The South-West University "Neofit Rilski" Welcomes Prof. Adam Bobryk from Siedlce University of Natural Sciences and Humanities
The South-West University “Neofit Rilski” in Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria welcomes Prof. Adam Bobryk from Siedlce University of Natural Sciences and Humanities within the framework of the Erasmus+ programme.
Adam Bobryk (born November 28, 1967 in Siedlce ) is a Polish sociologist, journalist, local government official, academic teacher, doctor of humanities, associate professor and spokesperson of the University of Natural Sciences and Humanities in Siedlce.
In his scientific work, he specializes in the subject of national and religious minorities, including the problems of Poles in the East.
In the years 1982–1989 he participated in underground political activity, distributing leaflets and newspapers. He was imprisoned for this activity. In 1987, together with his brother Witold, he became involved in creating the structures of the Polish Socialist Party in Siedlce. He was the printer of the PPS magazine “Iskra”, then he edited the magazine SKR PPS called “Naprzód” (1989-1990). He was the vice-chairman of the Provisional National Committee of the PPS, and after the unification of some socialist circles, he was the vice-chairman of the Supreme Council of the PPS. He was responsible for the cooperation of socialists with the East, including Belarusian left-wing circles.
In the 1990s he worked as a journalist in the local press, including “Tygodnik Siedlecki”, “Kurier Siedlecki” and “Nowy Echo Podlasie”. In the 1991 elections, he ran unsuccessfully for a parliamentary mandate from the Labor Solidarity list[8], and two years later for a senatorial mandate in the Siedlce Voivodship on behalf of the PPS (with the support of SLD). From 1994, he was elected to the Siedlce city council on behalf of the Democratic Left Alliance. He was, among others chairman of the Culture, Sport and Tourism Committee (1998–2001), in 2006 he became vice-chairman of the city council. In the 2006 elections, as a member of the PPS, he was the candidate of the Left and Democrats for the mayor of the city, supported by Samoobrona. He received 17.51% of the vote in the first round. In the local government elections in 2010, he was last elected as a councilor.
In 1995, he graduated from sociology at the Catholic University of Lublin. In 2002, he obtained a PhD degree in sociology at the Faculty of Social Sciences of the John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, based on a thesis entitled National Rebirth of Poles in the Republic of Lithuania 1987–1997. In 2015, the council of the Faculty of Social Sciences of the University of Silesia in Katowice, based on the dissertation entitled The social significance of the functioning of Polish political groups in the Republic of Lithuania 1989–2013 and scientific achievements was conferred on him by the degree of doctor habilitated in social sciences in the field of sociology (specialty: national and ethnic minorities, sociology of politics). Employed as an associate professor at the Institute of Social Sciences and Security at the Siedlce University of Natural Sciences and Humanities, he also became the university’s press spokesman.
At the South-West University “Neofit Rilski”, Prof. Bobryk delivered lectures at the Faculty of Law and History on the topic of: “Nationality differentiation as a factor of increased regional’s tourist attraction”, “Nationality and ethnic and regional language minorities in Poland”, “History of the Polish Autocephalous Orthodox Church in the aspect of social and national changes in the composition of the faithful”, and “Intercultural communication”.
The lecture, which was attended by many students from the Faculty of Law and History at both the Bachelor’s and Master’s level, sparked curiosity and generated a lot of interest.
The lecture was followed by a long and engaging Q&A session, where students and staff members had the opportunity to ask Professor Bobryk questions and engage in a meaningful discussion. The students were especially curious about Professor Bobryk’s views on current events and the future of diplomacy.
Overall, the visit of Professor Adam Bobryk was a huge success, and it left a lasting impression on the faculty and student body of South-West University “Neofit Rilski”. The lecture and subsequent Q&A session proved to be a valuable learning experience for all those who attended, and it is clear that Professor Bobryk’s insights will continue to spark curiosity and inspire future discussions.
