The 23rd Visegrad Summer School is officially open!
On June 30th, we had the pleasure of opening the 23rd edition of the Visegrad Summer School at Villa Decius in Krakow - welcoming a new generation of young professionals, thinkers, and changemakers from across the V4, Eastern Partnership countries, and the Western Balkans.
The opening session featured words of welcome from representatives of the organizers Stowarzyszenie Willa Decjusza, sponsors International Visegrad Fund and project's honorary patrons Małopolska Kraków PL, followed by an inspiring panel: "International Visegrad Fund at 25 - A Catalyst for Regional Transformation" attended by representatives of the diplomatic corps of the V4 countries: HE István Íjgyártó, Ambassador of Hungary to Poland (Ambasada Węgier / Varsói Magyar Nagykövetség), Martin Cimerman, Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of the Slovak Republic to Poland (Slovenské veľvyslanectvo v Poľsku / Ambasada Słowacji w Polsce), Petr Maryška, Counsellor of the Czech Embassy in Poland (Embassy of the Czech Republic in Poland / Ambasada Rep. Czeskiej w Polsce) and Grzegorz Szopiński, Minister-Counsellor in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Republic of Poland.
On this day, VSS participants also attended a keynote lecture titled “Enlargement in a Changing World: Strengthening Europe's Unity and Resilience,” delivered by Prof. Isabelle Ioannides - a distinguished international affairs expert with over 25 years of experience in senior leadership roles, specializing in policy advising, strategic planning, and programme management at the highest political levels.
We extend our sincere thanks to all our partners, sponsors, honorary and media patrons: International Visegrad Fund, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Korea, Grupa ZUE, Małopolska, Bratislava Policy Institute, Knihovna Václava Havla, Polskie Radio dla Zagranicy - Redakcja Polska tvp.info, and Krakkói Magyar Centrum - Centrum Węgierskie.
The Visegrad Summer School is more than an academic project. It’s a long-standing regional initiative designed to foster dialogue, critical thinking, and mutual understanding across generations and borders. Since 2002, it has welcomed over 800 participants from 40+ countries.
Once again, we would like to thank all the guests who accompanied us during the inauguration and wish the participants fruitful days at Villa Decius.
Below is a short photo report from the inauguration
