THE EUROPEAN INSTITUTE FOUNDATION
ORGANIZATION PRESENTATION
European Institute Foundation is an initiative created by people interested in European and international affairs and supporting the development of Poland within the European Union. We are active in the Erasmus+ sector for nearly 18 years. The initiative to establish the European Institute in 2004 was a follow up of its key staff involvement in the Polish National Youth Council, an umbrella organization of major youth and student NGOs from Poland in 2003-2005. Educational programmes are of great importance to the Institute. They rely on non-formal education activities, since one of The European Institute Foundation intentions is to enhance civic engagement of young people in Poland, in Europe and beyond. The Institute is established under Polish law on NGOs as a Foundation, and registered in the Polish Court Registry KRS no: 0000239605. It has its headquarter in Warsaw and also branches in Kraków and Katowice, where also our staff lives and works. During the years of existence the Foundation realized over a few dozen projects, co-funded mainly from the EU financial mechanisms, as well as Visegrad Fund and others. Nearly a thousand people, especially the young have benefited from the trainings organised by us. We have been assessed by the Erasmus+ National Agency as an experienced applicant. We have developed a know how and a vast network of reliable partners.
The Foundation has a network of international contacts and partnerships developed over many years of activity. The most important partners come from Italy, Bulgaria, Greece, Germany, Romania, Spain, Portugal, Lithuania and Cyprus. We also have partners in the Czech Republic, Turkey, Croatia, and – outside the EU – in Russia, Ukraine, Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Israel. This is a huge potential for future projects in the field of international cooperation and the opportunity to share experiences, as well as to promote the Polish point of view abroad.
In Poland, the European Institute has established very good relations with organizations activating citizens in social and entrepreneurial areas. These are, for example, the Academic Business Incubators or the Association of Regional Initiatives in Tarnów, but also smaller entities such as the Artistic Institute for the Development of Children and Youth. We also cooperate with local governments: currently, together with the city of Mysłowice and the city of Imielin in the Śląskie Voivodship, we implemented a project under the Obywatel.IT program, which aims to raise the digital competences of adult people (over 25 years of age) residing in the Śląskie and Opolskie voivodships. Our partner in the implementation of projects in Silesia was also the Craft Chamber and Small and Medium Enterprise in Katowice.
key expertise
The Foundation has received several grants from EU programs in the field of education and youth: “Youth”, “Youth for Europe”, “Erasmus”, “Erasmus +”. The International Visegrad Fund was also our donor. Among the implemented projects it is worth mentioning projects focusing on the participation of young people in public life, including local government and regional: for example the “Youth Participation in Local and Regional Life” project and the activation of young citizens up to 35 years of age: “Architects of change”, “Skills Academy” entrepreneurial “,” IT skills for youth participation “,” Video and social media for youth participation “. Other international projects are also important achievements in the Foundation’s portfolio: “Education in peace through sport”, “Let’s meet again” (with Israel), “Open yourself to dialogue” (with Ukraine), “Green culture”, “3 x Yes! “,” Ecopower “,” Languages of cultures “,” Tell me your story “. All of the above-mentioned projects involved dozens of participants, including from European Union countries and Eastern Partnership countries. We estimate that during the Foundation’s existence over a thousand people were recipients of our activities, and this number is certainly higher when it comes to indirect beneficiaries. We have the necessary competences in the preparation of a grant and conducting projects financed from public funds, as well as reporting and accounting in accordance with standards.
key staff
Piotr Uhma, President
Lawyer. Doctorate of Laws (graduated in October 2013) – Chair of Public International Law, Law School of the Jagiellonian University in Kraków, Poland (dissertation under supervision of prof. dr hab. Kazimierz Lankosz, member, L’Institut de Droit international).
Holder of the Postgraduate Diploma of Company Law in the Law School of Warsaw University. 2004 Masters of Law, Graduated from the Law School of the Jagiellonian University in Kraków, Poland. Completed a special course in Law of Public Administration and Corporate Law, with the final paper on „Contracting out procedure as an example of privatisation of state”. Currently nominated a Senior Good Governance Advisor in the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Mission to Skopje. From 2012-2014 Senior Human Rights Officer in the OSCE, Mission in Kosovo. Previously Director, Legal and Corporate Communications Office of the Polish Electric Power Grid company, PSE Operator S.A. (2008-2010). Consultant and Officer at the OSCE (2004-2008). Worked on legal and policy issues for the German Development Agency (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit – GTZ GmbH) and UNICEF. Advised the Ministry of Home Affairs of Kenya and the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports of Kosovo. General Rapporteur at the UNDP Training Seminar on National Youth Policy in Central and Eastern African Countries, held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in September 2003. Guest speaker at the Youth Employment Summit (YES) 2nd sitting in Veracruz, Mexico, 2004. Delegate to the YES Summit in Alexandria, Egypt in 2002. Speaker and participant at many international conferences (including in Prague, Sydney, Jakarta, Strasbourg, Vienna, Amman, Nairobi, Denver, Seoul, etc.). Vice-President of the International Council on National Youth Policy (ICNYP) in Vienna, Austria. Co-founder and President of The European Institute Foundation www.instytuteuropejski.pl
Sabina Klimek, doctor of economics. Vice President of the Polish-American Chamber of Commerce North-East with headquarters in New York, owner of New York company Klimek Consulting LLC, former consul, commercial counselor, head of the Trade and Investment Promotion Department of the Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in New York. Earlier, a journalist from the foreign editorial office of Polsat News, a reporter from Panorama on TVP2, as well as a negotiator of international trade agreements cooperating with Middle Eastern companies as well as a trainer and trainer – she specializes in training in negotiation, marketing, sales techniques and business communication.
A graduate of doctoral studies at the Socio-Economic College at the Warsaw School of Economics, the University of Economics in Katowice, the Mikkeli University of Technology in Finland and the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. Co-founder and Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the European Institute “The European Institute Foundation”, member of the Business Forum and Food Forum at the European Commission, expert on NORMAPME standardization organization at the European Commission. Author of many scientific publications in the field of entrepreneurship, including the book ‘Entrepreneurship without secrets’. Recognized by Dziennik Zachodni as the Leader of the Year 2014 of the Bieruń-Lędziński poviat from which it comes. She is passionate about traveling, she is also a great animal lover, actively supporting dog and cat shelters.
Piotr Uhma — President
