About the publisher
The Jan Nowak-Jeziorański College of Eastern Europe (Kolegium Europy Wschodniej) was founded in February 2001 by Jan Nowak-Jeziorański, a democratic activist, the legendary “Courier from Warsaw”, the long-time director of the Polish section of Radio Free Europe and the former vice president of the Polish-American Congress. The College of Eastern Europe is a non-profit, non-partisan organization based in Wroclaw, a city, which, Nowak-Jeziorański once said, “with its root in the East is a strategic outpost in the struggle for a better and safer future for Poland”.
The other founders are the City of Wroclaw, Lower Silesian Voivodeship Council, National Ossoliński Institute, Angelus Silesius Meeting House, Krzyżowa Foundation and European Cultural Association.
The mission of The College of Eastern Europe is to build Eastern Europe as a community of free people. For us, Europe is not a geographic but axiological concept. Its borders are drawn by ideals. We want citizens of the former Soviet Union to adhere to European values.
Therefore, the Foundation promotes cooperation among the people of Central and Eastern Europe. This is why:
– through our scholarship programmes, we educate and we raise the qualifications of officials and leaders of local communities from Eastern Europe. Poland is an example of successful political transformation and we show how to use this experience;
– we inform and shape public debate about Central and Eastern Europe in Poland (Nowa Europa Wschodnia magazine) and across the world (New Eastern Europe magazine);
– thanks to the KEW Publishing House we promote Eastern European literature in Poland and Polish thought about the East in our country. We publish over a dozen new titles every year. We promote valuable, non-commercial literature;
– we create and conduct discussions on international politics, organise book promotions, conferences and seminars;
– we discuss – the annual Polish Eastern Policy Conference is a platform for debate on Poland’s policy towards Eastern Europe. This is the only event of its kind in Poland, which involves politicians, journalists, polical commentators and NGOs. We foster pluralism of opinion and serious discussion, devoid of populism;
– we educate – during New Eastern Europe School the most outstanding European academics share their knowledge with students from Poland and Eastern Europe. During the seminar „Translators Without Borders”, distinguished translators share their knowledhe and experience with upcoming talents. During the Bohdan Osadchuk Polish-German-Ukrainian School, young leaders from Poland, Germany and Ukraine debate the future of Europe and Polish-German-Ukrainian cooperation.
