Representatives of the University of Warsaw – Rector Prof. Alojzy Z. Nowak and Chancellor Robert Grey – took part in an educational mission to the United States. During the visit, meetings were held with the Polish-American community and the Consul General of the Republic of Poland in New York, among others.

The mission was organised by the City Hall of Warsaw in collaboration with the Consulate of the Republic of Poland in New York, the Warsaw Tourist Organisation, and the Polish Youth Association based in New York. Participants included Rafał Trzaskowski, Mayor of Warsaw, representatives of four Warsaw universities (University of Warsaw, Warsaw University of Technology, Warsaw School of Economics, and Medical University of Warsaw), as well as officials from the City of Warsaw and the Warsaw Tourist Organisation. This was the first initiative of its kind in history.

From 9th to 11th January, the programme included a meeting at the Consulate General of Poland in New York with Consul General Mateusz Sakowicz, Consuls Przemysław Postolski and Wiktor Cichecki, and students from Polish community schools along with their parents, the Polish Youth Ball, discussions with students, and engagement with Polish-American communities at Felician University in New Jersey. Representatives of Polish universities also held meetings with representatives from Rutgers University.

The University of Warsaw was represented by Rector Prof. Alojzy Z. Nowak and Chancellor Robert Grey. The mission aimed to encourage young Polish citizens living in the United States, as well as youth of Polish descent, to take advantage of the opportunities offered by academic life in Warsaw.

“We took part in several important meetings, attended by around 700 young people, primarily representing the Polish-American community. Our goal was not so much to persuade them to study in Poland, but to assure them of our support. We want them to know they can rely on us for broadly conceived cooperation. We are particularly interested in promoting the advancement of the Polish diaspora within American society,” said the UW Rector.

Prof. Alojzy Z. Nowak emphasised that the American side is especially interested in the implementation of joint research projects.

“Contemporary academic diplomacy is no longer the domain of individual universities, but of entire academic cities. Warsaw, together with its universities, is becoming not only a place to study, but a platform for international scientific collaboration, knowledge exchange, and talent development,” added the UW Chancellor.

Rector Prof. Nowak and Chancellor Grey also participated in meetings at Harvard University, Harvard Business School, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.