POLAND

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On October 6th, 2023, the International School Network visited the embassy of Poland to interview the Ambassador His Excellency Mr. Paweł Milewski.

Reported by Karen Nishina and Hina Amano

Education

His Excellency Mr. Paweł Milewski emphasized that education is widely spread in the country with 7.5 million of the people in Poland, 23% of Poland’s population, having higher education. Additionally, public education in Poland is free. Consequently, Poland’s education system ranks 5th in Europe and 10th in the world.

In Poland’s education system, students must choose two foreign languages, usually English, French, German, or Russian. Moreover, the most popular orientale language in Poland is Japanese.

Similarities and Differences

H.E. highlights the similarities between Polish and Japanese students, emphasizing their dedication and hard work that result in achieving excellent results in their university studies. Notably, Polish society acknowledges that education is important in their lives, as evidenced by the saying that “educating a man is equal to educating a man” while “educating a woman is equal to educating a whole generation”. This perspective comes from how women are understood to have their roles as mothers and grandmothers who teach their young generation.

What were your dreams as a child?

As a child, H.E. had various aspirations including becoming a policeman, soldier, and teacher, all coming from the desire to defend his country. When H.E. grew older, his ambition and worldview shifted to the world, especially the oriental world. H.E. studied Japanese, a bit of Vietnamese, and a substantial amount of Chinese. In fact, H.E. spent ten years in China as a student and diplomat gaining insights into different cultures and people, and fulfilled his dreams of representing his country.

What are some qualities of Poland that you would like to bring awareness to people in Japan?

H.E. emphasized the strong self determination of the Polish people to rebuild the nation after going through prolonged occupation by their neighbors. In the past, the country had vanished from the world map for 123 years, yet they managed to preserve their culture, tradition, religion as they valued and held deep affection for their motherland. In other words, they were able to survive through their tradition. They kept strong without giving up and educated the people and children of their tradition and culture. H.E. emphasized that traditions and culture was essential for the nation to stay strong and resilient.

What do you believe unites the nation, and what cultures do the people of your country value?
H.E. believes that friendship and peace is what unites the nation. For instance, 100 years ago, a group of around 800 Polish orphans were deported to Russia on the brink of death. Poland was unable to bring them back due to the ongoing war. Thus, Japan assisted in their return to Poland, with the journey taking them through Tsuruga, Kyoto, Tokyo, and Yokohama. Last week, there was a celebration commemorating and expressing gratitude to Japan for this historical event. The event was attended by Akie Abe, the widow of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, as well as the grandchildren of those who were rescued.
Moreover, during the war, Polish Catholic missionaries provided assistance to the Japanese in Hiroshima, Nagasaki, Kobe, and other areas offering food and various forms of support. This occurrence set the foundation of the relations between the two countries, and it demonstrates how humanitarianism, the act of helping each other, gives universal values. Additionally, Poland has also supported Japan during crucial moments such as the 1995 Kobe Earthquake and the 2011 Fukushima Earthquake inviting the Japanese children to Poland for a period of relaxation and relief. H.E. emphasized the importance of solidarity, unity, and friendship.

What are your views on globalization?
H.E. explained that globalization cannot be avoided as borders are constantly opening and closing. Thus, isolation of one country is not a realistic option from an economic standpoint. As an example of a strong advantage, the European Union (EU) sets no borders within the member nations, which means that there is no need for an ID card when traveling within Europe, facilitating the free movement of people, goods, and services. However, alongside these significant advantages, there are certain challenges, especially regarding the potential risk of security. Thus, H.E. emphasizes the importance of maintaining a strong security.

How does gender equality play a role in your country?
H.E. emphasized that in Poland education reflects gender equality. Women play a strong role in society, as many responsibilities, beginning with raising and educating their children, rest with mothers and grandmothers. Thus, H.E. explains that Polish society, overall, enjoys a high level of education.
Moreover, there are many women serving as ministers in Poland. Given the fact that Polish women have a longer life expectancy compared to men, women have strength both physically and psychologically. Just a week ago, the ambassador hosted a luncheon with Yoko Kamikawa, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, along with other ambassadors at the embassy.

What are your goals as an ambassador?
H.E. aspires to further develop cooperation between Poland and Japan, emphasizing that political dialogue is important. Poland is a key country in Europe, and Japan is a key country in Asia. Given that both countries have experienced challenges from Russia, a significant aggressor, H.E. hopes to further unite with Japan to exchange knowledge to understand each country's point of view. Additionally, Poland and Japan both have relations with China and North Korea and hope to further exchange thoughts on that as well and cooperate.
Moreover, H.E. recognizes that both Poland and Japan have a love for music such as Chopin. Furthermore, H.E. would like to cooperate with Japan through the exchange of natural energy sources such as coal and connecting companies. In fact, there have already been 365 Japanese companies that are cooperating with Poland.

What are some traditional games you played when you were a child?
H.E. enjoyed playing soccer during his childhood, much like most Poland children. Moreover, H.E. specifically found martial arts interesting, studying how it encompassed not only physical skills but also philosophical aspects. H.E. also emphasized that martial arts is not for attacking but rather for self determination and protecting oneself, with Judo being a symbol for peace. In fact, H.E. highlighted the strong relationship maintained with the Japanese Judo association.

Message towards Japanese students/people
H.E. conveys a message to Japanese students and people, encouraging them to study hard, be open-minded to other countries, respect yourself and other cultures, and be tolerant to others. Moreover, H.E. encouraged Japanese students and people to travel around the world, experience by themselves, and learn about other countries.

Reflections

The Ambassador Mr. Paweł Milewski 's impression
H.E. values human connections, even if they are not with the people who make up their nations. We can understand his personality from his workplace where many of photos and colored paper are putted carefully. Moreover, H.E. introduced them to us. And then, H.E. said that I spoke too much with his smile. But, the explanations give me a lot of knowledge about the good points of national relationships.
I think that his enthusiasm for everything he does is what keeps him connected with a lot of people in other countries. Finally, if you check the twitter of the embassy of Poland, you can see beautiful stories.

Poland Embassy is located in Meguro, Tokyo.

1. Two photographs in a flamed marked ” it is over a hundred years old ” (Photo 1)
The left photo was taken when catholic missionaries in Poland supported Japanese children who lived in Hiroshima, Nagasaki and Kobe. The light photo was taken when Tokyo Olympics was held in 2021. Additionally, both of the two pictures were taken at the same location.

2. A designed paper with the word "human right"（Photo 2）
It is a gift from the advisor to the Prime Minister, to the Polish Ambassador. The ambassador said that human lights are very important. This is because people can not live without education, studying and safety. Also, It is a common important view in the world.

3. A designed paper with the world “Judo for Peace” （Photo 3）
It also bears the name and signature of judo master Kosei Inoue. An ambassador likes the word.

4. A group photo（Photo 4）
Group photo of the Japanese Ambassador to Poland and judo masters.

On April 6, 2018, the International School Network visited the Embassy of Poland to interview the Ambassador, His Excellency Jacek Izydorczyk, and the First Secretary, Ms. Urszula Osmycka.

Education - Madoka

Poland is a country with a very high literacy and school enrolment rate. His Excellency Mr. Jacek Izydorczyk explained to us the significance of education in Poland. He commented that students in Poland are very studious since centuries ago. H.E. Mr. Izydorczyk introduced to us that the first university in Poland was established in 1364 (654 years ago); much earlier than universities in neighboring countries.One difference that H.E. Mr. Izydorczyk had noted between the educational culture in Poland and Japan is the use of uniforms.He commented that Polish students since the war has stopped wearing uniforms, while in Japan,

uniforms remain a very prominent part of schooling culture to this day.

Goals – Madoka

H.E. Mr. Izydorczyk listed four aspects to his goals as an Ambassador: the improvement of the political, economic, cultural, and scientific relations between Poland and Japan. He explained that all four of these aspects are closely related to one another, henceforth each being significant for achieving further excellent relations between the two countries.

Furthermore, H.E. Mr. Izydorczyk expressed his belief that contacts between Poland and Japan should not only be held on the top level but also on the local level. Not only on the top level but also on the local level. For instance, H.E. Mr. Izydorczyk takes efforts to visit various places in Japan to engage with the local people of the country. This is exemplified by his visit to Tsuruga last week.

World Peace - Madoka

H.E. Mr. Izydorczyk assures that Polish people value world peace as a very important aspect of living. He explained to us that “everyone wants to live in peace”, and that it is important for all people to understand each other and have a sound education. He shared to us his belief that education is a tool that can help people and henceforth political activities to become “wiser”. He aspires that education can lead to minimizing the dangers of war.

Japan Relationship - Yukina

Ambassador Mr. Jack Izydorczyk said that the relationship between Poland and Japan is good, but it is not enough. Most Japanese people visit Poland for only 2~3 days, which is too short to see its cultural attractiveness. Ambassador Mr. Jack Izydorczyk commented that Japanese people are curious and like to learn, so he wants more people learn Poland’s history, land and culture. He wants “more Japanese people to discover Poland.”

Globalization - Madoka

H.E. Mr. Izydorczyk believes that the outcomes of globalization heavily depends on the actions of the people. He expressed, “Everyone has a choice”; Globalization can be used in a positive or negative way, depending on the choices made in reaction to it.

Gender Equality - Yukina

“We don’t have any gender problems. The status of woman is always high” Ambassador Mr. Jacek Izydorczyk said definitely. The gender equality in Poland is related to its history. In the 14th century, a woman was elected as the “king”. Everyone admitted her as a “king,” even though she was a female. And in 1918, after World War, a law was elected which decided that men and women were equal. Therefore, even now, women in Poland play important roles.

Passion - Kokoro

Ambassador Mr. Jacek Izdorczyk’s passion about working as the Polish ambassador in Japan is to promote Poland, especially to Japanese people. He hopes for more foreigners to visit the land as direct flights to Warszawa has started flying from two years ago and will soon be flying from Japan everyday. Alongside, he introduced some of Poland’s tourist sites other than the major cities where most people visit. He had mentioned that Japanese usually spend only two to three days in the country but believes that is too short of a time period to fully explore Poland’s deep culture. In addition, the ambassador had stated that he feels very comfortable being ambassador in Japan as Japan feels like home to him because it is a very convenient country to live in. Similarly, since he had lived in Japan from before being ambassador, he had already adapted to living in Japan.

Message - Kokoro

Ambassador Mr. Jacek Izdorczyk’s message towards Japanese students is to study more and discover more. As students have the best opportunities to learn about their true academic passions, the ambassador hopes for us students to take advantages to what we are offered and take further steps in our studies. He also believes students should discover more and to be open minded about new ideas and perspectives. We should not only be open minded about academic interests but about our surroundings as well. He mentioned that he hopes the same for Polish students as well to study hard and have open minds. The ambassador wishes for Japanese students and Japanese people to visit Poland as well as the rest of the world.

Cultural Values - Kokoro

Ambassador Mr. Jacek Izdorczyk mentioned that some of the cultural values he sees in the people of Poland is hospitality and politeness. Although Japan and Poland have different religions, culture, and history, both people share the same cultural values. While Japan expresses hospitality through omotenashi, Polish people expresses hospitality in their own way through what they believe is most hospitable when welcoming visitors from different countries. One cultural value that the ambassador realized was different from Japanese people is that Polish people are more straightforward when communicating ideas. While Japanese people switch around words or are careful about their wording to cover their true intentions, Polish people tend to speak as exactly what they think.

On March 31st, 2015, the International School Network went to the Embassy of Poland. We interviewed the Ambassador, his Excellency Mr. Cyryl Kozaczewski to learn about Polish culture, its people, and the nation in general. During our encounter, the Ambassador shared with us the wonders of Poland including well-known Polish composer Chopin’s impact to the nation’s recognition, as well as some other aspects of Poland that is still not known very much but can be appealing to future visitors of the country.

POLAND

Poland is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west, the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south, Ukraine and Belarus to the east, and the Baltic Sea, Kaliningrad Oblast and Lithuania to the north. The flatland geography is a characteristic of Poland that many people associate to the nation with. Agriculture is the basic activity despite it being industrial in southern areas, where the geography is mountainous. Lakes are also a unique feature and as a result, the country is often referred to as the “Land of 1000 Lakes”. Home to Europe’s oldest forest, there exist various types of fascinating animals such as bisons. Eagle is a well-respected bird and symbolizes the country.

Poland is known to be the first exporters of apples. The nation has a strong industry, producing products relating to steel and chemicals. Southern Poland is also rich in coal mining and to this date, they are one of the biggest coal exporters within the EU.

The educational system of Poland is created with appreciation of opportunities as Polish education was limited for decades due to the numerous wars they had to be involved in. Languages such as English, French, German, and Russian are taught at school, with English being the most popular choice. The Ambassador, himself learnt German. There are Elementary School, High School, and University level education and history has been one of the key subjects for Polish students to learn at school.

The Ambassador served us some candies, telling us how much Polish people love sweets. He also told us how Poles have consistently been a contributor of the development of ideas and prosperity. Chopin has become so famous that there is an annual Chopin competition, in which the largest participants are Japanese. He stated that Poland is well-known for classical music; however Chopin’s music style was influenced by folk music. In addition, people value family due to the effect of war. He mentioned that no Polish family is untouched by war and it is significant to remember all the wars they have experienced. Because of how strong the family bonds are, Christmas time is the warmest, important holidays, where families gather and share different stories. Additionally, there is a holiday similar to the Japanese お盆(Obon), where Poles pay tribute to those who had passed away. During this holiday, there are often unique atmospheres of cemeteries that could be seen where thousands of candles are on graves. The candles indicate family ties and how strong and appreciated they are.

Lastly, Mr. Kozaczewski commented that there are many stories that link Poland and Japan and that in the future, he would want to do wonderful things with the Japanese people. He is interested in communicating with everyone helping to promote his nation. When asked if he had any messages to the Japanese people, he said, “Try to visit Poland because it is difficult to inform your colleagues about Poland (without experiencing the country). Also, it is important to know about other countries since they will benefit acquaintance with other culture, habits, and cuisines. Be more interested in the world, particularly Poland because there are still elements to be explored.”

(Reported by Kurumi Onishi)

Participants

Madoka Nishina 11th Saint Maur International School

Kurumi Onishi 10th Saint Maur International School

Karen Nishina 5th Saint Maur International School

Tamao Itou 1st Yokohama National University