The Blanka Rosenstiel Lecture Series on Poland returns to the Steven J. Green School of International & Public Affairs with a timely conversation: Poland 37 Years After Democratic Transition. Has the country fulfilled the promise of 1989?
The discussion explores Poland’s political and economic transformation, its integration into NATO and the European Union, and ongoing debates over judicial independence, media freedom and the rule of law. It also considers how the war in Ukraine has reshaped Poland’s security priorities, regional influence and role in Europe today.
Wednesday, September 2, 2026, 2:00 p.m. to 3:15 p.m.
Green School International Pavilion (SIPA II, Room 102)
Steven J. Green School of International & Public Affairs, Florida International University
11200 SW 8 Street, Miami, FL 33199
Free and open to the public. RSVP is encouraged.
About the speaker
Dr. Mateusz Kamionka is a political scientist and assistant professor in the Department of Polish-Ukrainian Studies at Jagiellonian University. His research focuses on Polish-Ukrainian relations, security in Central and Eastern Europe, and political identity among Ukrainian youth.
He has held academic positions in Poland and Ukraine and served as a visiting professor at the University of Illinois Chicago. His work also examines youth and refugee issues, and he is active in international academic initiatives, NGOs and election observation.
About the series
The Blanka Rosenstiel Lecture Series on Poland brings scholars, diplomats and writers to Florida International University to examine Poland’s history, politics and culture, and its place in Europe today. The series is named for the founder of The American Institute of Polish Culture.
Co-sponsored by the Václav Havel Program for Human Rights & Democracy, the Miami-Florida Jean Monnet Center of Excellence, and The American Institute of Polish Culture, Inc.
