About us

Since 2018, the activities of the European Foundation for Cooperation and Science, based in Kraków (Poland), have been focused on promoting science and cooperation among children, youth, students and young researchers. In recent years, the EFCAS Foundation has organized numerous scientific workshops and co-organized national and international academic conferences attended by hundreds of participants. In the near future, the Management Board and the Scientific Council, together with other members of the Foundation, will attempt to achieve are as follows:

Activities for the development of science,
Activities supporting economic development, including the development of entrepreneurship,
Activities for European integration and development of contacts and cooperation between societies,
Activities in the field of social and charity help,

Cultural, sports and educational activities aimed at developing the potential of society and its integration,
Activities promoting the protection of human rights, freedoms and civil liberties, as well as the development of democracy and civil society,
Activities supporting the development of children and youth.

Management Board members

Dr. Artur Jach-Chrząszcz, PhD – President of the Foundation’s Management Board

Doctor of Social Sciences in the discipline of Political Science and Administration (2020), as well as in Socio-Economic Geography and Spatial Management (2025). Assistant professor at Institute of Security and Computer Science, University of the National Education Commission (UKEN), Krakow. His research combines Hungary's security policy, geopolitics, and issues related to national minorities. Author of several dozen scientific publications, speaker, and co-organizer of national and international academic conferences. Member of the Polish Geopolitical Society and the Hungarian Political Science Association (Magyar Politikatudományi Társaság).

artur.jach-chrzaszcz@efcas.org

Dr. Jarosław Indyk, PhD – Vice-President of the Foundation’s Management Board

Doctor of Social Sciences and university lecturer at Institute of Security and Computer Science, University of the National Education Commission (UKEN), Krakow. Author of scientific publications and organizer and participant of numerous national and international conferences. His research focuses on strategic threats to state security and non-military aspects of security. For many years, he has also been involved in the finance and real estate sectors, which has resulted in numerous awards and a successfully operating business.

jaroslaw.indyk@efcas.org

Daniel Gołda, MA – Vice-President of the Foundation’s Management Board

A lawyer specializing in sports law, a graduate of the Faculty of Law and Administration of the Jagiellonian University. A member of the Social Dialogue Committee of the European Club Association (ECA), as well as a member of the Professional Football Committee in the Polish Football Association. He is also a Chairman of the Regulations and Legal Committee of the Football Association of Malopolska. A participant of the first Polish edition of the “UEFA Certificate in Football Management” training program.

daniel.golda@efcas.org

SCIENTIFIC COUNCIL OF THE FOUNDATION - ADVISORY COMMITTETEE

Dr. Rafał Kopeć, PhD, DSc - Chairman of the Scientific Council of the Foundation

Habilitated Doctor of Security Studies, Doctor of Political Sciences (Ph.D.), professor at Institute of Security and Computer Science, University of the National Education Commission (UKEN), Krakow. In his research, he combines military issues, especially strategic ones, with the issues of international politics. The main research areas are the outer space militarization and the strategic framework of nuclear weapon. Analyst cooperating with Deterrence and Assurance Academic Alliance at USSTRATCOM. Expert in the field of military technology: coordinator of cooperation between UKEN University and the defense industry company Zakłady Mechaniczne Tarnów, regular contributor to the magazine "Okręty Wojenne" ("Warships"). Participant of the research internships in United States, Ukraine and Slovakia.

rafal.kopec@efcas.org

Dr. Przemysław Mazur, PhD, DSc - Vice-Chairman of the Scientific Council of the Foundation

Habilitated Doctor of Security Studies, Doctor of Political Sciences (Ph.D.), professor at Institute for Security and Computer Science, University of the National Education Commission, Krakow. His scientific interests include geopolitics, ethnicity, identity problems of Eastern Europe and the Middle East, and terrorism. Analyst cooperating with Deterrence and Assurance Academic Alliance at US STRATCOM, member of British International Studies Association.

przemyslaw.mazur@efcas.org

Dr. Agnieszka Polończyk-Sudoł, PhD – Member of the Scientific Council of the Foundation

Doctor of social sciences in the discipline of security studies, assistant professor at the Institute of Security Studies and Computer Sciences of the University of the National Education Commission in Krakow. Research interests include spatial analyzes in the area of ​​security and criminology (crimes and offenses and data from the Polish National Safety Risk Map), as well as issues related to the feeling of safety and fear of crime. Since 2018, she has been cooperating with the Department of Public Safety and Crisis Management of the Municipality of Krakow; in 2021 she was the leader of the "Diagnosis" area within the Safety Improvement Program for the City of Krakow "Safe Krakow". She also conducts research within the so-called historical GIS. She was the leader of the grant received from the Ministry of Science and Higher Education in the "DIALOGUE" programme for 2018-2023 entitled: "The GIS in history. The popularisation and possible applications of modern geoinformatic tools in the humanities basen on the example of the special operations of the Cichociemni – the 'Silent and Unseen' paratroops".

agnieszka.polonczyk-sudol@efcas.org

Dr. Paweł Łubiński, PhD – Member of the Scientific Council of the Foundation

Doctor of Social Sciences in the field of political science, assistant professor at the Institute of Security and Informatics of the University of the Commission of National Education in Krakow, Deputy Director for Education at the Institute of Security and Informatics of the UKEN in Krakow. Author of several dozen scientific publications, participant and organizer of many scientific conferences of nationwide and international scope. Research interests: national security, ideological security, school safety, national security strategy of the Republic of Poland, state and political science, doctrines and ideologies of the modern world, relations between the Church, the nation and the state, contemporary social conflicts, threats related to the development of radicalism and extremism, contemporary social movements and political parties. Member of the Association of the Movement of Defense Communities, the Polish Society of Political Sciences (branch in Krakow) and the Polish Red Cross - Honorary Blood Donor.

pawel.lubinski@efcas.org

Dr. Agnieszka Warchoł, PhD – Member of the Scientific Council of the Foundation

Political scientist and public administration specialist. Doctor of Social Sciences in the discipline of Political Science, specializing in Security Policy. Assistant Professor at the Institute of Security and Informatics at the University of the National Education Commission in Krakow. Research interests include cybersecurity, contemporary security concepts, information security, and political security. Author of the scientific monograph „Zagrożenia dla bezpieczeństwa informacyjnego państwa u progu XXI wieku" (2016), as well as co-author and editor of monographs and scholarly articles on contemporary issues in international and national security.

agnieszka.warchol@efcas.org

Dr. Tomasz Wójtowicz, PhD – Member of the Scientific Council of the Foundation

Political scientist, PhD in security sciences. Graduate of the Krakow Uniwersity of Economics, the National Defense University in Warsaw and the University of Information Technology and Management in Rzeszów. Assistant professor at the University of Information Technology and Management in Rzeszów, and then at the University of the National Education Commission of in Krakow. Author of numerous publications in the field of national and international security. Also associated with local government. In the years 2018-2024, the Councilor of the City Council in Strzyżów, from 2024 the Councilor of the Strzyżów District Council.

tomasz.wojtowicz@efcas.org

Dr. Paulina Motylińska, PhD – Member of the Scientific Council of the Foundation

Academic teacher at the Institute of Security and Information Technology of the University of the National Education Commission in Krakow, doctor of Humanities in Bibliology and Information Science, a graduate of the Information and Library Science program at the Jagiellonian University. Her research interests include information security and privacy protection on the Internet, information manipulation, information and digital literacy and cyber threats from the Internet user perspective.

paulina.motylinska@efcas.org

Dr. Łukasz Czekaj, PhD – Member of the Scientific Council of the Foundation

Employee of the University of the Commission of National Education in Krakow, Institute of Security and Informatics, Department of National Security. He graduated from the Pedagogical University in Krakow in the field of defense education and physical education and crisis management at the National Defense University in Warsaw. Member of the Commission of International Humanitarian Law, Pro-Defense Organization ObronaNarodowa.pl, European Foundation for Cooperation and Science, International Police Association. Member of the Institute Council and Disciplinary Council. Supervisor of the Security Sciences Academic Club. Participant of several international conferences in social sciences. Scientific publications in the areas of: Education for Security, Civil Protection and Crisis Management. Soldier of the Poland Territorial Defense Brigade.

lukasz.czekaj@efcas.org

Dr. Paulina Szeląg, PhD – Member of the Scientific Council of the Foundation

PhD in political science, assistant profesor at the Institute of Security and Informatics of the University of the National Education Commission in Krakow. Her research interests include: prevention of local ethnic conflicts and international conflicts, methods of resolving local and international conflicts, democratization and post-conflict development of state, political dimentions of transatlantic relations, role of international organizations in maintaining peace and security. She conducted individual research projects funded by Princeton University, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the Roosevelt Study Center for American Studies in Middelburg (the Netherlands), as well as group, research projects funded by Brown University and the Civic Initiatives Fund Program 2014-2020. Participant of scientific workshops at Stanford University and Brown University, among others, and speaker at dozens international and national scientific conferences in Poland and abroad. Author of several dozen of scientific articles in the fields of international security and international relations.

paulina.szelag@efcas.org

Dr. Dariusz Hybś, PhD – Member of the Scientific Council of the Foundation

PhD in social sciences, in the discipline of security science. Assistant professor at the Institute of Security and Informatics of the University of the National Education Commission in Krakow. A graduate of the Higher School of Humanities and Economics in Łódź, the Pedagogy of the Higher School of Social Sciences in Warsaw, the Higher School of Pedagogical Sciences in Warsaw and the Higher Police School in Szczytno. Member of the Association of the Defense Communities Movement in Warsaw. Scientific and research interests include topics in the field of security, psychology, pedagogy and prevention.

dariusz.hybs@efcas.org

Dr. Zanna Osikowicz, PhD – Member of the Scientific Council of the Foundation

PhD in social sciences in the discipline of political and administrative science and PhD in historical sciences in the field of theory and history of culture. Scholarship holder of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland for young scientists in 2013-2014. She works at the University of the Commission of National Education in Kraków as an Assistant Professor at the Institute of Security Sciences and Informatics. Research interests: contemporary Polish-Ukrainian relations in the field of culture, education, science and politics; cultural security; conflicts in the area of ​​the former USSR and Central and Eastern Europe. Co-author of the books: Polish pages of the city of Kremenchuk, Polish Operation in the Poltava region in the 30s of the 20th century.

zanna.osikowicz@efcas.org

Advisory Committee

Karina Ciuła, BA – Secretary and the Member of the Board of the Foundation

A graduate of the Faculty of Pedagogy of the Ignatianum Academy in Cracow. As she is in the process of completing her postgraduate studies at Cracow University of Economics, she has been combining education with professional work. She is connected within financial and banking sectors. Aside from the engagement in societal undertakings, she is remarkably focused on science and activities oriented towards entrepreneurship development. Her research-related undertakings are as follows: public administration sectors, finances and accounting, digital banking, as well as monetary and fiscal policies.

karina.ciula@efcas.org

Michał Buczek, M.D. – Member of the Board of the Foundation

Doctor of Medicine undergoing a vascular surgery specialization course, a graduate of the Faculty of Medicine of Collegium Medicum of Jagiellonian University. An employee of the General Surgery, Vascular Surgery, Angiology, and Phlebology of the Upper-Silesian Medical Centre in Katowice. A regular attendant and supervisor of medicine-oriented scientific conferences. A lecturer and a research assistant at the Medical University of Silesia in Katowice.

michal.buczek@efcas.org

Łukasz Grzywa, Eng. – Member of the Board of the Foundation

A graduate of the Faculty of Environmental Engineering of the Cracow University of Technology. He is professionally connected within the construction industry. Mister Łukasz has been completing a large-scale project for one of leaders in the fire ventilation industry and specializes in the designing of systems that aim to ensure full safety of people during a fire. The participant of numerous industry-specific training sessions and conferences, as well as research projects strictly connected with safety.

lukasz.grzywa@efcas.org

Gabriela Gancarz, MA - Member of the Board of the Foundation

A graduate of International Relations in Management and a master’s degree at Cracow University of Economics. An active member of the scientific club during studies. Interest in international collaboration and project management is successfully combined in professional work as project coordinator in one of oil and gas company.

gabriela.gancarz@efcas.org

Paweł Musiał, MA – Member of the Board of the Foundation

Lawyer, mediator, and graduate of the Faculty of Law and Administration of Jagiellonian University. The participant of a course organized by the Association of Notaries of the Republic of Poland in association with the Partners Poland Foundation. Mister Paweł has also cooperated with the Court Watch Poland Foundation. He is the author of an insightful paper on legal expense insurances as seen through the prism of Polish economic and societal contexts.

pawel.musial@efcas.org

Paulina Sacha, MA - Member of the Board of the Foundation

A graduate of the Faculty of Political Sciences of the Pedagogical University of Cracow and at the present time – a doctoral student researching the topic of Political Sciences further. For several years, she has been engaged in marketing and widely understood Public Relations-oriented undertakings. She has been broadening her professional experience by cooperating with companies operating in the sector of innovative technologies. She has been hosting lectures on marketing and online communication. Furthermore, she is the author of the first research and report on Digital Out of Home (DOOH) advertising in Poland. Her major fields of interest are advertisement-related communication, psychology of marketing and advertisements, as well as the creation of brand image by means of growth hacking techniques.

paulina.sacha@efcas.org

Zuzanna Wilczyńska – Member of the Board of the Foundation

A student of Inter-faculty Individual Studies in the Humanities (MISH) at the Jagiellonian University. Editor of the scientific journal “Artes”, publicist of the Magyazyn web portal, polyglot. Her main scientific interests are cultural linguistics, philosophy of language, cultural anthropology and language learning.

zuzanna.wilczynska@efcas.org

Foundation’s Programme Board

Paweł Ostachowski, MA – Chairman of the Foundation’s Programme Board

A scientific and administrative employee of the Chair of Law, Administration, and Economy at the Pedagogical University of Cracow, as well as an associate of a small financial company. Mister Paweł graduated with honors from his postgraduate studies in history, political sciences, international relations, and administration at the Pedagogical University of Cracow. He was the laureate of best master’s thesis competitions and his dissertations were defended at the Chair of Political Sciences (2013), as well as at the Chair of Law, Administration, and Economy of the Pedagogical University of Cracow (2017). He completed his doctoral studies at the Faculty of Political Sciences at the Pedagogical University of Cracow in the field of political sciences (2019). He has been the co-organizer and originator of a number of scientific conferences and seminars with international reach. Mister Paweł was the originator of the concept of opening the Security and Cross-border Cooperation Research Center. He also became the member of its Programme Board and is the member of the Lesser Poland Regional Committee of the Security and Defense Knowledge Competition. He is a statistical editor of the international scientific journal entitled "European Journal of Economics and Development". Mister Paweł is also the author of numerous articles in monographs and scientific magazines. In his research, he focuses on the issues that are specifically connected with the history and evolution of local self-governments, administration, public policies, ecology-related security, as well as on the matter of financial management in the public sector on both the national and international level.

pawel.ostachowski@efcas.org

Gallery

PARTNERS