About us
The Institute for Strategic Studies works in the areas of the international relations, with particular emphasis on Poland’s integration to the European Union.
Partnership
Wydawnictwo Fundacji Instytut Studiów Strategicznych
zaprasza do współpracy:
e-mail:wydawnictwo@iss.krakow.pl
What do we do?
History
The origins of the Institute for Strategic Studies Foundation date back to 1993, when a group of enthusiasts convinced of the need for public support for the institutions of a democratic state established the International Center for the Development of Democracy. Their intention was to create a platform for facilitating the dialogue between representatives of different political orientations and serve to exchange experiences between politicians from different countries.
Their aim was to support the communication between experts and political elites, so that the former’s knowledge could be put to better use in political decision-making. For obvious reasons, it had to be a non-governmental institution, not connected with either political parties or government administration. The idea of creating a forum for public debate that would allow different views to clash and work out solutions beneficial to the country met with strong support – the founders of the foundation were Jagiellonian University and the Academy of Economics (today the University of Economics).
The Program Council, on the other hand, was formed by: Władysław Bartoszewski, Leszek Balcerowicz, Wiesław Chrzanowski, Bronisław Geremek, Marian Grzybowski, Aleksander Hall, Jerzy Jedlicki, Krzysztof Kozłowski, Józef Lassota, Jan Małecki, Jerzy Mikułowski-Pomorski, Jerzy Milewski, Jan Nowak-Jeziorański, Andrzej Olechowski, Andrzej Pelczar, Zbigniew Pucek, Paweł Sarnecki, Jacek Saryusz-Wolski, Zygmunt Skórzyński, Krzysztof Skubiszewski, Jerzy Turowicz, Edward Wende, Edmund Wnuk-Lipiński, Andrzej Zakrzewski and Janusz Ziolkowski. Bogdan Klich was named president of the Foundation.
“The Foundation has reflexes, is active, creative, and takes up topics of crucial importance at the right moment. It is an excellent showcase of Polish thinking, Polish debate: both political and professional in various fields.” – Jacek Saryusz-Wolski, then Government Plenipotentiary for European Integration, said of the Foundation. Jan Nowak-Jeziorański added: “For me, the MDGF is an impressive symptom of the Polish dynamism and momentum that was unleashed in 1989, and is the fruit of regained freedom. I admire how much has been created here, literally from nothing.”
Ever since the Institute organized and held international forums, which became a known and well-established points of discussion on the topics of democracy, integration, security and global powers. Up to date there were XXXI International Security Conferences in Krakow, which hosted speakers from the European and Polish Parliaments and many other areas of diplomacy and politics, including Polish Presidents – Lech Wałęsa, Aleksander Kwaśniewski and Bronisław Komorowski, Secretary Generals of NATO such as Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer and Adam Kobiernacki and the President of the European Parliament – Jerzy Buzek.
International conferences
educational programs
years on the market
research publications