18 November 2015 marked the beginning of the 4th edition of Canadian Culture Festival, organised by students of the JU Institute of American Studies and Polish Diaspora in collaboration with the institute staff.
The meeting started with a short speech by the organising committee, in which the students greeted the attendees, among whom were representatives of Polish and Canadian universities, as well as Pamela Isfield, political advisor of the Canadian Ambassador to Poland.
The Festival was officially opened by Prof. Andrzej Mania, JU Vice-Rector for Educational Affairs. He mentioned he does not treat attending this event as his duty as a high-ranking university official, but rather as a privilege, since he deeply believes in the importance of this undertaking, which flourishes thanks to dedication and hard work of students. "From the European point of view, observing the situation on a continent across the ocean is an interesting cultural experience," said Prof. Mania.
The next part of the opening meeting featured a presentation delivered by Pamela Isfield, entitled The pride and glory of Canada - Canadian achievements and their place in the world's history.
The organisers to emphasise the dedication and the importance of Canadians in the world, not only in the international relations, but also in the fields such as culture and science.
Since the beginnings of settlement in North America, residents of the area were actively involved in the global trade – due to beavers' fur they remained, for a long time, one of the most important economic partners of France . In the following centuries, first as a part of Great Britain, later as an independent nation, Canadian forces participated in many international conflicts, as well as in many United Nations' peacekeeping missions. It was Canadians who, in the 1920s, were awarded the Nobel Prize for discovering medical properties of insulin; in 1940s they created an electric wheelchair and still remain one of the strongest forces in the medical equipment market. Nowadays, Canada is one of the most influential nations in the world and the homeland of many famous and recognizable writers (Alice Munro), directors (David Cronenberg) and musicians (Leonard Cohen).
During this year's conference, organised as part of Canadian Culture Festival in Krakow, the participants will tackle the issue of Canada from a different, global perspective. Where can Canadians be found in the world's history of 19th and 20th century? Is the Maple-Leaf State considered a serious player in the contemporary international relations? What inventions and scientific achievements do we owe to Canadians? Which Canadian artist has gained the biggest international acclaim? We would like the conference Canada and the World to have an interdisciplinary character, therefore we wish to invite people from different fields: international relations, history, political science, cultural relations, law, sociology, philology, as well as other members of humanistic and social studies, to participate.
