The Catholic University of Lublin (KUL) in cooperation with the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS) have established a centre for the study of Polish culture in Brazil.
The John Paul II Centre for the Study of Polish Culture will among other things act as a focal point for research on the large Polish diaspora in Brazil and the rest of Latin America.
Located in the city of Porto Alegre the centre will also “promote and teach Polish language to Brazilian students, disseminate Polish history and culture in Brazil, as well as safeguard Polish cultural heritage in the country”, according to the Notes from Poland report. Porto Alegre was one of the cities in Brazil that attracted Polish immigrants during a mass emigration of Poles that begun in the 19th century.
Classes have already began with the four-month course inclusive of Polish language classes, as well as a series of academic lectures on Polish history, linguistics and sociology.
While stating that the centre will serve as a meeting place for those who want to enrich one another, KUL’s rector, Mirosław Kalinowski expressed hope that among those who attend in future will be members of Brazil’s Polish diaspora, considering that there are an estimated 2 million people with Polish roots in Brazil.
In 2022, KUL and Maria Curie-Skłodowska University (UMCS), also located in Lublin, signed an agreement to create what would be the world’s first online degrees in Polish Studies available to international students.
Last year, KUL also established a Polish Diaspora Centre that aims to form links with and create educational programmes for Polish communities abroad. Following Kalinowski’s visit to Brazil, he also travelled to Argentina to discuss developing such opportunities there.
Source: Notes from Poland
Edited by: Theresa R. Fianko