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In 1963 Jerzy Buzek graduated from Mechanics-and-Energy Division of the Silesian Technical University in Gliwice specializing in chemical engineering. He became science worker in the Chemical Engineering Institute of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Gliwice (Instytut Inzynierii Chemicznej Polskiej Akademii Nauk w Gliwicach). Since 1997 he is a professor of technical science. He is also a honorary doctor of the universities in Seoul and Dortmund.
In year's 1997- 2001 he was the prime minister (see below). In 1998 he became a laureate of the Grzegorz Palka Award, was nominated the European of the Year by the European Union Business Chambers Forum and Man of the Year of Wprost (a Polish political weekly).
After the lost parliamentary elections in 2001 he has almost withdrawn from political life (taking part in European affairs debate from time to time) and returned to the scientific work, becoming the prorector of Akademia Polonijna in CzestochowaCzestochowa (pronounce: Media:Czestochowa. ogg|[st:xva]]]) is a city in south Poland on the Warta River with 248,894 inhabitants (2004). Situated in the Silesian Voivodship (since 1999), previously capital of Czestochowa Voivodship (1975-1998). This town and professor in the Mechanical Division of the Technical University of OpoleTechnical University of Opole ( Polish name: Politechnika Opolska is a university located in Opole, Poland. The university was founded in the year 1959 as a consultative branch of Silesian University of Technology. In 1965 it became an independent univers in OpoleOpole (pronounce: Media:Opole. ogg|[:pl]]], German Oppeln is a town in southern Poland on the Oder River. It has a population of 129,553 and is the capital of the Opole Voivodship. It is the historical capital of Upper Silesia. Opole has a large German mi (Wydzial Mechaniczny Politechniki Opolskiej).
Jerzy Buzek comes from a famous Buzek family, present in Polish politics since the 20 years of free Poland between the World Wars ( WWI and WWII).
In the 1980s Jerzy Buzek was an activist of the democratic anti-communist movements, including the legal ( 1980- 1981 and since 1989) and underground (1981-1989) Solidarity trade union and political movement in the communist Poland. He was active organizer of the trade union's regional and national underground authorities. He was also the chairman of the four national general meetings (1st, 4th, 5th and 6th) when Solidarity was allowed to act legally.
Jerzy Buzek was a member of the experts team of Solidarity Electoral Action (Akcja Wyborcza Solidarnosc, AWS) and co-author of AWS's economic programme. In the 1997 elections he became a member of Sejm, lower house of the Polish Parliament, and soon was appointed the prime minister of Poland (for this time he has suspended his Solidarity trade union membership). In 1999 he became the chairman of the AWS Social Movement (Ruch Spoleczny AWS) and in 2001 the chairman of the whole AWS coalition.