Project concept

American Corner Education and Business Center started operations in December 2023, but officially opened in early Spring 2024. The ACEBC serves as a regional resource and information hub for programs focused primarily on American education and culture. The main goal of the Center is to promote up-to-date knowledge about the USA and common social values ​​such as freedom, democracy, the rule of law responsibility, justice, and security. Due to its affiliation with the institutions of Maria Curie Skłodowska University, the basic profile of ACEBC is education, that is, providing insights into various aspects of American life, such as politics and culture, and facilitating the mobility of students and scholars between Poland and the US.

Mission

Provide free and open access to current information about the USA to strengthen mutual understanding and friendship between Poles and Americans. The activities of the Center are addressed primarily to young people, high school students and university students. Its uniqueness as an American Center derives from the link with Maria Curie Skłodowska University, which enthusiastically supports the project and employs scholars specializing in American politics, literary studies and English language teaching who will contribute their expertise to the activities of the Center. In addition, MCSU possesses many library resources that will expand the impact of the Center.

Vision

Create services that help as many people as possible to acquire rich knowledge about the USA and use it effectively in their lives. One important element of this vision is to involve those Poles and Americans who have had personal experience of American education and are able to share it with others, e.g. Fulbright scholars. Another significant aspect of this is to increase the number of Poles, who seek to learn more about and/or experience the US directly.

Main objectives

  • Providing information about the history, government, society and values ​​of the United States
  • Offering educational counseling services to people who may plan to study or do research in the USA
  • Organizing various events such as workshops, lectures, exhibitions, concerts, debates and conversations in English
  • Making available free access to the rich book collection and e-library USA databases at the ACEBC headquarters in Chatka Żaka MCSU
  • Increasing the quality of English language learning and teaching in Lublin by organizing workshops and lectures on aspects related to American English

Location

ACE is housed at Chatka Żaka , the Academic Center for Culture and Media at MCSU, which is a suitable place to host an initiative of this kind. Excellent facilities for organizing film screenings, galleries, performances by student groups, concerts and conferences, together with a rich cultural program including, for instance, The Small Talk Series that connects foreign students with their Polish colleagues at MCSU and helps them succeed, enrich the cultural offer of the Center. In addition, university radio station (Academic Radio Centrum), TV station (TV UMCS), and the Chatka Żaka Café helps to promote ACE’s activities through multiple channels of communication.

ACEBC’s office is open Monday-Friday 9-17.