Mindaugas Norkevičius: Knowledge of Polish language is not only an asset but also a duty

As a founder and director of Polish Language Club and Polish Culture under the name of Adam Mickiewicz near the University of Witold Wielki in Kowno together with my friends I am trying to promote Polish language and culture, gather together people who are interested in Poland and encourage to familiarize with Polish literature, art, cinema and schools in Poland – said Mindaugas Norkevičius, attendant of current Parliamentary Internship Program in Administrative Office of Parliament in the Republic of Poland.

How are you evaluating Parliamentary Internship in the Parliament?

The internship in Polish parliament has contributed to my professional evolution in the field of political science. That time was very intense. I was participating in the parliamentary sessions, in the work of parliamentary board as well as in the lectures and seminars organized by the University of Warsaw.

What else was your area of focus during those three months of the internship, apart from strict work in the Administrative Office in the Parliament?

During the internship I went through series of individual trainings with the analyst of political science. I was interviewing people and gathering information in Polish. I used the material in my master’s thesis in which I was covering the issue of the strategy and direction of regional cooperation in the Polish foreign policy.

At the same time I took part in the international scientific conferences in Wroclaw and Cracow during which I presented my work and prepared articles that were published in Lithuanian scientific papers.

Are you going to use this experience in the future? In what way?

Going through this internship definitely influenced  efficiency of my research. During those three months I have managed to get to consensus and make contacts with scientific individuals in Poland – in Warsaw, Wroclaw and Cracow, which I hope will contribute to development of cooperation between universities of Poland and Lithuania.

The internship in the Administrative Office of Parliament influenced my professional career as well as enriched my knowledge in the field of foreign languages and international experience.  I will aim at using this new knowledge for my next work because I want to continue grad school in the field of political science.

What are the roots of your interest in Poland?

I was developing my interest in Poland, Polish language and culture most efficiently after the internship in Lithuania Republic embassy in Warsaw as well as after traineeship in Centre of East Europe in the University of Warsaw and intense summer language courses in the best Polish universities.

As a founder and director of Polish Language Club and Polish Culture under the name of Adam Mickiewicz near the University of Witold Wielki in Kowno, together with my friends I am trying to promote Polish language and culture, gather together people who are interested in Poland and encourage them to familiarize with Polish literature, art, cinema and school in Poland. We are supporting running Polish research as well.

I think that at a time when plenty of scientists are preoccupied with Polish history and the interest in the topic of foreign politics is growing, knowledge of the language is not only an asset but also a duty.

How are you evaluating current relations between Poland and Lithuania?

Due to the disparate influences in the international area it can be said that relations between Lithuania and Poland are asymmetric. This has been particularly evident in the years 2010-2014. The countries are striving to maintain this collaboration, to continue projects and attain conscious changes in the politics. Lithuanian and Polish strategic partnership remains. But it is different, the pace is slower, different level of ambition is evident, priorities and national interests are diversified.

Areas of collaboration in the field of defense, security, economy and energetics are significantly less exposed to political dynamics of bilateral cooperation. They are strictly connected with regional security and economic policy and based on striving of the countries to provide security in continuity of the community and thus taking care of  their own national security.  For those reasons, pragmatic national interests, geographical proximity and earlier experiences from the cooperation are deciding about concrete continuity of bilateral projects.

What are your plans for the closest future? What is your club planning?

I will spend the summer in Warsaw doing an internship for the second time in the Centre of East Europe in the University of Warsaw and I will participate in language courses organized by the Centre of Polish Language and Culture for non-residents “Polonicum” from the Warsaw University.

Polish Language Club and Polish Culture under the name of Adam Mickiewicz together with academic partners from Poland are currently preparing to an autumn international conference “The dynamics of relations between Lithuania and Poland”  which is devoted to 10^th anniversary of Czesław Miłosz’s death.

Mindaugas Norkevičius (born in 1989) – alumnus of postgraduate studies of political sciences in the University of Witold Wielki in Kowno. He is also a founder of Polish Language Club and Polish Culture under the name of Adam Mickiewicz in his academy.