New educational offer of the Catholic University of Lublin for South American Polonia

Polish History for the Polish Community in Spanish is a new educational offer of the Catholic University of Lublin (KUL) for compatriots from South America. More than 500 people from 21 countries including Argentina, Brazil and Mexico, among others, have applied to take part in the course, which will be offered in Spanish for the first time by the Catholic University's Polonia Centre as part of the Catholic University's Studies for Poles and Poles Abroad. - The number of people interested in the course is impressive, which shows that it is an expected activity. We are also planning other forms of training that we will implement in South American countries,’ said the Rector of the Catholic University of Lublin, Rev. Prof. Mirosław Kalinowski, during the inauguration of the course. The course will be taught by historians from the Institute of History of the Catholic University of Lublin and historians of Polish origin from Argentina.

Coordinating activities for the Polish community in South America, Prof. Janusz Bień from the Institute of Linguistics at the Catholic University of Lublin (KUL) emphasises that the importance of the course being launched in Spanish is extremely important for the Catholic University of Lublin. - Through such projects the Polish university, which is famous for its pro-Polish activities, reaches out to new Polish communities in South and Central America, where such activities are still insufficient in comparison with Europe and North America,' says Prof. Bień. According to him, the added value of undertaking such activities is the initiation of joint agreements and projects with South American universities, e.g. with Catholic universities in Argentina.

The course will be taught by staff from the Institute of History at the Catholic University of Lublin. As a guest, topics concerning Polish military history will be discussed by Witold Starża-Kopytyński, a historian and Vice-President of the Union of Poles in Argentina, who lives in Buenos Aires. As he himself emphasises, the opportunity to learn about Polish history with the help of lecturers from the Catholic University of America is of great value to the Polish community in Argentina and South America. - For all of us, members of the Polish emigration, it is a way of preserving our identity, strengthening our culture, honouring our parents and ancestors and an opportunity to bear witness to our origins and loyalty to our nation,’ says Starża-Kopytyński. - ‘Poland remains within us through history and this is how we preserve our roots and identity. The course we are embarking on will have a profound impact and meaning for those of our compatriots who are physically far from their homeland, but are fully integrated and spiritually close to it,’ he concludes.

The course covers the history of Poland from its foundation to the 21st century. - The classes are divided into two thematic blocks: the first block concerns Polish political history, the second is related to social, economic, church, military and cultural history,’ mentions Dr Michał Karkut of the Institute of History at the Catholic University of Lublin, who is responsible for the didactic coordination of the classes.

Classes will be conducted continuously, every Wednesday in the form of online meetings on the Teams platform until May 2025,’ says Dr Wojciech Wciseł, coordinator of the KUL Study Centre for Polonia and Poles Abroad. The inauguration of the remaining courses of the 4th edition of the Studies of the Catholic University of Lublin for Polonia and Poles Abroad is scheduled for Saturday, 26 October. Nearly 2,500 people from 55 countries around the world have already registered their interest in taking part in the courses.

Those wishing to join the courses can still do so until 14 October, Detailed information and registration at polonia.kul.pl.