Article / interview
A different view of the competencies of a Polish studies scholar
For many years now, we've been told that the world is rushing and change is inevitable. New phenomena and trends—technology, artificial intelligence, social media—go hand in hand with eternal questions about the meaning and direction of existence, the uncertainty of tomorrow, the inability to keep up with changes, the need to preserve the human element in a world of algorithms and procedures.
For centuries, the university has been the place to turn to in a search for answers. Through the exchange of ideas and views, it has fostered the growth of knowledge, the creation of artifacts, and the construction of civilization. Today, it is increasingly said that higher education has lost the spirit of "humanitas," succumbed to the pressures of economic indicators, and is focused on educating workers. Increasingly, the popularity of individual programs is being measured by the "prosperity of graduates," determined by the amount of fees available. How does Polish studies position itself in this new reality? On the one hand, it has an important, though not always clearly defined in the general perception, utilitarian dimension. It creates history, uniting diverse communities in discussions about identity, Polishness, and existence in language. At the same time, it allows us to construct and develop useful tools in life, referred to as "competencies of the future": it teaches us to think, create, use discoveries and technologies effectively, and instills "humanistic" values. However, it is also subject to the laws of educational economics. Does it stand a chance of survival? Is it likely to become an attractive field of study playing an important role in the job market, or will it remain merely a field of study practiced in the privacy of libraries and archives? One of the goals of the "Polish Studies and the Challenges of the Modern World" project is to discuss these issues. In today's episode, Karolina Malinowska, psychologist, coach, and market and labor researcher, and Piotr Bordzoł, Polish studies professor and member of the editorial board of "Polish Studies Newsletter”, will discuss this topic.
A new podcast series, "Polish Studies Newsletter’s Meetings," titled "Engaged Polish Studies," is being produced as part of the project "Polish Studies and the Challenges of the Modern World."
Funded by the state budget under the Minister of Education and Science's "Science for Society II" program (project number: NdS-II/SP/0264/2024/01).
Project website: https://biuletynpolonistyczny.pl/en/projects/polonistyka-wobec-wyzwan-wspolczesnego-swiata,1851/details
Intro and outro: Music by Piotr Lakwaj, read by Aldona Brycka-Jaskierska
Producer: Torba Reportera i Podcastera.
Visual identity and cover design: Klaudia Węgrzyn.
We encourage you to ask questions and share your thoughts about our podcast: biuletyn.polonistyczny@ibl.waw.pl.
We also invite you to join us for conversations, meetings, seminars, read articles and interviews, and subscribe to our newsletter, where we will keep you updated on the results of our work and our plans.
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Information
Obecnie w Instytucie Badań Edukacyjnych kieruje projektem „Kariera bez barier”, który skierowany jest do szkół i dotyczy przygotowania dzieci i młodzieży ze zróżnicowanymi potrzebami do ich przyszłej tranzycji na rynek pracy. Od lat związana jest też z Uniwersytetem Humanistycznospołecznym SWPS, gdzie prowadzi zajęcia warsztatowe między innymi na studiach podyplomowych „Job-Coaching - nowoczesne doradztwo zawodowe i coaching kariery” i bierze udział w projektach badawczych oraz wdrożeniowych. Zajmuje się też zagadnieniem przemocy rówieśniczej w polskich szkołach i jest współtwórczynią systemu zapobiegania przemocy RESQL. Jest autorką licznych badań i publikacji z zakresu edukacji.
See also
"Bibliography of Sources for Science and Society" - invitation to fill out a survey
In the years 2024-2027, the "Polish Studies Facing the Challenges of the Contemporary World" project team will conduct coordinated bibliographic work that aims to create an expert "Bibliography of Sources for Science and Society". Using the resources of the humanities (and Polish studies) has prompted us to bring the issues related to disability studies, narrative medicine, medical humanities, and architectural literary studies closer to society. The thematic collections that we collect to bring these issues closer are created in cooperation between bibliographers and subject experts who provide substantive supervision over the project results and are responsible for the substantive quality of bibliographic collections and collected data.
"Geopolonistyka" - invitation to fill out a survey
We cordially invite you to participate in "Geopolonistyka", the purpose of which is to create an interactive, multilingual database of Polish studies in the world. Information in the form of text, photos, recordings, podcasts, for which the basic guide is an interactive map, aim to create synthetic knowledge about the current state and history of Polish studies. "Geopolonistyka" allows you to recognize the activities of people and institutions involved in conducting various forms of research and teaching Polish literature, culture and language outside Poland – currently and in the past. We will be honored if you would like to present your activities within "Geopolonistyka" and fill out the survey provided by us.
Engaged Polish Studies
Polish studies provide tools for navigating the world, helping to understand it, and preventing exclusion and loneliness. Therefore, the "Polish Studies and the Challenges of the Modern World" project team decided to engage in the ongoing search for answers to contemporary problems and focus on individuality, regaining connections, interpersonal contacts, and a sense of identity, respecting the principles of openness, accessibility, and inclusivity in the surrounding world.
Art in the Places of Death. An interview with Prof. Halina Taborska
"Halina Taborska's book (...) is a peculiar study of the aesthetics of an anti-humanistic act. In fact it introduces such "aesthetics" to the readers, and we are presented with a very carefully prepared documentation of various objects, material and spatial shapes, "installations", murals, museum organizations and documentary activities. These are various shapes in the public space which mediate our perception of an unimaginable crime or "blinding” shapes that protect us from the damages of seeing it again. By bringing this collection of practices together, the book shows their character and multiplicity. The research material gathered in the publication and the scholarly approach make it a must-read not only in the study of war crimes in Europe, but also in the study of symbolic representation of mass crimes - especially in the field of cultural studies, cultural anthropology and art history.” (Prof. Jan Stanisław Wojciechowski, Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw - excerpt from the review on the cover).