At just 22 years old, Karol Wapniarski has already made headlines as one of Poland’s most remarkable young scholars. A student from Poznań, he completed a full three-year bachelor’s degree in just 277 days – setting a national academic record. Now, he’s preparing to begin a PhD in philosophy at the University of Cambridge, one of the world’s most prestigious universities.
A Record-breaking academic path
Karol’s academic achievements are nothing short of astonishing. In less than a year, he passed nearly 80 exams and earned his bachelor’s degree with an impressive GPA of 4.95. “There were days I had to take four exams,” he recalls. “But I never felt overwhelmed – because I was studying what I truly loved,” the young scientist summarised.
He then dedicated the next two years to completing two master’s degrees – one in philosophy and another in classical philology – while simultaneously writing a doctoral thesis in cognitive science. That thesis is now forming the basis for opening a doctoral dissertation process in an external mode at Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań. In total, Karol has completed the equivalent of eleven years of higher education in just three.
A Polyglot with a mission
Karol speaks at least seven languages fluently, including Latin, Ancient Greek, French, Spanish, Italian, German, and English. He’s currently learning Arabic and Hebrew and has dabbled in Sanskrit and Russian. His motivation? A deep desire to read literature in its original form.
“I’ve always wanted to understand texts as they were written, that’s what led me to languages,” he says. His method of learning is immersive and intuitive – he often reads philosophical texts in their original language to deepen both his linguistic and academic understanding.
A new kind of language app
Now, Karol is channelling his linguistic expertise into a startup that aims to revolutionise how people learn languages. His app, currently in development, is based on a method used in 1980s textbooks – one that helped him learn multiple languages on his own.
The concept is simple but powerful: learners are introduced to basic sentences they can roughly understand, and new vocabulary is introduced gradually through context. “It’s like how children learn,” Karol explains. “You don’t translate word-for-word – you infer meaning from how words are used,” he adds.
The app will also include grammar notes in the margins and use artificial intelligence to personalise the learning experience. “It’s not about memorising flashcards, it’s about understanding language naturally,”he says.
Recognition and Ambition
Karol’s work has already been recognised with prestigious awards, including the Dr. Jan Kulczyk Scholarship and the Rector’s First-Degree Scholarship. He’s led student research grants, presented at international conferences, and even won a startup competition for his app idea.
Despite his achievements, Karol remains humble. “I don’t call myself a genius. But I do believe in using my time wisely—and sharing what I’ve learned with others,” the young researcher explains.
Looking Ahead
Karol’s next academic step is a PhD in philosophy at the University of Cambridge, where he’s been accepted to study under some of the world’s leading scholars. But the cost of studying in the UK post-Brexit is steep – over £50,000 per year. He’s currently crowdfunding to make this dream a reality.
In the meantime, he continues to work on his app, translate literature, and explore new languages. “I want to contribute to Polish academia and help others learn. That’s what drives me,” Wapniarski emphasises.
To support Karol’s journey or learn more about his work, visit his crowdfunding page https://pomagam.pl/68ragg
Karol Wapniarski, photo credit: Łukasz Gdak
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