Days of Polish Science and Education at EXPO 2025, Osaka, Kansai
21 06 2025
Category: Bez kategorii
With the opening of the World EXPO 2025 in Osaka we are launching the ‘Polish-Japanese Partnership for Security and Sustainable Development’ project, implemented under the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange (NAWA) Program ‘Direct to EXPO 2025’.
On April 22nd a delegation from the University of Warsaw including the Vice-Rector for Research Prof. Zygmunt Lalak, Vice-Rector for Cooperation and Human Resources Prof. Sambor Grucza, the Dean of the Faculty of Oriental Studies, Prof. Agata Bareja-Starzyńska and the Head of the Chair of Japanese Studies, Prof. Iwona Kordzińska-Nawrocka took part in the inauguration of the Days of Polish Science and Education at the Poland Pavilion in Osaka.
On April 23rd the Poland Pavilion hosted participants of seminars organized by the NAWA in cooperation with the Faculty of Oriental Studies and the Faculty of Political Science and International Studies UW. The NAWA Day was an opportunity to present the achievements to date and discuss prospects for further development of Polish-Japanese academic cooperation. It was attended by more than 20 representatives of Japanese universities, think-tanks and diplomatic circles. The Poland was represented, among others, by the Vice-Minister and Undersecretary of State at the Ministry Science and Higher Education, Dr. Maria Mrówczyńska, President of Conference of Rectors of Academic Schools, Rector of UAM, Prof. Bogumiła Kaniewska, Director General of NAWA, Dr. Wojciech Karczewski, as well as delegations from AGH University of Krakow, Medical University of Gdansk, Warsaw University of Life Sciences (WULS-SGGW), University of Gdansk, Jagiellonian University, Fryderyk Chopin University of Music, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, University of Silesia in Katowice and the Foundation for the Development of the Education System.
On April 24th the UW Vice-Rector, Prof. Zygmunt Lalak, delivered a special lecture at the Faculty of Law, University of Tokyo, entitled European Universities in a Period of Global Turbulence: Navigating Challenges, Ensuring Stability. This was followed by a Polish-Japanese seminar entitled Exploring the Dimensions of Intercultural Communication held at the International Christian University (Tokyo) on April 25th, with the participation of the UW Vice-Rector, Prof. Sambor Grucza, who gave a lecture entitled Shaping the Future. 4EU+ Alliance – an Example of a New Dimension of Academic Collaboration and Cooperation in Europe. Dean of the Faculty for Oriental Studies, Prof. Agata Bareja-Starzyńska, presented a paper on Intercultural Dialogue and Mutual Understanding as Part of Global Citizenship Education. The presentation by Japanese scholar, Prof. Iwona Kordzińska-Nawrocka, concerned issues of cultural transfer on the example of Polish translations of Japanese literature.
The scientific meetings held in Japan by the UW delegation are an integral part of the project ‘University of Warsaw towards the Challenges of the Modern World. Polish-Japanese Partnership for Sustainable Development’. The topics of the following conferences and lectures scheduled for July 2025 will concern security in the broadest sense, the issue of sustainable development, the idea of Society 5.0 and others. These issues, including the effects of climate change, protecting and improving the natural environment, as well as the problem of security or the ethical use of tools based on artificial intelligence, are closely linked to the theme of the World Exhibition EXPO 2025 Designing Future Society for Our Lives.
The ‘UW at EXPO 2025’ project is coordinated by the Faculty of Oriental Studies, acting as a liaison between the UW interdepartmental team and Japanese universities, research institutions and thin-tanks. The team consists of academics representing the humanities, social sciences and exact sciences. A student workshop and symposium as well as “Polish Days in Kansai” will also be part of the event. This project has been supported by the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange under the International Scientific Event at the World EXPO 2025 in Osaka, Kansai (Agreement No. BPI/OSA/2024/1/00020/DEC/01).