On 28 January 2016, the Jagiellonian University was visited by Stephen de Boer, the Ambassador of Canada to Poland. The guest was received in Collegium Novum by Prof. Wojciech Nowak, JU Rector, and Prof. Stanisław Kistryn, JU Vice-Rector for Research and Structural Funds.
The meeting was chiefly devoted to Polish-Canadian relations, particularly in the areas of science and higher education as well as student and staff mobility. This cooperation is already visible in the large number of Canadian students attending the School of Medicine in English.
The participants of the meeting discussed the situation of the Polish minority in Canada, and the perception of Poland in Canada. As the ambassador pointed out, "Canadians are impressed with Poland as a country which, despite turbulent history, managed to achieved success". The discussion touched upon Canada's multicultural experience and how it may be used in the current European migration crisis.
The participants of the meeting announced that they will intensify the cooperation between each other in the academic area. After the meeting, Stephen de Boer delivered a lecture entitled "Canada as a Post-National State" in the JU Institute of American Studies and Polish Diaspora.
