Polish Cultural Policy Presented in a Discussion at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
On May 19, 2025, the State Institute for Culture under the Minister of Foreign Affairs took part in a public meeting-discussion on the topic “The Polish public and cultural policy: A conversation about strategic approach, tools and backstage”, held in the Ivan Geshov Hall of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. The event was part of a series of initiatives dedicated to cultural diplomacy in Bulgaria and the Balkans, implemented within the framework of the scientific project “Cultural Diplomacy in the Balkans in the 20th and 21st Centuries: Achievements, Problems, Challenges for the Future”, funded by the Scientific Research Fund of the Ministry of Education and Science. The organizer of the project is the Institute of Balkan Studies with the Center for Thracology at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (IBCT-BAS) with the institutional partnership of the State Institute for Culture.
The discussion was officially opened by Senior Asst. Prof. Dr. Alexandra Milanova, project manager, Prof. Dr. Rumyana Il. Preshlenova – Director of IBCT–BAS and Ms. Snezhana Joveva-Dimitrova – Director of the State Institute for Culture. In her speech, Ms. Joveva-Dimitrova emphasized the importance of inter-institutional partnership and the role of cultural diplomacy as a tool for building trust, intercultural dialogue and sustainable regional cooperation.
The event was attended by Ms. Malgorzata Hejduk-Gromek – Minister Counselor and Head of the Department for Consular Affairs and Polish Diaspora at the Embassy of Poland in Sofia, as well as Ms. Iwona Jakuszko-Dudka – Director of the Polish Institute in Sofia. They presented to the participants the overall framework of Polish public and cultural policy, the strategic approaches and the various instruments used for its implementation. Particular emphasis was placed on the practical dimensions of the cultural activity of the Polish Institute in Bulgaria – initiatives aimed at promoting the Polish language, literature, music, cinema and cuisine, carried out jointly with Bulgarian partners in various cities of the country.
The presentation was visually supported by videos, posters and information materials that aroused lively interest among the audience. The final discussion took place in a spirit of open dialogue, exchange of ideas and proposals for future joint initiatives between Bulgarian and Polish cultural and academic institutions.
Such formats encourage in-depth analysis of cultural diplomacy in a regional and international context, as well as the establishment of good practices in cooperation with foreign partners.