Polish Studies in Seattle

Abstract The Polish studies program at the University of Washington (UW) in Seattle is more than seventy years old. Polish language and literature lectures have been conducted continuously since 1952. A significant change for the better occurred in the twenty-first century. In 2002, a series of public lectures on Polish topics was launched. In 2004, the Polish Studies Endowment Committee was established, which, in addition to raising money for the department, organized public lectures, exhibitions, film screenings, and so forth actively promoting Polish culture. In 2021, UW established the Maria Kott Endowed Professorship of Polish Studies, which ensures that Polish language and culture will always be present at the university. In 2023, Agnieszka Jeżyk obtained the position and began work in January 2024. The endowment is now worth more than $1 million. Our Polish community's ambition is still to raise the professorship to the level of an Endowed Chair of Polish Studies and Culture, but this requires funding of at least $2 million.