Prof. RNDr. Pavol Šajgalík, DrSc., has been the chairman of the Slovak Academy of Sciences since 2015. His scientific focus is the research and development of non-oxide and oxide high-performance ceramics. The main interest of his research is the relationships between the microstructure and mechanical properties of these materials. He was president of the European Ceramic Society, is a member of the American and Japanese Ceramic Society, and is an elected member of the World Academy of Ceramics. He is the author of more than 230 scientific articles.