On September 26 Ambassador Georgette Mosbacher visited the headquarters of the New York-based Kosciuszko Foundation, one of the oldest organizations of the Polish diaspora in the United States. Invited by the Kosciuszko Foundation’s leadership – President Marek Skulimowski, Chairman of the Board Alex Storozynski and Vice-Chairman of the Board Andrzej Rojek – Ambassador Mosbacher learned more about the foundation’s history of promoting mutual understanding between Poland and the United States through bilateral academic and cultural exchanges. Ambassador Mosbacher also learned more about the foundation’s role in preserving and promoting Polish culture in the United States. The Ambassador thanked the Kosciuszko Foundation for the creation of a new Centennial Award in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the restoration of Poland’s independence and America’s support. The Ambassador and Kosciuszko Foundation officials also discussed ways to strengthen cooperation in support of closer people-to-people ties between Poland and the United States.
Founded in 1925 on the eve of the 150th anniversary of Thaddeus Kosciuszko’s enlistment in the American revolutionary cause, the New York-based Kosciuszko Foundation is dedicated to promoting educational and cultural exchanges between the United States and Poland and to increasing American understanding of Polish culture and history. It annually funds $500,000 in research scholarships for Polish students and young scientists to pursue their research with academic partners in the United States for periods between 3-9 months. A similar amount of funding goes to other cultural and educational programs also designed to promote friendship and mutual understanding between the Polish and American peoples. In 2010 the Kosciuszko Foundation opened an office in Warsaw in order to boost the foundation’s activities in Poland.
