Kongres Współpracy Transgranicznej Lublin
Paweł Prokop
Chairman of the Organisational and Programming Committee. Chairman of Foundation for Managerial Initiatives
Lecturer at University College of Enterprise and Administration in Lublin, Lublin Mayor’s Plenipotentiary for social participation and cross-border cooperation, council member in the Polish-Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce, coach and consultant in the field of managing institutions within public, social, and business sectors. Author of many international cooperation programmes, expert in local government and social programmes, in particular longtime innovative projects.
Deputy Chairman of the Organisational and Programming Committee.
Director of International Cooperation Centre of Lublin City Office
Co-founder and leader of NGOs. Author of numerous educational programmes and publications concerning civic education, NGO management and development cooperation. During martial law, a member of the regional authorities of the underground ‘Solidarność’, a political prisoner. Co-founder of independent scouting in Poland, first President of the Board of the Polish Scouting and Guiding Association (ZHP). Long-term President of the Education for Democracy Foundation. Co-founder of the Civic Committee for Solidarity with Ukraine. Member of the Steering Committee of the World Movement for Democracy (2000-2007) and authorities of ‘Grupa Zagranica’. Undersecretary of State in the Ministry of National Education (2007-2011) and subsequently Undersecretary of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Author of Development Cooperation Act.
Krzysztof Stanowski
Katarzyna Antoń
Deputy Director of the Department of Greenery and Municipal Management of the Lublin City Office – Municipal Greenery Architect
A graduate of the University of Life Sciences in Lublin. She is also authorized to supervise work in green areas. For 10 years, she has been professionally associated with the units of the City of Lublin responsible for greenery: the Department of Greenery and Municipal Management, the Office of the Municipal Green Architect and the Road and Bridge Authority. She mainly focuses on designing green areas in public spaces, the establishment and recultivation of green areas, supervision of the maintenance of trees, shrubs, lawns and elements of small architecture, and previously also the acceptance of plantings as part of road investments. Additionally, she is involved in improving the life of trees in the city.
Director of the Social Participation Office of Lublin City Office
Director of the Social Participation Office since 2018, employee of the Lublin City Office since 2011. From 2004 to 2011, member of the Management Board of the Homo Faber Association in Lublin; from 2004 to 2006, member of the Management Board of Amnesty International Association. He cooperated with non-governmental organizations on the issue of cooperation between public administration and the third sector. In 2014, he was awarded the Golden Cross of Merit by the President of the Republic of Poland for his outstanding contribution to the development of civil society in Poland, for achievements in professional and social work undertaken for the benefit of the country. Chairman of the Council for Public Benefit Activities at the City of Lublin and member of the Council for Public Benefit Activity at the Minister of Family, Labour and Social Policy, where he represents the Union of Polish Metropolises.
Piotr Choroś
Natalia Gmurkowska
Adviser on Eastern Europe States the the Board of Local Democracy Development Foundation
For 15 years connected with the NGOs sector in Poland and abroad through development and implementation of international cooperation programmes in the filelds of: community development, civil participation, contemporary mothods of public administration management, local media, cross-sectoral partnerships – both local and business, culture and assistance for youth initiatives. Her research interest are the Eastern Partnership states, especially Ukraine and Georgia. Expert and consultant to public institutions and advisery bodies. Has a long term experience in implementation of project co-finansed by the European Commission, Norway Grants, Polish Development Assistance Programme, Cohesion Fund of the EU, Erasmus+ Programme, and many more.
Head of Division for International Programs of the International Cooperation Centre of Lublin City Office
MA in Ukrainian philology and in sociology, graduate of the European College of Polish and Ukrainian Universities. A graduate of Project Management Studies at the Warsaw School of Economics. Since 2007, she has been working as a Head of Division for International Programs and Projects at the Lublin City Office in the International Cooperation Centre. In her professional work, she deals with the development of grant applications, implementation and settlement of projects co-financed from external funds. She has the APM Group PRINCE2 Foundation and MSP Foundation certificates. Privately: she loves traditional culture.
Ewelina Graban
Radosław Guz
Director of the Association of the Lublin Metropolitan Area Bureau
A graduate of Maria Curie Skłodowska University in Lublin, manager of Polish and international educational projects. Experienced official of civil service of both central and local government administration. Manager realizing his competences in diplomacy and management over the years. Worked, among others, in the Ministry of Sports and Tourism, the Lublin Province Governor Office, Lubartów County and Lublin City Office.
In private, passionate about motorcycle riding and martial arts.
Director of the Tourism Department of Lublin City Office
Born 1980 in Lublin. He graduated from the Technical Secondary School of Economics at ZSE im. A and J. Vetterów and the Faculty of Law and Administration of the Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin. He has been working for public administration for years. A long-time employee of the Ministry of Economy (later the Ministry of Development), where he participated in the creation of entrepreneurship support programs and implementation of innovations in companies. Since 2014, he has been working at the Lublin City Hall, previously as the deputy director in the Department of Strategy and Investor Relations, as the president’s representative for startups. From January 2020, he was entrusted with the function of the Director of the Tourism Development Bureau. Privately, he is the father of two daughters.
Marcin Kęćko
Aleksandra Kulik
Chairwoman of Sempre a Frente Foundation
She has been working with social organizations since 2014. Psychologist, career counselor, long-time coordinator of international activities, facilitator of exchanges, trainer of social and digital competencies, mentor of youth initiative groups, consultant of the Eurodesk network, member of the Council of Public Benefit Activities in Lublin in 2019-22. Graduate of the PAFF School of Leaders. She is one of the initiators of the process of seeking the title of European Youth Capital that’s why also a member of the Program Council of the European Youth Capital Lublin 2023 and the National Development Council for Youth. Deeply believes in the power of non-formal education and empowerment of young people in social life.
Deputy Director of the Public Roads and Transport Authority of Lublin
He has been associated with the transport industry from the beginning of his professional experience. Has held executive positions in various companies, including the Municipal Transport Company in Lublin and Car Transport Company in Radzyń Podlaski. Since 2013, he has been acting as Deputy Director, currently in the Municipal Transport Authority in Lublin. From March to June 2024, Director of the Road and Bridge Authority. He has cooperated on the EU projects development, including the electric bus system enforcement in Lublin, the Lubika ticket sales system execution, and the communication line network restructuring.
Sławomir Podsiadły
Julita Agnieszka Rybczyńska PhD
Lawyer and political scientist
Affiliated with Political Science Faculty of Marie Curie Skłodowska University (UMCS) in Lublin since 1990ties she currently teaches as a lecturer within their International Relations Department. She also spent time as a research fellow and visiting professor in various higher education institutions in Europe and the USA. Her research and writing focuses on institutional and legal aspects of democratic transformations, with the special focus on human rights, national minorities rights, local government, civic society and non-profit sector in Central and Eastern Europe. Author and editor of many academic publications. Mrs. Rybczyńska has worked as
a consultant and expert with various local and national public policy bodies, non-profit organizations and intergovernmental organizations including Foundation in Support of Local Democracy (FRDL), Human Rights Helsinki Foundation, OSCE-ODHIR,
US-Ukraine Foundation, Management Initiatives Foundation (FIM).
Director of the Strategy and Entrepreneurship Department of Lublin City Office,
plenipotentiary of the Mayor of Lublin for the special economic zone
Co-author of Lublin Strategy 2020 setting directions of development of the biggest city of Eastern Poland. Initiator of Study in Lublin programme, Lublin IT Upland, and Lublin Medicine – Medical & Wellness and Life Science clusters (all activities held in Lublin). Expert and practician in the field of entrepreneurship and strategic management, including city strategies and foreign investment. Simultaneously, since 2009, works in the Collegium of Business Administration at SGH Warsaw School of Economics. Author and
co-author of more than 100 publications on regional and city development, international business, and business management, including numerous articles in American and British journals. Visited dozens of countries (China, USA, Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, Portugal, etc.) where he presented results of his work during conferences and lectures. Member of Global Advisory Board at Center for Leadership and Management at Rutgers University, the State University of New Jersey.
Mariusz Sagan PhD
Andrzej Skórski
European Meeting Center – Nowy Staw Foundation
Since 2007 engaged in the activities of non-governmental organizations in Lublin. Coordinator of many projects financed, among others, by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the National Bank of Poland. During 2013-2015 managed the Regional Centre for International Debate in Lublin. Has experience in cooperation with local government officials (co-organizer of a training series for local government officials, as part of the project entitled “Professional local government official”). Co-author of a handbook “Ewaluacja.co – a tool for the evaluation of non-governmental organizations” and the “Development strategy of Belzyce Municipality for 2015 – 2022”. Currently, works at the European Information Center Europe Direct – Lublin, operating within the European Meeting Center – Nowy Staw Foundation.
Long-time Director of the Institute of Central Europe in Lublin
Doctor with habilitation in political science. Professor at the Department of International Relations Faculty of Political Science and Journalism, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin. Research interests: Polish eastern policy in particular Polish-Ukrainian relations; contemporary diplomacy. Author of numerous scientific papers and books including: Modern Polish-Ukrainian Relations. Politological Analysis of the Good-Neighborliness Treaty, Lublin 2002, and The Evolution of Contemporary Diplomacy. Actors-Structures- Functions, Lublin 2015.
Beata Surmacz PhD
Kinga Wernicka, PhD in Law
Patent attorney
Since 2008, she has been working at the Department of EU Law at the Law and Administration Faculty of UMCS (initially as an assistant, and from 2015 as an assistant professor), where she lectures and researches European and Intellectual Property Law. In her professional life, she works on protection of intellectual property. In 2012–2015 she was Head of the Innovation and Technology Transfer Office at the University of Life Sciences in Lublin, and since 2013 she has worked as a patent attorney. Since 2018, she has been Director of the European Centre UMCS – a body that deals with research and didactics in European integration.
Director of the Culture Department of the Lublin City Office
She has been related with the City of Lublin since June 2012, currently she serves as the Director of the Department of Culture. Alongside her team, she has coordinated and implemented significant city anniversaries and principal initiatives, including the 100th anniversary of Poland’s Independence in 2018, the 450th anniversary of the Union of Lublin in 2019, and in 2022, she coordinated cultural activities within the European Youth Capital Lublin 2023. She is also a member of the Task Force as the European Capital of Culture 2029. From 2022 to 2023, she worked with international donors, including the Polish Center for International Aid and UNHCR to obtain additional resources for integration efforts in Lublin related to the war in Ukraine. She was awarded the “Lublin for Heroes” medal in recognition of her efforts to assist Ukraine.
Magdalena Zaręba-Opalińska
Aleksandra Zińczuk
Editor-in-chief of Kultura Enter magazine
Vice President of the Board at Open Territory Foundation in Lublin. Researcher of literature and Eastern European cultural heritage of the borderland, initiator of research projects, and commemorative and social actions in this area. Graduate of Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin, visiting researcher at University College London. Member in several NGOs, in Polish–American Alumni Network at the School of Leaders, also in international researchers’ network of Marie Curie Alumni Association at the European Commission. Member of the executive team and Secretary of the Eastern Partnership Culture Congress (Lublin 2013, Lviv 2015). Editor of the publishing series at Workshops of Culture in Lublin. Publicist, poet, essayist.