Social Solidarity and Philanthropy: a new joint course of the University of Warsaw and the University of Geneva
Erasmus+ 2025/2026 informational meeting
January 9, 2025
The Faculty of Political Science and International Studies of the University of Warsaw, in cooperation with the Faculty of Arts of the University of Geneva, is opening a new course at the Faculty in the summer semester 2024/2025 entitled: Social Solidarity and Philanthropy: historical and contemporary perspective (in Polish: Solidarność Społeczna i Filantropia: Perspektywa Historyczna i Współczesna).
The Course is one of the results of three research projects (research-based teaching) – carried out in Switzerland, at the University of Geneva by:
Dr Anita Budziszewska – Faculty of Political Science and International Studies, University of Warsaw, Holder of Swiss Government Excellence Scholarship at the University of Geneva:
1. “Philanthropy and international relations: how do cultural, political and axiological settings determine philanthropy?” conducted at the Geneva Centre for Philanthropy at the University of Geneva and funded by the Swiss Government under the Swiss Confederation Excellence Scholarship program for foreign scholars, and
2. “Philanthropy and philanthropic activities of Poles and Poles living in Switzerland” within the framework of the research grant of the Swiss Foundation – Anneliese and Mieczyslaw Koćwin Foundation conducted at the Geneva Center for Philanthropy of the University of Geneva
Prof. Irene Hermann and Dr Renata Latała – the Faculty of Arts, University of Geneva:
3. Research grant from the Swiss National Science Foundation – The Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) titled. “ Solidarités plurielles : représentations, discours et pratiques autour d’un concept “ universel ‘ (1975-1985) “, conducted at the Faculty of Arts of the University of Geneva.
The course will be taught by Dr Renata Latala (from the University of Geneva side) and Dr Anita Budziszewska (from the University of Warsaw side) on a full-time basis / stationary mode. Students also have the option to join and participate via ZOOM.
The course aims to reflect on concepts such as:
1) social solidarity: why do societies and individuals solidify and what is the result: new norms, values, human rights?
2) philanthropy as one of the emanations of pro-social and solidarity attitudes;
3) engagement and social discourses versus social movements.
The idea of the course will be based on the analysis of these concepts – micro, and macro, and based on historical and contemporary perspectives – by referring mainly to examples of solidarity, humanitarian, pro-social and philanthropic movements in Europe, with particular emphasis on the Swiss and Polish context.
The course examines how social actors in the broadest sense (individuals, social groups and movements, minorities, etc.) solidified around certain ideas and values, how solidarity and pro-social attitudes were implemented and why solidarity movements became a fundamental issue in the last years of the Cold War and today, and the role of philanthropy in this.
The seminar course is conducted by the University of Warsaw, Faculty of Political Science and International Studies, in research and teaching cooperation with the University of Geneva, Faculty of Arts.
Limit of students: 20, USOS registration applies
Course page in USOS: https://usosweb.uw.edu.pl/
Number of hours: 15 hours
Course duration: February 17-March 31; Monday, 4:45-6:15 pm
Number of ECTS: 3
Language: Polish
The students’ best works will be published on the project website of the University of Geneva.
Profiles of scholars conducting course:
Anita Budziszewska, PhD – Doctor of Social Sciences in the field of political science (2022). Member of the Department of Diplomacy and International Institutions, WNPiSM, University of Warsaw. Stipendist of the Swiss Government under the “Swiss Confederation Excellence Program” for foreign scholars at the Geneva Centre for Philanthropy, University of Geneva. Stipendist of the Swiss Annelise and Mieczyslaw Koćwin Foundation (Therwil, Switzerland) at the Geneva Centre for Philanthropy of the University of Geneva. She is also Research Fellow at the Center for Philanthropy Studies, University of Basel (Switzerland). Member of the Academic Council of the United Nations System, European Research Network on Philanthropy (ERNOP), International Studies Association (ISA), International Cultural Relations Research Alliance under the aegis of the British Council and IFA, among others. Main research interests: philanthropy and international relations, international philanthropy, global and regional role of philanthropic foundations; political and cultural determinants of philanthropy; Polish and Swiss philanthropy, culture and values in international relations and international law.
Renata Latała, PhD – Doctor of Humanities in History, a graduate of the Jagiellonian University and the University of Geneva, among others, received her doctorate from the University of Fribourg in Switzerland. Researcher at the University of Geneva since 2015, where she first joined the research group at the Department of Psychology and Pedagogical Sciences, and from 2019 worked at the Institute of History in the Faculty of Humanities. Participant of numerous international scientific projects, including Nations et Nationalismes of the European Institute in Geneva; the European Science Association European Historiography project, a International Research Platform: Contested Legacies. Central/ Eastern European and Southern European Competing Narratives on Authoritarian “Lieux de mémoire”. She has been awarded a scholarship from the Swiss National Science Fund. From 2019 to 2024, at the University of Geneva, she conducted research on the idea and practice of solidarity within the framework of the scientific project “Solidarités plurielles : représentations, discours et pratiques autour d’un concept ‘ universel ’ (1975-1985)”, funded by the Swiss Scientific National Fund, in collaboration with Prof. Irène Herrmann. Main research interests include: Conceptual history, the idea of solidarity, social solidarity, political and cultural conditions of solidarity, culture and scientific communities and international relations; Intellectual history and cultural transfers (XIX-XX).
