Congratulations to Professor Paulina Kewes who has been appointed as the inaugural Director of the Oxford-Poland Hub, which launched on 9 November at Jesus College. The Hub’s Deputy Director will be Dr Marek Naczyk (Department of Social Policy and Intervention and Kellogg College).
The initiative, developed by Professor Kewes and colleagues in Oxford and Poland, aims to foster sustained scholarly collaboration, mutual understanding, and cultural exchange between the two communities, with special focus on the humanities, social sciences, museums and libraries.
It will open new strategic avenues for Oxford scholars to collaborate with leading Polish universities and research centres, develop transnational research consortia, and benefit from complementary sources of research funding.
Professor Kewes commented: “We are delighted to launch this ground-breaking new collaboration with the Polish Government which will empower research, stimulate innovation and creativity and deepen cultural engagement between all the partners and our communities. It is a great privilege to be the inaugural Director of the Oxford-Poland Hub.”
Professor Simon Horobin, Chair of the English Faculty Board, added: “The Faculty of English is excited to be partnering with the Oxford–Poland Hub, which will create new opportunities for international research collaboration and strengthen partnerships with leading Polish universities and cultural institutions. The Hub will also encourage interdisciplinary exchange and foster innovative research into shared literary, historical and cultural traditions. Through academic visits, joint projects, workshops and public lectures, the Hub will enhance the Faculty of English's engagement with Poland’s rich intellectual and cultural heritage.”
The launch was attended by Dr Marcin Kulasek, the Polish Minister of Science and Higher Education, Professor Irene Tracey, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford, and Councillor Chewe Munkonge, the Lord Mayor of Oxford.
Dr Marcin Kulasek commented: “Poland and the United Kingdom have for many years developed strong cooperation in science and higher education through joint research projects, academic mobility programmes and institutional partnerships. An important pillar of this relationship is the Polish-British Science Forum, held alternately in both countries since 2018, which has created a lasting platform for dialogue between our academic communities. The Oxford–Poland Hub opens a new chapter in this cooperation, strengthening existing partnerships and creating new opportunities for joint research, academic exchange and closer engagement between our scholars and institutions.”
A central element of the Hub's activities is a programme of grants designed to turn promising ideas into joint research projects. Oxford-based researchers will be able to apply for funding to collaborate with colleagues in Poland, organise workshops and undertake research visits in either country.
Grants of up to £5,000 will support joint research projects, academic visits and the preparation of larger funding applications, while workshops bringing together researchers from Poland, Oxford and beyond will be eligible for up to £10,000. From its second year, the Hub also plans to offer bursaries enabling early-career Polish researchers to attend training programmes at Oxford.
The Hub will work closely with Polish universities and research institutions, as well as the Foundation for Polish Science (FNP), to develop new opportunities for academic collaboration. Funding for its first three years of operations is provided by the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange (NAWA). The Hub is further supported by the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in London, and the Polish Cultural Institute in London. It will be based at The Oxford Research Centre in the Humanities (TORCH).
The Hub's ambitions, however, extend beyond academic research. Working with TORCH, Oxford's Humanities Cultural Programme, OPA and the Polish Cultural Institute in London, it will promote Polish history, culture and scholarship through public lectures, exhibitions, performances and other events, engaging both the University community and wider audiences in Oxford. The Hub will also establish a bilingual website and a newsletter providing information about research opportunities, funding, events and Polish language learning.
Professor Matthew Reynolds, Professor of English and Comparative Criticism and Chair of OCCT said: “The establishment of the Oxford-Poland Hub is fantastic news, not only for connections between the UK and Poland, but for interdisciplinary research and international collaboration more broadly. The new Hub will be able to join forces with existing structures like the Oxford Comparative Criticism and Translation Research Centre (OCCT) to support research and put on events involving literature, translation, and all kinds of cross-cultural creativity.
Find out more about the Oxford-Poland Hub and its objectives on the TORCH website.
