On April 27, a Letter of Intent was signed at the Institute of Slavic Studies, part of the AMU Faculty of Polish and Classical Philology. This letter marked the establishment of the Slavic Studies Forum, a national organisation aimed at uniting researchers who specialise in Slavic languages, literature, and cultures.
The initiative involved: Prof. Maciej Czerwiński, Director of the Institute of Slavic Studies at the Jagiellonian University; Prof. Ivan Petrov, Head of the Department of Slavic Studies at the University of Lodz; Prof. Patryk Borowiak. Director of the Institute of Slavic Studies at Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, and Dr Maciej Falski, Director of the Institute of Western and Southern Slavic Studies at the University of Warsaw.
The Forum's main objectives include:
- integrating the Slavic studies community in Poland and building a sustainable platform for academic and educational cooperation,
- strengthening the presence of Slavic studies in national academic and public discourse,
- supporting young researchers and doctoral students by initiating joint projects, seminars, etc.
- establishing the annual Slavic Studies Forum Award for the best thesis in the subject of Slavic studies (the first contest will be announced this year, and the award shall be granted for theses defended in the 2025/2026 academic year)
- undertaking joint activities to promote Slavic studies research in Poland and abroad.
The Forum has elected Prof. Patryk Borowiak of Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan, as its chair for the current three-year term.
The Slavic Studies Forum is intended to serve as a space for dialogue, the exchange of experiences and the joint development of positions on matters crucial to the future of Slavic studies and research. Due to ongoing social, cultural, and political changes, research on the Slavic region is becoming increasingly important for both knowledge and society. The leaders of the individual centres believe that coordinated action by the academic community will strengthen the position of Slavic studies within the Polish academic landscape as well as in global academic circles. Members of the Slavic Studies Forum invite representatives of the academic community to contribute to this initiative.
