Ceremony of recognizing Wojciech Pawłowski's philanthropy work with the honoris causa title bestowed upon him by the Ignacy Jan Paderewski Academy of Music in Poznań, Poland (Photo: Courtesy of the Academy of Music)
The Jan Karski Educational Foundation is proud to announce that a member of our Board of Directors, Wojciech Pawłowski, has been recognized for his philanthropy with the honoris causa title bestowed upon him by the Ignacy Jan Paderewski Academy of Music in Poznań, Poland.
Wojciech Pawłowski is the President of the Board of VRP Co. Ltd., a private equity sector company. He is the founder of Warta Glass, one of Poland’s most recognized producers of glass packaging, Vice President of the Board of the Polish Business Roundtable, and Founder and Chairman of the Polish Chamber of Packaging. Mr. Pawłowski graduated from the Poznań University of Economics in Foreign Trade and completed postgraduate studies in state administration. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Jan Karski Educational Foundation and its sister organization in Poland, Fundacja Edukacyjna Jana Karskiego, and a member of the Board of Trustees of the National Museum in Warsaw. He is known for his magnanimous philanthropy, predominantly in the art and culture sector.
The moving and inspiring ceremony took place on October 16, 2023, at the Academy of Music, during the opening of the academic year 2023-24, led by its President, Prof. Hanna Kostrzewska. In attendance were several notable politicians and public servants, including former President of the Republic of Poland, Bronisław Komorowski, President of the City of Poznań, Jacek Jaśkowiak, President of the Polish Business Roundtable, Wojciech Kostrzewa, and Agnieszka Hejduk-Domańska, representing the Ministry of Culture and the National Heritage.
Part of the event was the recognition of the charity and educational efforts by Mr. Pawłowski’s wife, Dorota Pawłowska, a person of a good and generous heart who has devoted herself to funding awards and scholarships for the youth and service to disabled people.
The laudation speech for Wojciech Pawłowski was delivered by the former President of the Academy of Music, Prof. Bogumił Nowicki, who presented Mr. Pawłowski’s exhaustive business record and his most prominent philanthropy achievements, which include funding the following: scholarships for music students, concerts at the Poznań Philharmonic, music recordings, the purchase of new instruments, and the modernization of the Faras Gallery at the National Museum in Warsaw. Mr. Pawłowski has also founded a publishing house, Wydawnictwo Poznańskie, and has pledged financial support for the new site of the Poznań Philharmonic. In addition, he has distinguished himself for providing financial assistance to hospitals, hospices, disabled people, and the people of Ukraine. His accomplishments to advance culture and art heritage have been recognized with the highest state awards.
In his speech, Bronisław Komorowski congratulated the recipient of this extraordinary honor on getting involved with the right causes. Jacek Jaśkowiak expressed his gratitude to Mr. Pawłowski for setting an excellent example of good work and fighting for a better Poland. Wojciech Kostrzewa lauded him for being a role model for other people in business as someone who shares his riches and know-how with others.
After the formal ritual that entailed reading aloud the honoris causa diploma in Latin, Dr. Pawłowski took to the podium. He thanked his family for their continuous support in his business and charity endeavors. Then, he talked about his passion for culture and art and what he feels, his civic duty and responsibility in promoting their advancement. “Marriage of business and art is challenging,” he said, because art, in which there is no tangible gain, cannot be valued by economic measures of profit and loss. As “a shield against technologization and technocracy” and “an island of freedom,” art should incite and inspire the audience, argued Dr. Pawłowski. It should create new opportunities for young people and raise sensitive and responsible citizens. He closed his remarks by calling for a consensus between the state and business sectors to preserve the cultural heritage for future generations.
The beautiful ceremony was concluded by a saxophone quartet concert that included pieces by Jan Sebastian Bach, Astor Piazzolla, and a jazz standard.
This write-up focuses on the honoris causa ceremony. The entire event, which included the presentation of the school’s previous year’s accomplishments, the first-year students’ pledge, and the conferring of state awards upon the faculty members, can be seen following this link.
