As I write this column, Hanukkah has come and gone, and Christmas will soon be upon us. Ringing out the old year and bringing in the new is for many of us a time of reflection and renewal. As president of PIASA, I take great joy in celebrating the achievements of scholars, artists, scientists and others whose outstanding work falls within our ambit of “Polish Studies,” broadly defined. PIASA award season is upon us, committee recommendations are coming in, and in just a few weeks award recipients will be officially announced. Allow me to take a moment to thank the members of our award committees, many of which include previous recipients, and especially members of the Board of Directors who sit on this year’s committees and often serve as their connecting tissue: Michael Bernhard, Anna Müller, Neal Pease, Nathan Wood, Piotr Wróbel, and Geneviève Zubrzycki.

Many of our new award recipients will be honored at our forthcoming 9th World Congress of Polish Studies in Warsaw, hosted by our partnering institution Collegium Civitas in the city’s iconic Palace of Culture and Science from June 6-9. The turn of the year also means that preliminary planning for the Congress will be shifting into higher gear, as panel and paper proposal come in before the February 1 deadline, keynote speakers are lined up, and grant funding to support our meeting is confirmed. We have already announced that Dr. Janusz Onyszkiewicz, Solidarity spokesperson in the 1980s and two-time former Defense Minister, has agreed to serve as the banquet speaker, which is just the start of the exciting news we expect to share with you in the coming months. Organizing such a major conference is a collective effort involving several dedicated individuals whom I also wish to acknowledge: Katarzyna Maniszewska and Agnieszka Mrowińska from Collegium Civitas, and PIASA Board Members Patrice Dabrowski, Bożena Leven, Anna Müller and Neal Pease.

The general theme of the 9th Congress is “Poland in the World.” Bringing PIASA to the world and the world to PIASA are those responsible for our media and publications: Mariusz Bargielski, in charge of our email communications from New York; Kathleen Cioffi, editor of PIASA Books; Halina Filipowicz, editor-in-chief of The Polish Review; James Pula, editor of this Newsletter; and Dominic Wolacewlcz, manager of our website. PIASA’s increased visibility resulting from their efforts continues to attract new members: 23 have joined our ranks in 2023, a coincidental but most gratifying number.

 

In conclusion, as war continues to rage in Ukraine, Gaza, and elsewhere in the world, we bring one last simple, hopeful, and familiar holiday message, that of peace on earth and good will to all.