Meeting between the Marshal of the Polish Senate Małgorzata Kidawa-Błońska and Polish language students at the University of Ljubljana

In her address, Małgorzata Kidawa-Błońska emphasised the importance of academic cooperation in building bridges between Poland and Slovenia. “Culture and curiosity about the world are among the most important values. They are what motivated you to learn and study Polish. This has enabled you to discover another culture and understand it more deeply. It shows that learning foreign languages – not just English – is extremely important,” she concluded. 

Polish faculties and universities are among the most popular choices for student exchanges at the UL, as well as for staff exchanges within the framework of teaching and training. “Our university has always been a place of openness, dialogue and cooperation between cultures. That is why it is extremely valuable that we also nurture the Polish language and culture in our academic environment, as they represent an important bridge between Slovenia and Poland – and, more broadly, between Central Europe and the world,” emphasised the Vice-Rector for the Arts and Sports, Prof. Matjaž Drevenšek, in his speech. 

Within the Erasmus+ programme, 145 inter-institutional agreements have been concluded with 63 Polish universities and institutions, along with five bilateral agreements. In total, the UL is cooperating with Polish universities and institutions on 78 joint projects. 

“For us, it is important to connect the two languages and cultures: they are related languages and share a similar outlook on the world – one shaped by Prešeren and Mickiewicz in the Romantic era. In more recent times, Slovenian and Polish professors and lectors in Warsaw, Krakow and Ljubljana have also contributed greatly to the study of Polish and to academic intercultural exchange on both sides. I must not fail to mention Tone Pretnar, Niko Jež, Joanna Sławińska and Mladen Pavičić as well as our current colleagues at the chairs of Polish language and literature,” said the Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Prof. Dr Mojca Schlamberger Brezar, at the meeting.