Last week, the Centre for Strategic Studies and the Political Science and International Relations Programme hosted a visit by Professor Jakub Zajaczkowski from the University of Warsaw’s Faculty of Political Science and International Studies, accompanied by his colleague, Dr Dorota Heidrich. During the visit, Dr Heidrich presented several well-attended seminars and lectures on the concept of the Responsibility to Protect, the migration “crisis” in Europe and current trends in Polish politics.

The visitors also discussed opportunities for ongoing collaboration and possible European Union funding bids with the Centre for Strategic Studies Director, Associate Professor David Capie, with Dr Kate McMillan and Dr Fiona Barker from the Political Science and International Relations Programme and with Professor Sekhar Bandyopadhay, Director of the New Zealand-India Research Institute.

The visit was coordinated by Emeritus Professor Rob Rabel of the Centre for Strategic Studies, who will follow up on these discussions when he makes his third visit to Warsaw in October to deliver seminars and guest lectures. Other academic staff members from the PSIR Programme also plan to visit the University of Warsaw in 2020 within the framework of the cooperation agreement.

The relationship with the University of Warsaw was initially facilitated by Polish Ambassador to New Zealand Zbigniew Gniatkowski and has benefitted from his Embassy’s ongoing support as well as that of successive New Zealand Ambassadors to Poland. Associate Professor Capie noted that “this promising academic collaboration highlights how capital-city universities can leverage their connections to the diplomatic community to bring comparative national perspectives to bear on key issues in strategic studies and international relations.”