On June 15-16 the University of Gdansk welcomed 259 lecturers from the U.S., Poland Canada, Great Britain, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and France, who participated in the Seventh World Congress on Polish Studies organized jointly by the Polish Institute of Arts and Sciences of America (PIASA) and the Institute of History of the University of Gdansk.
In addition, over 300 guests participated in more than 77 panel presentations related to various aspects of Polish and Polish-American history, political science, business and literature, including themes related to the 100th anniversary of Polish – US diplomatic relations, the 80th anniversary of the beginning of WWII, the 30th anniversary of the end of Communism, the 20th anniversary of Poland joining NATO, and 15th anniversary of Poland joining the European Union.
The conference was one of a series of events supported by the U.S. Embassy to highlight US-Polish relations and celebrate the re-establishment of a democratic Poland 30 years ago. Frank Finver, Counselor for Public Affairs, in his welcome remarks said: “The U.S. Embassy is pleased to be one of the sponsors of this conference that helps build new bridges – and strengthen existing ones – between Polish and American scholars, as well as international scholars, interested in exploring the history of Polish-American relations. It is through the scholars’ unwavering dedication that we are able to help share with Polish academia and new generations of Polish students the rich history that unites the United States and Poland.”