The study of Poland, its language, culture, and history, has been a part of the IU curriculum for decades. Polish studies has continued to expand as an area of focus in IU coursework with the support of the Polish Studies Center (PSC). Through the IU Department of Slavic and East European Languages and Cultures and the Russian and East European Institute (REEI), the university offers much to scholars.
The Polish collection at Indiana University is second only to our Russian/Soviet holdings. It contains 57,100 volumes (48,800 in Polish) and has the only holding of Czas (1848 –1900 on 50 reels of microfilm) in the US. Both REEI and the Polish Studies Center have area related films and other materials for loan.
Indiana University has active exchange programs with both University of Warsaw and Jagiellonian University in Krakow. Faculty members and students are given the opportunity to study Polish and conduct research in Poland each year. In addition to the yearlong programs with both universities, Indiana University also participates in a summer exchange program with Warsaw University, in which one faculty member and one graduate student are funded to pursue language training and research.
Graduate students at IU are regularly awarded national grants to fund dissertation research and language study in Poland. Recent awards include language grants from the Kosciuszko Foundation and Fulbright-Hays dissertation fellowships. Graduate students may also take advantage of the University of Kansas’ multiple summer programs in Krakow, Poland.
IU regularly offers Polish language instruction during the academic year and in the summer. For more information on upcoming language and content classes, see the Department of Slavic and East European Languages and Cultures for academic year opportunities.