Annual Meetings
PIASA has organized annual conferences since 1942. Their main purpose is to convene experts from the Polish-American community working in various disciplines of the humanities, arts, and sciences and to highlight their latest research and accomplishments.
The Polish Institute of Arts & Sciences of America invites proposals for its 10th World Congress to be held in Lublin, Poland, June 12-14, 2026
The Polish Institute of Arts & Sciences of America (PIASA) is pleased to invite proposals for its 10th World Congress, which will be hosted by the Institute of Social Communication and Media Sciences at Maria Curie-Skłodowska University (UMCS) and the Institute of Central Europe in Lublin, June 12-14, 2026. Proposals are solicited for complete in-person sessions or individual papers in any of the disciplines in the humanities, social sciences, or business/economics. The general theme of the conference is “Crossroads of Cultures.”
Lublin is an especially fitting setting for a conference titled Crossroads of Cultures. For centuries, the city has stood at the meeting point of major cultural, religious, and political currents in East-Central Europe. The 1569 Union of Lublin—an ambitious experiment in constitutional governance and multinational coexistence—symbolized the city’s role as a place where distinct traditions could converge and reshape one another. In 2029, Lublin will celebrate its heritage as a European City of Culture.
Historically home to vibrant Polish, Jewish, Ukrainian, and other communities, Lublin developed as a hub of intellectual, commercial, and artistic exchange along trade routes linking the Baltic and the Black Sea. Today, Lublin embraces its identity as a space of dialogue and intercultural engagement, hosting international initiatives and cultivating a strong culture of memory work and creative collaboration. Its historic architecture, multicultural heritage, and contemporary institutions provide a compelling backdrop for exploring the intersections, entanglements, and shared futures that define cultural crossroads.
Therefore, we particularly welcome panel and paper proposals which address these issues. Since we value comparative sessions that place the Polish and East Central European experience in context, papers need not focus specifically on Poland or Polish themes. Finally, papers do not necessarily have to address the main conference theme and are welcome for consideration in separate and cohesive panels.
Each session is scheduled for 90 minutes to accommodate three papers or about 20 minutes per paper, with suitable time left for discussion. As the conference language is English, all panel and paper submissions are expected to be in that language. All conference rooms will be equipped with AV for PowerPoint presentations. Presenters are invited to submit their final conference papers to be considered for possible publication in The Polish Review after the conference.
To submit a paper or complete session, please send the name, e-mail address, institutional affiliation, tentative paper title and brief one-paragraph abstract for each presenter to program organizers Patrice Dabrowski at pmd639@g.harvard.edu and Neal Pease at pease@uwm.edu.
The deadline for proposals is March 1, 2026, although earlier submissions are welcome since capacity is limited.
Three‑Hour Walking Tour of Lublin
A curated three‑hour walking tour through Lublin leads participants from the atmospheric streets of the Old City to the sites that form the Jewish Historical Memory Trail, concluding at one of Europe’s most extraordinary medieval treasures. The route begins in the historic center, where winding lanes, Renaissance façades, and centuries‑old townhouses reveal the layered past of a city shaped by trade, tolerance, and cultural exchange.
From there, the walk follows the Jewish Memory Trail, tracing the presence, destruction, and ongoing remembrance of Lublin’s once‑vibrant Jewish community. Key stops illuminate the intellectual, spiritual, and social life that flourished here for centuries, as well as the wartime devastation that reshaped the city’s landscape and identity.
The tour culminates at the Gothic Holy Trinity Chapel on the grounds of Lublin Castle. Built in the early 15th century and adorned with exceptional Ruthenian‑Byzantine frescoes commissioned by King Władysław Jagiełło, the chapel stands as one of the most valuable and unique monuments of medieval art in Europe—a breathtaking fusion of Eastern and Western artistic traditions.
Fee $20 (to be paid on the registration site), the tour starts on June 11 at noon at Brama Krakowska entrance.
Hotel Recommendations
Several hotels are located in close proximity to the UMCS Campus. For the purposes of the World Congress, we have partnered with Holiday Inn Express, ul. Spadochroniarzy 9.
For the period 10–14 June 2026, the following special rates are offered to Congress participants:
Single room with breakfast: 290 PLN per night (taxes and breakfast included)
Double room with breakfast: 340 PLN per night (taxes and breakfast included)
These rates apply to reservations made by 28 February 2026.
After this date, Congress participants will be offered a 15% discount off the market rate, subject to room availability.
Reservations should be sent directly to the Hotel at reservation@hiexlublin.pl, with reference to the agreed password: Instytut UMCS.
A reservation confirmation—including cancellation terms and payment information—will be sent to the person making the booking.
Please note that these prices apply only to non‑refundable reservations guaranteed by 100% prepayment prior to arrival.
Additional local hotels include Hotel Mercure, Focus and Grand Hotel Downtown.
Our Latest Congresses
In line with our practice of alternating the site of our annual meetings between the United States and Poland, you can browse our past conferences, programs and coverage of these events here.
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