10 December 2025 with Jacob Flaws (Kean University, New Jersey, USA)
Spaces of Treblinka: Retracing a Death Camp
Spaces of Treblinka utilizes testimonies, oral histories, and recollections from Jewish, German, and Polish witnesses to create a holistic representation of the Treblinka death camp during its operation. This narrative rejects the historical misconception that Treblinka was an isolated Nazi extermination camp with few witnesses and fewer survivors. Rather than the secret, sanitized site of industrial killing Treblinka was intended to be, Jacob Flaws argues, Treblinka’s mass murder was well known to the nearby townspeople who experienced the sights, sounds, smells, people, bodies, and train cars the camp ejected into the surrounding world.
Through spatial reality, Flaws portrays the conceptions, fantasies, ideological assumptions, and memories of Treblinka from witnesses in the camp and surrounding towns. To do so he identifies six key spaces that once composed the historical site of Treblinka: the ideological space, the behavioral space, the space of life and death, the interactional space, the sensory space, and the extended space. By examining these spaces Flaws reveals that there were more witnesses to Treblinka than previously realized, as the transnational groups near and within the camp overlapped and interacted. Spaces of Treblinka provides a staggering and profound reassessment of the relationship between knowing and not knowing and asks us to confront the timely warning that we, in our modern, interconnected world, can all become witnesses. See https://www.combinedacademic.co.uk/9781496239730/spaces-of-treblinka/
Dr. Jacob Flaws is an assistant professor of history at Kean University in Union, NJ where he teaches on topics in Modern European history, the Holocaust, and global genocide. He is the author of the 2024 book Spaces of Treblinka: Retracing a Death Camp, published by the University of Nebraska Press, as well as several other journal articles and book chapters. Flaws earned his Ph.D. In history from the University of Colorado-Boulder.
Topic: Polish University Abroad History Seminar Zoom Meeting
5 November 2025 with Piotr Maciej Majewski (University of Warsaw)
on ZOOM
The mechanisms of collaboration
This paper focuses on collaboration as a political and social phenomenon. It mainly concerns the Second World War, but it also attempts to answer the question why collaboration with the enemy (collaborationism and other forms) was only recognised and condemned at that time. Through the analysis of various cases of collaboration in Eastern and Western Europe and Asia, I attempt to show the mechanisms that occurred in the relations between the occupiers and the occupied communities. I demonstrate that this phenomenon was perceived and judged in very different ways, and that the assessment could vary depending on the time, place and circumstances.
Piotr Maciej Majewski is Professor of History at the University of Warsaw. His main academic interests are history of Czechoslovakia and Czech lands and the Czech-German relations in 19th and 20th centuries. He has published extensively on the Munich Crisis, prewar Czechoslovakia, and the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia. From 2009 to 2017, Professor Majewski was deputy director of the Museum of the Second World War in Gdańsk, responsible for development of the permanent exhibition. His latest monograph, Brzydkie słowo na k”. Rzecz o kolaboracji [The Ugly K-Word. An Essay on Collaboration] (Warsaw 2024), explores the phenomenon of collaboration.
Lynchland revisited: Duality as a source of “the uncanny” in films directed by David Lynch.
6pm, Friday 26th September, PUNO Lecture Room, POSK
Step into Lynchland – the world where duality and the uncanny intertwine to create an unforgettable cinematic experience. “Lynchland revisited: Duality as a source of “the uncanny” in films directed by David Lynch” offers an in-depth exploration of these themes, drawing on Sigmund Freud’s theory of “the uncanny” to shed light on the psychological depth of Lynch’s work.
Each chapter considers a different aspect of duality in Lynch’s films – ranging from fear induced by distorted realities, through the concept of the doppelgänger and the dual nature of humanity, to the blurred boundaries between dreams and waking life. The book explores how Lynch’s visions paint the atmosphere of unease, revealing hidden fears lurking in the depths of the human psyche and examines how the motif of the double reflects the complexity of identity and the way that various forms of rebellion – from childhood defiance to existential self-searching – are portrayed in his cinematic universe.
Dr Zegarlińska reveals that duality in Lynch’s work is more than just a source of fear – it is a compelling journey into the subconscious itself, as Lynch draws his viewers into a dark, hypnotic world, where reality bends and inner (often ugly!) truths come to light, making duality a powerful force at the heart of his storytelling.
Dr. Magdalena Wanda Zegarlińska (Unit of Contemporary British Culture, PUNO) specializes in British literature, American film, and cross-continent cultural studies. Her work focuses especially on C.S. Lewis and filmmaker David Lynch. During her PhD studies, she published several articles on Lynch, including analyses of time, alienation, dream symbolism and sexuality in his films. Dr. Zegarlińska has presented her research at international conferences and led academic projects exploring themes such as eschatology, memory and identity. She has taught at the University of Gdańsk, PUNO, and WSB University in Gdańsk and has also contributed to adult education and curriculum development in specialized English courses. Her academic work has been supported by grants and recognized with scholarships and awards. In recent years, alongside her academic work, she has transitioned to the corporate world, where she serves as a coach, tutor and team manager.
to a special meeting dedicated to a recently published, original and exceptionally engaging book entitled:
ROMANTYZM w dyskursachpedagogiki kultury.
(publisher: Difin)
The authors of this publication are renowned professors from Polish universities, including the University of Warsaw, the Maria Grzegorzewska University, and the Polish University Abroad (PUNO) in London, as well as Polish-British journalists, students, and teachers.
The book encourages reflection on how the great tradition of Romantic culture is understood today and explores various contemporary ways of engaging with it. During the meeting, we would like to present the fascinating diversity of topics addressed in the volume and invite you to join a discussion inspired by the publication.
We invite you
on Monday, April 14 at 4:00 PM
Lecture Hall, Polish University Abroad (PUNO), POSK, Londyn
Delegation of Researchers from Palacký University in Olomouc to PUNO – Polish University Abroad in London
Project GUARDIAN – Growing online: how to protect our children in the digital world? 📅 March 10 – April 6, 2025 📍 London, United Kingdom
🧭 Overview
Between March 10 and April 6, 2025, the Polish University Abroad (PUNO) in London hosted a research delegation from Palacký University in Olomouc (UP), Czech Republic, within the framework of the MSCA Horizon Europe-funded GUARDIAN project.
This visit was part of the staff exchange programme designed to support collaborative research and knowledge transfer on the subject of sharenting – the digital exposure of children by their parents. The visit focused on the intercultural dimension of children’s rights, privacy, and digital safety, especially in migrant communities.
🏛️ PUNO as Host Institution
PUNO played a crucial role in coordinating, supporting, and facilitating the research activities throughout the visit. The institution provided:
Meeting spaces at Ellipse House and PUNO headquarters,
Access to cultural and educational institutions in London,
Support from experts in pedagogy, psychology, and intercultural studies,
Public engagement opportunities with the Polish diaspora and youth organizations.
PUNO’s infrastructure and commitment ensured the success of this cross-sectoral and interdisciplinary collaboration.
✨ Key Outcomes
Draft version of an intercultural questionnaire on children’s digital safety completed.
Initial data collected from educators, parents, and students in Polish migrant contexts.
Strengthened cooperation between Czech and British partners within the GUARDIAN consortium.
Development of dissemination strategies, including school outreach and academic publications.
Enhanced visibility of PUNO as a center for intercultural and diaspora-oriented research
🤝 Partners Involved
Palacký University in Olomouc – Department of Technical Education and Information Technology
Polish University Abroad (PUNO) – Faculty of Humanities Sciences
POSK – Polish Social and Cultural Association
Polish School at the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in London
🔗 Project Information
GUARDIAN Project Acronym: 101182798 Funding Scheme: MSCA Staff Exchanges (HORIZON-MSCA-2023-SE-01) Coordinator: University of Silesia in Katowice Partners: Czech Republic, Poland, Kenya, United Kingdom
🌐 Read more about the project 📩 Contact: Dr. Agnieszka Szajner – Vice-Dean of PUNO, agnieszka.szajner@puno.ac.uk
