3 July 2017 saw the opening of another edition of the Summer School of Polish Language and Culture of the Jagiellonian University. The ceremony was attended by nearly 200 students from over 25 countries.
The participants were welcomed by the Director of Summer School of Polish Language and Culture Dr hab. Waldemar Martyniuk. Then an opening address was delivered by the Rector of the Jagiellonian University Prof. Wojciech Nowak, who wished the participants good and fruitful time in Kraków and expressed his hope that many of them would come back to study at the Jagiellonian University in the years to follow.
The ceremony featured an opening lecture by the eminent sociologist Prof. Piotr Sztompka, entitled “The Concept of Social and Cultural Trauma. Its Relevance for the Case of Poland”. Having introduced the concept of trauma, which originated in medical sciences and then was adopted by psychology and, most recently, by social sciences, he discussed trauma as a sociological phenomenon, which is a process and a social fact affecting bonds between human beings. Then Prof. Sztompka went on to discuss different aspects of collective trauma, including the traumatogenic change, the victims of trauma, as well as its symptoms. The final part of the lecture was devoted to three cases of collective trauma in Poland, related to the post-communist transition after 1989, the Smolensk plane crash of 2010, and the political shift that began in 2015.
This year’s courses offered by the JU Summer School of Polish Language and Culture will be attended by almost 400 people altogether. The majority of students come from the USA. There is also a large group of Chinese participants, including 32 students from Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. The school will also host participants from Ukraine, Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, France, India, Russia, Switzerland, Cameroon, Korea, Israel, and Zimbabwe.
Within the framework of 3-week, 4-week, and 6-week programmes, the School offers an intensive Polish language course, as well as classes in the Polish history, literature, art, grammar and history of Polish Jews. The courses are accompanied by cultural events as well as sightseeing and hiking trips.
