The meeting began with an official welcome by Prof. Wiesław Gruszecki, Ph.D., Vice Rector for Science and International Cooperation at Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin.

This was followed by an inaugural lecture on Poland’s Current Foreign Policy in Light of Changes in the Contemporary International System, delivered by Dr. Katarzyna Marzęda-Młynarska, a UMCS professor in the Department of Political Science, Chair of International Security. The lecture enabled the scholarship holders to deepen their knowledge of current challenges in international politics and Poland’s strategic priorities.

The Kirkland Program participants took also part in a guided tour of Lublin, which included, among others: Litewski Square, the pedestrian zone, the Cathedral, the Dominican monastery, and the Old Town.

The next item on the agenda was a meeting with representatives of Lublin City Hall at the Crown Tribunal, including Krzysztof Stanowski, Director of the Office of the Center for International Cooperation, and Viktoria Herun, Head of the Academic Support Department. The meeting allowed the scholarship holders to learn about local educational initiatives and international cooperation.

The scholarship holders also visited the National Museum in Lublin, including the Holy Trinity Chapel, and then went to the Baobab Lublin educational and cultural space. Baobab in Lublin is a safe, open integration space for migrants and refugees, where they can receive support in daily life, professional and social activation, and participate in cultural activities. At the same time, this place serves to build bonds between new and long-time residents of the city, becoming a laboratory of integration and a meeting space for local communities.

The meeting concluded with a trip to the Czartoryski Museum in Puławy, where the scholarship holders had the opportunity to learn about the history and cultural heritage of the Lublin region.