Polish political commentator, editor and translator; activist of Krytyka Polityczna since 2007 and coordinator of the Institute for Advanced Study in Warsaw since 2012. He obtained his MA in political science at the College of Inter-Faculty Studies in the Humanities, at the University of Warsaw in 2009. He has translated numerous high-profile books, including some of Ulrich Beck’s, Michael Kazin's and Manuel Castells’, into Polish. He is the co-author of books: Żyj i pozwól żyć (an interview with Agata Bielik-Robson) and Związki przyjacielskie (an interview with Ludwika Wujec) and the editor of Pisma polityczne by Jacek Kuroń. As a commentator on political and social issues, as well as political economy he has written for some of Poland’s biggest newspapers, such as Gazeta Wyborcza, and Rzeczpospolita, with his main fields of interest being European integration, German politics, and the history of ideas, particularly in recent Polish and Central European history.
Experts
Michał Sutowski
Martin Svárovský
Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of the Czech Republic to Poland. Graduated in 1996 from the Faculty of Philosophy and Arts at Charles University in Prague (B.A. in History), in 1999 graduated from the Faculty of Social Sciences at Charles University in Prague (M.A. in German Studies). In years 1997/1998 he did the Bundestag Internship Program. In 1998 was at Fridrich Wilhelms University in Bonn. In 1999 worked within an Internship at the Office of the President of the Czech Republic and from 1999 has been working at the Czech MFA. Until 2002 served as a Head of unit for Visegrad Group and non-German speaking countries at the Central European Department. In years 2002 – 2006 he served as a Deputy Chief of Mission at the Czech Embassy in Budapest. From 2007 to 2008 Deputy Director of the Central European Department of the MFA, from 2008 until 2010 Deputy Director of the Strategy and Analyses Department. From August 2010 at Embassy of the Czech Republic to Poland.
Paweł Świderski
Honorary Consul of the Republic of Brazil in Krakow. Graduated in Oriental Philology from the Jagiellonian University, and in European Studies from the Pułtusk School of Humanities. PhD in Management. His work experience include supervising implementation of development plans, diplomatic representation of Poland, creation of bilateral economic cooperation at the level of countries and regions, economic analyses, negotiating international agreements in the field of economic cooperation and supervising execution of international commercial and industrial cooperation agreements. Lecturer at the Jagiellonian University in the field of strategy of development and human resources; Chairman of the Foundation for the Jagiellonian University; consultant in local government.
Paweł Świeboda
Founder and head of demosEuropa – the Centre for European Strategy. He graduated in 1994 from the London School of Economics (International Relations). In 1996 he became an adviser on European policy to the President of Poland and later headed the European Integration Office in the President’s Chancellery. Between 2001 and 2006 he served as the Director of the European Union Department in the Foreign Ministry. Swieboda is a member of several expert commissions including the Lisbon Council and the Commission on Europe after 50 set up by Chatham House. He writes a regular column on foreign policy in the Gazeta Wyborcza daily.
Grzegorz Święch
Management specialist with over 25 years of experience gained at all levels of the different organizations. The main managing experience was acquired at Eurobank (Managing Director), where he managed the structure of more than 2,000 employees. CEO in the Academic Incubators of Entrepreneurship, where he deals with development of the projects in the start-up phase (seed investment found). He created and continue development of the biggest incubators structure in Poland, creating base for startup community – Business Link. Currently, is VP/Partner in New Motivations – one of the biggest Polish training and development company.
Julia Święch
An ageless human being, who dropped out of school. She created her first company as a 13 years old. Currently, she co-creates events, films, graphics, helps in running social media and supports in online existence.
Jiří Sýkora
V4 Public Relations Coordinator,International Visegrad Fund.
Tadeusz Syryjczyk
He holds PhD in Informatics from the Electrical Engineering, Electronics and Automatisation Faculty. In 1989 - 1990 he served as the Minister of Industry. Since 1991 he has been a professional politician - a deputy to the Polish Parliament (Sejm); in 1997-1998 he was the Chairman of the Freedom Union's Parliamentary Club. In 1992-1993 he was the Chief of the Prime Minister's team of advisors with the cabinet rank of under-secretary of state.
Attila Szalai
A journalist,literary translator and diplomat. After making his first trip to Poland by hitchhiking in 1968, he joined the Association of Polish-Hungarian Friendship, signing up in a course at the Centre of Polish Culture in Budapest, where he was a frequent visitor, and after two years of education he passed the state examination through the Polish language.In Poland, where he lived with his polish wife for 14 years (1976-1990) as both a writer and literary translator, he has worked mainly with titles such as Literatura na Świecie, Kontrasty and Słowo. In 1993 he joined the diplomatic service and several years worked as counsellor for culture and press of the Hungarian Embassy in Warsaw. In 2001-2005 he was director of the Hungarian Cultural Institute in Warsaw. After returning to Budapest to work with the Department of Communications and Public Diplomacy of the Hungarian Foreign Ministry. For his services received the Knight's Cross of the Polish Republic (2005). Currently counsellor for cultural and press affairs of the Embassy of Hungary in Warsaw.
Andrzej Szczerski
Associate professor, lecturer in Institute of Art History, Jagiellonian University. Guest lecturer in Goethe University in Frankfurt (2003) and St Andrews University (2004). President of Polish Section of International Association of Art Critics AICA. Author of publications on 20th century and contemporary Polish and Central European art including "Patterns of Identity. The Reception of British Art in Central Europe c. 1900" (Kraków 2002) and "Modernizations. Art and architecture in the new states of Central-Eastern Europe 1918-1939" (Łódź 2010). Curator of exhibition "Modernizations. The Future Perfect" (Łódź, Museum of Art 2010), co-curator of "Symbolism in Poland and Britain" (London, Tate Britain 2009) and "The Power of Fantasy. Modern and Contemporary Art from Poland"
(Brussels, Bozar 2011).
