Canadian Studies Centre, University of Silesia, Katowice

The official launching of the Canadian Studies Programme took place on October 27, 2000, with an inaugural lecture by Prof. Nancy Burke and speeches by representatives of the Canadian Embassy (Michael Wooff) and the Head of the Polish Association for Canadian Studies. The Centre is chaired by Dr Eugenia Sojka. Faculty members of the Institute interested in Canadian Studies are actively engaged in

the activities of the Centre. Two agreements of co-operation with Canadian universities: Vancouver Island University (earlier Malaspina University College), Nanaimo, BC., and Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, ON., have been signed and developed (e.g. Student Mobility grant for a project entitled: "Transcultural dialogues between Canada and Poland. Educating for ethics of diversity" to be completed with the co-operation of Vancouver Island University, Nanaimo, BC in March 2010). An earlier co-operation agreement of the University of Silesia with the University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, has been still active. Academic co-operation was established with Canadianists from the Jagiellonian University, Cracow. It entails an exchange of lecturers which helps to make both Canadian Studies programs interdisciplinary (literature, history, sociology). Our library boast a growing collection of Canadiana thanks to grants from the Canadian Embassy and donations from various Canadian publishing houses.