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Aleksander Kwasniewski, president of Poland from 1995 to 2005, will speak at Miami University on "Transforming Central and Eastern Europe: Experiences and Perspectives" at 4 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 14, in Hall Auditorium.
At the event, Miami President David Hodge will present President Kwasniewski with the Miami University Presidential Medal.
The event is free of charge and no ticket is required.
During his term in office, Kwasniewski co-authored the new Polish constitution, which he signed into law in 1997. He piloted his country to NATO membership and campaigned for approval of the European Union accession treaty, which the Polish electorate ratified in 2003. The country achieved full membership in the EU on May 1, 2004.
Born in 1954, he first entered government in 1985 as Minister for Youth Affairs and then was chairman of the Committee for Youth and Physical Culture from 1987 to 1990. Kwasniewski participated in the momentous round-table negotiations held in 1989 between Poland's Communist government and the banned trade union Solidarity that gave momentum to the fall of the Communist bloc. In 1990 he co-founded the Social Democratic Party and served as its first chairman until 1995.
During his undergraduate years at Gdansk University from 1973 to 1977, Kwasniewski studied economics and was active in student political initiatives. After earning his degree, he continued his involvement in local politics and edited two news publications.
Kwasniewski's lifelong commitment to political pluralism, his efforts at improving relations between Poland and its neighbors, and his leadership in the reconciliation of Poles and Jews have earned him praise and highest honors from governments around the world.
Sponsors of Kwasniewski's visit are the Farmer School of Business, the Havighurst Center for Russian and Post-Soviet Studies and the Honorary Consulate of the Republic of Poland, located on campus.
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