Panel Discussion “France/Poland: Institutions in Times of Crisis” at the French Embassy
October 28, 2025
On 29–30 October 2025, the Faculty of Political Science and International Studies at the University of Warsaw hosted a conference entitled “Polish Interests and Strategy towards Africa” in the Prof. Jan Baszkiewicz Hall. The event was jointly organised by the Faculty and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland.
The conference brought together representatives from academia, public administration, diplomacy, non-governmental organisations, and the business sector, who discussed directions and opportunities for developing Poland’s relations with African countries.
The conference was opened by Prof. Katarzyna Kołodziejczyk, Dean of the Faculty of Political Science and International Studies at the University of Warsaw, and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Wojciech Zajączkowski.
The first day of the event began with an open lecture entitled “How to talk about Africa in Europe and how to talk about Poland in Africa?” (in English), delivered by Prof. Eghosa E. Osaghae, Director General of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs in Lagos. The lecture sparked great interest and an engaging discussion among participants.
The second day of the conference featured three thematic panels:
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Panel I: The global and EU vision versus Polish interests and presence in Africa
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Panel II: Economic and development activities in Africa – possible synergies for implementing the goals of Poland’s foreign policy
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Panel III: Models of cooperation with Africa – conclusions and recommendations for Poland
Participants included representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland, the Polish Institute of International Affairs, the Polish Investment and Trade Agency, the Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego, as well as experts from universities in Poland, Italy, Spain, Turkey, and Nigeria.
The conference served as an important platform for exchanging experiences and presenting practical recommendations concerning Poland’s future strategy towards African countries.
The organisers would like to sincerely thank all participants for their presence and the speakers for their inspiring contributions and discussions.
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