An agreement to continue academic collaborations and exchanges between the University of Rochester and Jagiellonian University was signed this week in Krakow, Poland.

William Scott Green, dean of the College at the University of Rochester, and Maria Nowakowska, vice rector for research and international relations at Jagiellonian University, approved the documents for the exchange of faculty and students, joint research and other scholarly activities, and the sharing of publications.

The first agreement between the two universities was signed in June 1995, and is an integral part of the work of Rochester’s Skalny Center for Polish and Central European Studies.

“Our collaboration with the Jagiellonian University is an important contribution of the Skalny Center to the University of Rochester,” said Green. “The center paved the way for what has become a long and unusually fruitful partnership between our institutions. Our agreement has helped make the study of Poland, its history, and its culture a regular part of our educational offerings. We move into our second decade of collaboration with a real sense of excitement and promise.”

The Skalny Center, directed by Ewa K. Hauser and housed within the Department of Political Science, offers many opportunities for interdisciplinary study of the language, literature, culture, history, economy, and politics of the region. Dignitaries and speakers are drawn to the center for its academic pursuits as well as for its Skalny Lecture and Artist Series. Films, talks, musical performances, and other events are open to the public.

This latest agreement will continue the interactions between the two universities in the humanities, social sciences, and sciences until September 2010. Cooperation in medicine is covered by a separate document between Jagiellonian and the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry.

Plans for a University of Rochester Study Abroad program with Jagiellonian University focusing on culture, politics, and ethnic relations in Poland and East-Central Europe are being developed with the College.