Professor Zygmunt Bauman has played a role in preparing the congress nearly from the beginning. On the initiative of the Minister of Culture and National Heritage, Zygmunt Bauman has written a book on the birth and development of the concept of culture, in which he also discusses the directions in which culture may develop in the future. The book was published in Poland and the UK in spring this year, as a part of the National Cultural Program of the Polish EU Presidency in 2011.
Professor Bauman will deliver a lecture in which he will address topics discussed in the book, including the role of the European Union in shaping contemporary culture, the ties between culture and globalization, and the relationship between art and politics.
In November 2010, on his 85th birthday, Zygmunt Bauman was awarded the Medal For Merits to Culture – Gloria Artis by the Minister of Culture and National Heritage. The award is given for distinguished contributions in the field of arts, culture, or the preservation of culture and national heritage.
