On 17th June the University of Warsaw opened the Kazimierz Michałowski Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology Research Station in Paphos, Cyprus. The opening event was connected with the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the presence of Polish archaeologists in Nea Paphos – one of the most important archaeological sites in Cyprus, inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The Research Station of the Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology of the University of Warsaw in Cyprus is the fourth foreign research centre of the University of Warsaw, after similar institutions in Egypt, Sudan and Georgia.
“The Research Station in Cyprus will not only be a logistical base for our research teams, but also a centre for cooperation, education and dialogue. We want it to be an open space for researchers and students from Poland and abroad and for the local community of Paphos,” says Prof. Artur Obłuski, Director of the Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology of the University of Warsaw.
The establishment of the research centre, initiated by the decision of the Rector of the University of Warsaw, Prof. Alojzy Z. Nowak in 2021, is part of a broader strategy of internationalising scientific research conducted by the university. The opening of the station also coincided with Poland’s assumption of the Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
The opening ceremony of the new UW facility was attended by: the Deputy Minister of Culture of Cyprus, Prof. Vasiliki Kassianidou, the Deputy Minister of Science of the Republic of Poland, Prof. Andrzej Szeptycki, the Polish Ambassador to Cyprus, Marek Szczepanowski, Phedonas Phedonos, the Mayor of Paphos, and Cypriot and Polish archaeologists.
The participants of the event visited the excavations of the Polish expedition in Kato Paphos and took part in the opening of the photographic exhibition “From Malutena to Agora: 60 Years of Polish Archaeology in Nea Paphos, Cyprus” at the En Plo Gallery.
New research facility
“Polish research in Cyprus has brought spectacular achievements, which would not have been possible without the excellent cooperation with the Department of Antiquities of Cyprus and the support of the Paphos city authorities,”emphasised during the event Prof. Ewdoksia Papuci-Władyka, Head of the Station and the joint expedition of the University of Warsaw and the Jagiellonian University in Nea Paphos.
During the ceremony scientists unveiled a plaque to mark the new headquarters of the station, located less than two kilometers from the archaeological site.
“Polish research in Paphos has been ongoing for 60 years. New station opens up new research perspectives, but also provides the expedition with previously unknown comfort and facilities, including a library or conference room, but also simply accommodation and office space. We have a place where we can work not only during the few weeks of the year when excavations are underway, but all year round. Here we can study monuments, devote time to scientific work, and comfortably present the results of our research to the local community,”says Dr. Paweł Lech from the PCMA UW, a member of the expedition conducting research in Nea Paphos and recently deputy head of the Research Station.
During the ceremony – co-organised by the Polish Embassy in Cyprus with the support of the Paphos city authorities – Polish Ambassador in Cyprus awarded state honours, including the Gold and Silver Crosses of Merit and the “Bene Merito” Honorary Badges, to people who made special contributions to Polish-Cypriot cultural and scientific cooperation. Among the awarded scientists is Prof. Ewdoksia Papuci-Władyka.
More information and a full list of awarded scientists can be found on the PCMA UW website >>
