Jean Monnet Center of Excellence

Staff

Tadeusz Wallas

Coordinator of the Jean Monnet Center of Excellence

Titular Professor at AMU, holder of post-doctoral degree (doktor habilitowany) in humanities in the field of political science. At present, Prof. Wallas was Vice Rector of Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań. Formerly, for many years he held the position of the Dean of the Faculty of Political Science and Journalism at the same university, where he is also the head of the Department of Political Culture. Until July 2001, Prof. Wallas worked as a gastprofessor (visiting professor) at the European University Viadrina in Frankfurt/Oder. He enjoys wide academic recognition as a renowned and popular scholar both in Poland and abroad. He has enormous organisational achievements and a plethora of professional accomplishments. He has received over a dozen prestigious awards and distinctions, including the award of the 1st degree from the Ministry of Science and Higher Education for organisational achievements in 2013. His abundant experience in the implementation of European grants has been confirmed by projects headed by him, including among others: Integration of Poland into the European Union, Fund for Small Grant Facility Fiesta II (project no. 2319/1/97); Political Institutions of United Europe (grant under the PHARE FIESTA II PL. 9316/01.01 – Management Box project); European Integration in Polish and German Political Thought (grant awarded by the Foundation for Polish-German Cooperation) and the NCN–OPUS project: The European Union towards Central Asia – Regional and International Determinants (UMO-2014/15/B/HS5/01591-2015-2018). He is also first Vice President of the Board of the Polish Political Science Association. He was the chief organiser of the 24th IPSA World Congress of Political Science which was held in Poznań in 2016 and received excellent reviews worldwide. The Congress brought together over 3,000 representatives of academia from over 100 countries all over the world.

Zbigniew Czachór

He is a holder of PhD in political science and post-doctoral degree (habilitation) in European Studies. He obtained the post of Titular Professor in 2014 in International Relations - Discipline: European Integration. He studied in Poland and Germany. Professor at Adam Mickiewicz University, Faculty of Political Science and Journalism in Poznań, Head of the Department of European Integration Research. Author of over 250 academic works published in Poland, Germany, France and Ukraine. Speaker at over 300 academic conferences world-wide. Guest lecturer in the field of political and European studies at numerous universities in Poland, Germany and France, and winner of visiting fellowships in Germany. Participant of several international projects. His research concentrates on the political and institutional dynamism of European integration, especially on the crisis aspects of integration, multi-speed Europe and Polish European policy and politics. Author of several expert opinions for public institutions in this field. Highly experienced in EU research, international cooperation, teaching and organisation of research. Since 2012, he has been Regular Adviser to the European Union Affairs Committee of the Sejm (lower chamber of parliament) of the Republic of Poland. Earlier, from 2008 to 2011, he was Regular Adviser to the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Sejm of the Republic Poland. From 1993 to 2013, he was the President of the Centre for European Research and Education in Poznań, preparing and implementing projects in the field of European education and European integration research.

Maciej Walkowski

In 1993, he graduated in Political Science obtaining a diploma with distinction. He defended his doctoral dissertation entitled “New trends in the development of European integration processes” in 1998. His dissertation ranked first in a competition organised by his Faculty, the Centre for European Research and Education in Poznań and the PHARE Programme in the category “Doctoral dissertation dedicated to the issues of the development of Europe and the European Union.” The following eight years of EU studies resulted in a post-doctoral dissertation titled “Regional and global determinants of reforms of the Common Agricultural Policy of the European Union”. Having been conferred post-doctoral degree (habilitation) and the position of AMU Titular Professor, he was appointed Head of the Department of Social and Economic Policy and, later, Vice-Dean for Education. In August 2016, the research team he headed won a Jean Monnet Chairholder competition. He is in charge of the EU DYNAMICUS – European Union: Economic Development, Young Europeans and Innovations in Crisis Overcoming and Union's Sustainability Programme in the period from 2016-2019. His academic and organisational activity has been awarded and distinguished on several occasions. He has participated in numerous public lectures, debates, courses and expert training sessions on the issues of European integration and the global economic and financial role of the EU. He has authored over 80 academic publications, including several monographs, dedicated to socio-economic dimensions of EU functioning. He has taken active part in over 100 international and domestic academic conferences on this topic and completed several stays abroad and foreign scholarships. For years students have highly appreciated his classes.

Andrzej Stelmach

He completed his Master’s studies in political science at Adam Mickiewicz University graduating with distinction and being awarded an AMU medal. He obtained his doctoral and post-doctoral degrees in Humanities, in the field of political science, at the same University. Currently employed as a Titular Professor, he heads the Department of Political Systems. He specialises in the issues of political systems, in particular in the analysis of political situation in Eastern Europe – Russian Federation and Ukraine first and foremost. He has received numerous awards from the AMU Rector, Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Dean of the Faculty of Political Science and Journalism for his achievements in academic, educational and organisational activity. His research deals with political and party systems, integration processes in Europe and political decision-making. He studies the theory and functioning of electoral systems. He is particularly interested in the evolution of the election systems in Poland, the Russian Federation and Ukraine. He also explores the political system of modern Russia. He studies European integration, in particular with respect to Eastern European states. He is renowned and acclaimed in Poland and Europe as an expert in the political systems of the Russian Federation and Ukraine as well as current political situation in Russia and other countries of the Commonwealth of Independent Nations. He has authored and edited over 70 academic publications. He co-organised the 24th IPSA Congress and three domestic academic congresses. He has headed numerous research projects, including “The political systems of Poland and Ukraine. A comparative analysis.” Member and Vice-president of the Polish Political Science Association, he is also actively involved in the Poznań Society of the Friends of Sciences. He is a member of the Political Science Committee of the Polish Academy of Sciences (PAN).

Jarosław Jańczak

He is a holder of PhD in political science, and post-doctoral degree (habilitation) in European Studies. He studied in Poland, Finland and Germany. An Associate Professor at the Adam Mickiewicz University, Faculty of Political Science and Journalism in Poznań. Author of over 100 academic works published in Poland, Canada, Czechia, Germany, France, USA, Japan, Bulgaria and Lithuania. Speaker at over 100 academic conferences world-wide. Guest lecturer in the field of political and European studies at numerous universities in France, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Czechia, Spain, USA and Bulgaria, and winner of visiting fellowships in Canada and Japan. Participant of several international projects. His research concentrates on the political and institutional dynamism of the European integration, especially on cross-border aspects of integration: erosion and elimination of boundaries within the EU as well as cross-border governance with a special focus on external boundaries of the EU and relations with the neighbouring and partner states. Author of several expert opinions for public institutions in this field. Highly experienced in EU research, international cooperation, teaching and organisation of research. More information about his academic profile: www.jaroslawjanczak.eu.

Beata Przybylska-Maszner

She obtained her PhD (titled: “European Security and Defence Policy”) and post-doctoral degree (habilitation; title of academic accomplishment: “Determinants of change in the institutionalisation process of the Common Foreign and Security Policy illustrated with the example of relations between the European Union and Africa”) at Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań within the field of European Integration. Since 2016, an Associate Professor at the Department for European Integration Research of the Faculty of Political Science and Journalism at Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Poland. Since 1998 Vice-president of the Centre for European Research and Education in Poznań preparing and implementing projects in the field of European education. Since 2007 Executive Editor of Rocznik Integracji Europejskiej (the European Integration Yearbook). Member of the editorial board of the “International Relations and Diplomacy”. Reviewer of academic texts for Polish and foreign academic magazines. Since 2017 Vice-director of the European Documentation Centre (network Europe Direct). Member of the European Commission network of experts in European studies Team Europe Poland. Member of Jean Monnet Chair team - theme: Theoretical concepts of differentiated integration and Jean Monnet Module team - theme: EDUPOL „The European Integration Process. The double reunification through the EU Education Policies 1948-2012. Her academic interests focus around the themes of the institutionalisation process of the European Union’s Common Foreign and Security Policy, in particular its influence on EU relations with specific states and regions.

Magdalena Musiał-Karg

Professor at the Department of Political Systems at the Faculty of Political Science and Journalism (Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań). President of the Centre for European Research and Education in Poznań preparing and implementing projects in the field of European education. Her research interests focus on direct democracy (also in the European Union) and the use of modern technologies (ICT) in democratic systems (mainly in electoral processes – e-voting). She also deals with the role of women in public space and with the cross-border cooperation in the Polish-German border area. She is the initiator and coordinator of the Research Group "Helvetic Initiative" (helwecja.amu.edu.pl). She is the author of over 100 academic publications in Poland, Austria, Estonia, Tukey, Germany and Russia. She has participated in a similar number of academic conferences and been a visiting lecturer. Member of the Jean Monnet Module team (theme: EDUPOL “The European Integration Process. The double reunification through the EU Education Policies (1948-2012)”.

In October 2014 she was granted a 3-year scholarship for young excellent scientists funded by the Polish Minister of Science and Higher Education. She is a Deputy Editor-in-Chief of "Przegląd Politologiczny" [Political Science Review], member of the Polish Association of Political Science, Polish Association of the European Studies and Centre for Direct Democracy Studies at the University of Białystok. Since 2014 – member of the scientific board of the Academic Foundation IPSO ORDO. Author of several expert opinions for public institutions. Highly experienced in EU research, international cooperation, teaching and organisation of research. More information about her academic profile: www.musial-karg.pl.

Adam Jaskulski

Adam Jaskulski has a Master’s Degree in Political Sciences and a PhD in political science (doctoral thesis entitled „The Change of the Interinstitutional Balance in the European Union After the Nice Treaty”) both obtained at Adam Mickiewicz University, Faculty of Political Science and Journalism. He also holds a Master’s Degree in Law obtained at Faculty of Law and Administration in Poznan. In 2013 he finished attorney training. Since 2013 he has been the Vice-president of the Centre for European Research and Education in Poznań preparing and implementing projects in the field of European education. Since 2012 he has worked as Assistant Professor at the Centre for European Integration Research of the Faculty of Political Science and Journalism at Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań. Adam Jaskulski will be engaged in several activities but teaching and conducting research are the most important. Beside those 2 mains responsibilities he will also co-edit the Centre’s Bulletins and didactic materials. He will organise the conference “Prospects of Research in the Area of External Actions of the European Union” and take part in study visit.

Joanna Skrzypczyńska

She is a holder of PhD in political science with specialisation in international relations; she studied in Poland and Germany. She also completed postgraduate studies in Political Economy at Warsaw School of Economics. Her research interests are focused around the World Trade Organization, trade protectionism, anti-dumping policy of the European Union and political economy. She participated in a number of academic conferences and conducted her research and teaching also as a visiting lecturer at the European universities. In 2016, she worked as a visiting assistant professor at the Appalachian State University in North Carolina, USA, teaching about the European Union. Participant of several international projects. Since 2008 she has also been a coordinator of a traineeship programme for political science students. She has practical experience in business. In 2013 and 2014 she got two internships in SMEs in the Wielkopolska region. The aim of these internships was to commercialise scientific research. She teaches courses in International Economics, Political Economy and Trade Policy of the European Union, among others. Currently she works as an assistant professor at the Department of International Economy at the Faculty of Political Science and Journalism at the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Poland.

Paulina Pospieszna

An Associate Professor of Political Science at the Adam Mickiewicz University, Poland. She received her Ph.D. (2010) in Political Science from the University of Alabama and worked as a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Konstanz and the University of Mannheim, Germany.

Her main research interests are democracy promotion, democratization and democracy backsliding, civil society, advocacy groups, NGOs, civic participation (especially youth activism), aid and sanctions as foreign policy tools. Geographically, she mainly focuses on Central and Eastern Europe. In her research she combines quantitative and qualitative approaches. She has published articles in Democratization, Europe-Asia Studies, Journal of International Relations & Development, International Interactions, Journal of Peace Research, Problems of Post-Communism, amongst others. She has recently published a book on entitled Democracy Assistance Bypassing Governments in Recipient Countries Supporting the “Next Generation” (Routledge). She is also an author of Democracy Assistance from the Third Wave: Polish Engagement in Belarus and Ukraine (University of Pittsburgh Press PITT Series in Russian and East European Studies).

Tomasz Brańka

He is a holder of PhD in political science. He studied in Poland and Sweden. Assistant Professor at Adam Mickiewicz University, Faculty of Political Science and Journalism in Poznań. Author of over 40 academic works published in Poland, Sweden, Germany, Czechia, and Russia. Speaker at over 50 academic conferences world-wide. Guest lecturer in the field of political and European studies at numerous universities in Sweden, Finland, Iceland, Greenland, Spain, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and USA. Participant in several international projects. His main research interests focus on autonomous solutions in contemporary international relations, non-sovereign entities in international relations, regionalism, international environmental protection and sustainable development. Author of several research papers on EU relations with Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs). Experienced in EU research, international cooperation, teaching and organization of the research. Institutional Coordinator of Erasmus+ at Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan, and active member and lecturer of the Baltic University Programme.

Krzysztof Duda

He holds an MA degree in Political Science and has defended his PhD thesis entitled "The role of direct democracy in the development of the political system of the Swiss Confederation". His research focuses on political systems – especially on electoral systems, direct democracy as well as on the use of modern technologies. He has been a participant and organiser of many academic conferences and other academic events, such as the International Academic Conference in a series "Europe of the 21st Century", National Political Science Congress and IPSA World Congress of Political Science. He is also a member of the Polish Political Science Association and of the Centre for Research and European Education where he is in charge of working on organizational and promotional issues. He will be involved in website's development, social media, leaflets, film production and conference preparation as well as in research completed with a publication. More information about his academic profile: kduda.home.amu.edu.pl.

Rafał Szymanowski

He is a holder of PhD in political scienc. He was a Fulbright Visiting Student Researcher at the University of California, Berkeley where he worked on his PhD dissertation. At UC Berkeley he was also a board member of the Humanities and Social Science Association (HSSA) and took part in the monthly meetings of Berkeley Postdoctoral Association (BPA). His academic work is intended to bridge the gap between politics and economics. His research interests focus on comparative and international political economy, economic safety, the politics of economic crises, monetary regimes, in particular the euro area, national economic ideas and cultures, economic and innovation policy of the EU. In 2015 he completed the “Entrepreneurship and Soft Skills Program” at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada, funded by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education. In 2013 he took part in the course for young professionals interested in Polish-German relations funded by Konrad Adenauer Foundation in Poland. In the academic year 2018/2019, he was awarded a scholarship by the AMU Foundation with Poznan Science and Technology Park in recognition of his academic achievements as well as innovative research methods. More information about his academic profile: http://amu.academia.edu/RafalSzymanowski.

Kinga Jasiak

She is a holder of PhD in political scienc. Her research interests focus around the issues of transnational corporations, globalisation, regionalisation in the world economy and the impact of globalisation on the European Union, especially in the socio-economic area. She has participated in numerous national and international academic conferences and authored dozens of academic papers. Kinga Jasiak is also the Editor-in-Chief of the “Refleksje” [Reflections] a journal of students and PhD candidates of the Faculty of Political Science and Journalism at Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań.