PeopleofSuperintelligence

Researcher

Piotr Sankowski

Piotr Sankowski is a computer scientist at the University of Warsaw whose research runs from graph algorithms to explainable AI. After a doctorate in computer science in 2005 and a second in physics in 2009, Sankowski became the first Pole to receive four European Research Council grants. In 2018, the National Science Centre Award went to Sankowski and two others for fundamental results in graph algorithms. Leadership roles followed: president of the AI research centre IDEAS NCBR from 2021 to 2024, head of the new IDEAS Research Institute from 2025, and member of the UN's Independent International Scientific Panel on AI in 2026. A professor at the University of Warsaw, Sankowski directs the IDEAS Research Institute.

Now at
IDEAS Research Institute, University of Warsaw and MIM Solutions
Born
1978
Works
215
Citations
2,351
h-index
26
Badges

Years link to their sources. Publication numbers from OpenAlex, as of 22 October 2026.

Timeline

  1. 2005–2009

    Two doctorates and a habilitation

    A doctorate in computer science at the University of Warsaw's Institute of Informatics comes in 2005 and a habilitation there in 2009. In 2009, a doctorate in physics, in solid state theory, follows at the Polish Academy of Sciences.

  2. 2010–2023

    Four European Research Council grants

    An ERC Starting Independent Researcher Grant arrives in 2010, an ERC Proof of Concept Grant in 2015 and an ERC Consolidator Grant in 2017. In 2023, a second Proof of Concept Grant funds the EXALT project (EXplainable ALgorithmic Tools), basic research on explainable AI. That makes Sankowski the first Pole to receive four ERC grants.

  3. 2017

    Round compression for parallel matching

    The 2017 paper "Round Compression for Parallel Matching Algorithms", written with Artur Czumaj, Jakub Łącki, Aleksander Mądry, Slobodan Mitrović and Krzysztof Onak, delivers a (2+ε)-approximation to maximum matching in O((log log n)²) rounds. That is an almost exponential improvement on the earlier O(log n) round bound for massive parallel computation (MPC) frameworks.

  4. 2018

    A National Science Centre Award

    One of three winners of the 2018 National Science Centre Award, Sankowski is honoured for fundamental results in graph algorithms.

  5. 2021–2024

    Leading IDEAS NCBR

    As president of IDEAS NCBR from 2021 to 2024, Sankowski leads a research and development centre in artificial intelligence and the digital economy, along with its working group "Intelligent Algorithms and Data Structures."

  6. February 2025

    Heading the IDEAS Research Institute

    In February 2025, the Polish government establishes the IDEAS Research Institute, an AI research centre overseen jointly by the Ministry of Digital Affairs and the Ministry of Defense. Leadership of the new institute goes to Sankowski.

  7. February 2026

    UN scientific panel on AI

    In February 2026, UN Secretary-General António Guterres announces the 40 members of the Independent International Scientific Panel on AI, chosen from more than 2,600 candidates. The only Pole among them is Sankowski, on a panel that independently assesses the impact of emerging AI technologies on the global economy and society.

  8. As of October 2026

    Director and professor in Warsaw

    The IDEAS Research Institute, which the Polish government created in 2025, is directed by Sankowski, who is also a professor at the Institute of Computer Science at the University of Warsaw. Co-founder and CSO of the spin-off MIM Solutions, Sankowski also holds ELLIS Fellow status.

Career

  1. Since 2025IDEAS Research InstituteDirector
  2. Since 2003University of WarsawProfessor
  3. NowMIM SolutionsCo-founder and CSO
  4. From 2026United NationsMember
  5. 2021–2024IDEAS NCBRPresident
  6. 2018–2021Polish Academy of Sciences
  7. 2007–2015Sapienza University of Rome

Education

  1. 2009University of WarsawHabilitation
  2. 2009Polish Academy of SciencesDoctorate in physics
  3. 2005University of WarsawDoctorate in computer science

From the biography and OpenAlex affiliations (the years of papers that list the organization), so some years are approximate.

Most-cited works

  1. Maximum Matchings via Gaussian Elimination2004 · Annual Symposium on Foundations of Computer Science · 272 citations
  2. Faster dynamic matchings and vertex connectivity2007 · Symposium on Discrete Algorithms · 99 citations
  3. Dynamic Transitive Closure via Dynamic Matrix Inverse (Extended Abstract)2004 · Annual Symposium on Foundations of Computer Science · 78 citations
  4. Improved algorithms for min cut and max flow in undirected planar graphs2011 · ACM Symposium on Theory of Computing (STOC) · 78 citations
  5. Round compression for parallel matching algorithms2018 · ACM SIGACT Symposium on Theory of Computing (STOC) · 67 citations

From OpenAlex, as of 21 October 2026.

  1. 11% of AI doctorate holders from 2010 to 2016 founded or led a company or lab by 10 years after graduationIncludes Piotr Sankowski. We estimate how often AI doctorate holders founded or led a company or lab by 10 years after graduation, how waiting times compare between founders and top jobs, and which universities trained the most.
  2. More people shaping AI studied at Massachusetts Institute of Technology than at any other institutionIncludes University of Warsaw. We estimate where the people shaping AI studied and where their careers led. Massachusetts Institute of Technology leads with 467 former students, including 291 recorded doctorates.
  3. The company share of AI researchers’ top papers was 31% in 2020–2024 and 8% in 1970–1974Includes University of Warsaw. We estimate where the people shaping AI worked when their most-cited papers appeared: the company share was 31% in 2020–2024 and 8% in 1970–1974, and Google led all organizations in 2020–2024.
  4. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology trained or employed 44 of the 187 AI major-prize winners, more than any other universityIncludes University of Warsaw. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology trained or employed 44 of the 187 AI major-prize winners, more than any other university. We compare doctorate and 5+ year employment links, career timing and current workplaces for 187 major-prize and 1,111 best-paper winners.

Colleagues

People named in this biography, and people with dated positions at the same organization in the same years.

Sources and credits

Photo: We have no published photo of Piotr Sankowski yet. Send us a free-licensed photo.

  1. Piotr Sankowski simons.berkeley.edu. Checked 20 October 2026.
  2. Fourth ERC grant for NCN Award Winner ncn.gov.pl. Checked 20 October 2026.
  3. dr hab. inż. Piotr Sankowski nask.pl. Checked 20 October 2026.
  4. [1707.03478] Round Compression for Parallel Matching Algorithms arxiv.org. Checked 20 October 2026.
  5. We know the winners of the 2018 National Science Centre Award ncn.gov.pl. Checked 20 October 2026.
  6. Piotr Sankowski - Copernicus Festival copernicusfestival.com. Checked 20 October 2026.
  7. Poland launches new research institute to advance AI - English Section polskieradio.pl. Checked 20 October 2026.
  8. Poland's Professor Piotr Sankowski joins UN global panel on AI | Science in Poland scienceinpoland.pl. Checked 20 October 2026.
  9. UN's First Global AI Scientific Panel Includes 4 ELLIS Researchers | European Laboratory for Learning and Intelligent Systems ellis.eu. Checked 20 October 2026.
  10. Panel Members | Independent International Scientific Panel on AI un.org. Checked 20 October 2026.
  11. Piotr Sankowski | ERC Speaker erc.europa.eu. Checked 20 October 2026.