She holds a PhD degree in the Humanities, MA in English Philology and in Political Studies. In the period 1993–1999, she was director of the Cultural Department of the Municipality of Krakow and following it, the Regional Director of the USAID programme in Poland. She is the European Commission expert in the European Capitals of Culture programme selecting and monitoring all ECOC since 2009. Director of the Villa Decius Association in 2001-2016, she is now the Plenipotentiary of the Board for International Affairs, responsible for its initiating and implementing programmes which advocate international cultural and intellectual cooperation and promotion of intercultural dialogue and human rights.Lecturer at the Jagiellonian University and the Humanistic Studies Department of the University of Technology in Krakow. Her research field covers relations between culture and politics and European integration. Author of numerous articles and publications. An avid traveler.
Experts
Danuta Glondys
Hubert Górski
Spokesman for Siemens.
Janusz Kahl
Graduated from Copenhagen Business School with additional courses in strategy and foreign trade. Since 1996 he has been Danish honorary consul in Krakow and since 2006 Swedish honorary consul in Krakow for Malopolska, Slesien, Podkarpacie and Swietokrzyskie regions. For over 15 years he has been supporting Danish-Polish business cooperation. He has been Consultant for Copenhagen County and Funen County in interregional cooperation with Malopolska Region since 1992. He is CEO in NordicHouse, a consultancy company for Nordic companies in Poland which was established in 2001 in Krakow. He is an owner and co-owner of private companies – ISS building company and ScanRehab.
Dominika Kasprowicz
PhD (Degree) in Social Sciences, Associate Professor at the Institute of Journalism, Media and Social Communication of the Jagiellonian University, since October 2016 the director of the Villa Decius, Poland. Cultural manager and analyst the politics of CEE, author of numerous publication.Her research area includes political communication, populism and social innovations in politics. Recently co-authored volumes: Politics, Society and the Economy in Contemporary Poland. An Introduction, Warsaw 2016. Passionate about creatinve design thinking, early music and cross-country skiing
Jan Kavan
MA in journalism at the Charles University, leader of the 1960s student movement in Prague. Following the Warsaw Pact invasion in Czechoslovakia in 1968 he was forced to emigrate to the UK. He studied International Relations at the London School of Economics and Political Science and Politics at the University of Reading and in the St Anthony’s College, Oxford University. Founder of Palach Press Agency in London in 1974, which later became the main press agency for Czechoslovak opposition in the Western Europe. It was also the main distributor in the world of documents and reports issued by human rights movement Charter 77. He also formed the Jan Palach Information and Research Trust (JPIRT) which provided Czechoslovak dissidents with books and technical equipment and supported underground university courses. Founder of the East European Cultural Foundation (EECF) and the prestigious quarterly East European Reporter, which published all important documents and articles written by dissidents in Eastern and Central European countries. Returned to Prague from political exile in November 1989 and was elected in June 1990 to the Federal Assembly (Parliament). A notable academic career included posts as the Visiting Professor of Politics and History at the Adeplhi University in New York and as the Karl Loewenstein Fellow in Politics and Jurisprudence at the Amherst College in Massachusetts. He holds several honorary degrees, including the Honorary Fellow at the London School of Economics and Political Science and Honorary Doctor of Humane letters at the Adeplhi University. 1973-1989 lecturer at the Institute of Adult Education in London. 1998-2002 Minister of Foreign Affairs. 1999 - 2002 Deputy Prime Minister for Foreign and Security Policy. President of the 57th session of the United Nations General Assembly (2002-2003). June 2002-2006 Deputy to the Czech Parliament, where he worked as Vice-President in the Foreign Affairs Committee. Foreign affairs adviser to the President of the Chamber of Deputies (Parliament) 2007- . Winner of numerous awards for achievements in the strife for democracy and human rights.
Aleksander Koj
A medical doctor and scientist working in the field of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, the author of over 200 papers, professor at the Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology of the Jagiellonian University, member of the Polish Academy of Sciences and Letters and Polish Academy of Sciences. Laureate of the Award of the Foundation for Polish Science in the field of Biomedical Sciences (1996), and the Award of the City of Krakow in the Field of Science and Technology (2005). Holder of an honorary PhD from three US State Universities: Cleveland, Hartford and Buffalo. Elected three times for the position of the Rector of the Jagiellonian University (1987–1999). Currently, he is a member of the Council of the Polish Rectors Foundation, member of the Board of Directors of Polish-American Freedom Foundation and the President of The Villa Decius Association.
Michał Komar
Polish writer, screenwriter, playwright and journalist.
Wawrzyniec Konarski
Professor of Political Science (2005) - with habilitation (2002) at the Warsaw School of Social Science and Humanities and the Warsaw University; Ph. D. in political science (1985). A graduate of the Summer Institute in the American Political System (Washington D.C., Philadelphia, 1995) and a research fellow of the International Salzburg Seminar (Salzburg, 1996). Member of Polish and international scientific organizations, a.o.: Jean de Bloch Society (JBS, Polish and European, 2004), Polish Political Science Association (PPSA, Polish, 2003; its deputy president since 2007), European Political Science Network (EpsNet, French and European, 2001), University Association for Contemporary European Studies (UACES, British and European, 1998), as well as professional, like Rotary International (1991) [president of the Warsaw Old Town Rotary International Club since July 1, 2004 until June 30, 2005].
Anna Kowalska
Since 2003 works as project manager at the Villa Decius Association. Manages and develops international projects, among others ten previous editions of the Visegrad Summer School. Graduated from the Krakow University of Economics (Management) and the Academy of Anti-discrimination Training. Educator and consultant specializing in gender and equality issues. From 1997 to 2000 she worked as coordinator for the USAID Local Partnership Program, later until 2003 for the Department of Education and Culture in the Marshal Office of the Malopolska Region.
Wojciech Kozak
Member of the Board of the Małopolskie Voivodeship responsible for healthcare system, social policy, environmental protection and agriculture.
