she pointed out:

“It is impossible to talk about health if we do not have our needs met in three areas: mental, physical and social.”

Generations - different perspectives, common goals

The presentation was an opportunity to compare the approach to health of people from different generations - from boomers to Generation Z. High school students actively participated in this part of the lecture, sharing their observations and experiences. Dr. Serafin encouraged openness and mutual understanding:

“It's useful to be knowledgeable about generational differences, but it's even more important not to pigeonhole people - just to try to understand why someone thinks differently.”

Young people in the role of educators

Dr. Serafin stressed that young people can play a key role in promoting health in their families - through conversation, technology education, walking together or promoting healthy habits. She pointed out the power of everyday choices:

"You don't have to be an expert to change the world. You just have to start with yourself."

Critical thinking and content responsibility

In an age of widespread access to information, young people need to be able to distinguish between reliable sources and pseudoscience. Dr. Serafin warned against fake health advice on the Internet and encouraged the use of expert knowledge and proven educational profiles.

Concluding with a message

At the end of the lecture, Dr. Lena Serafin recalled the words of her grandmother:

"Running is tiring, but it is even more tiring to live without movement, without passion and without taking care of yourself."

This sentence became a symbolic summary of the meeting - an encouragement to take care of one's own health and that of others, regardless of age.

  • It is worth recalling that the just-concluded edition of the MUW Patron Program featured lectures given by:
    Dr. Magdalena Łazarewicz from the Department of Health Psychology MUW - “Anatomy of Happiness”
    Meeting information page
  • Krzysztof Szczałuba, MD, PhD, Head of the Center of Excellence for Rare and Undiagnosed Diseases MUW - "From the laboratory to the patient's bedside, how to help children and families. My journey through genetics"
    Meeting information page
  • Prof. Joanna Kolmas from the Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Biomaterials MUW - “From stone to bone - calcium phosphate as a nature-inspired biomaterial.”
    Meeting information page
  • Lena Serafin, MD, PhD, from the Department of Clinical Nursing MUW - “The power of Generation Z: how the young are shaping a healthy future.”

 

A large lecture theatre filled with participants sitting on chairs and facing the stage. There are three people on stage.
A group of young people sitting in a lecture theatre, facing the speaker or presentation out of frame. Rows of chairs and light-coloured walls are visible in the background.
A group of high school students sitting in a lecture theatre, focused on a lecture or presentation out of frame. In the background, more rows of participants are visible, as well as windows letting in natural light.
A group of high school students sitting in a lecture theatre, facing the lectern, attending a lecture. Other people are visible in the background, as well as windows letting in natural light.
Four people standing on stage against a blue wall with the words “MEDICAL UNIVERSITY OF WARSAW” written on it. On the left, a woman in a white jacket and blue dress speaks into a microphone. Next to her, a man in a dark jacket, red shirt and jeans. On the right, a boy in a dark suit and a girl in a school uniform with a dark jacket and plaid skirt.