VISIT OF RESEARCHERS FROM THE KURAS INSTITUTE OF POLITICAL AND ETHNIC STUDIES OF THE NAS OF UKRAINE TO JAGIELLONIAN UNIVERSITY (KRAKÓW)

On 8 November 2025, a seminar within the Polish-Ukrainian project “The Impact of Political System Types on the Quality of Political Institutions: Polish and Ukrainian Experience and Perspectives” took place at Jagiellonian University (Kraków, Republic of Poland).

The delegation of the Kuras Institute of Political and Ethnic Studies of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine included: Deputy Director Prof. Galyna Zelenko, Leading Research Fellows Tetiana Liashenko, Rostyslav Balaban and Nataliia Kononenko, and Senior Research Fellow Svitlana Sytnyk.

The seminar opened with a discussion with Mr. Bogusław Sonik, former Member of the Polish Sejm and the European Parliament. The conversation focused on key stages of democratic transformation in Poland — from the rise of the “Solidarity” movement to the comprehensive reform of local self-government. Particular attention was paid to the role of local communities as an important driver of Poland’s contemporary development.

The second part of the seminar featured a meeting with Mr. Rafał Komarewicz, Member of the Sejm of the Republic of Poland. His presentation emphasized the division of powers between central and local authorities, as well as the need to build effective coordination mechanisms across governance levels. The discussion also addressed the politicization of administrative decisions, the influence of lobbying groups, and the risks these factors pose for consistent implementation of public policies.

The seminar became an important component of the joint research project and contributed to deepening the professional dialogue on adapting European experience to strengthen the institutional capacity of public governance in Ukraine.