Lublin University honors Anne Applebaum, Agnieszka Holland, and Olga Tokarczuk

The Senate of Maria Curie-Skłodowska University (UMCS) in Lublin has awarded three honorary doctorates: to Nobel laureate Olga Tokarczuk, filmmaker Agnieszka Holland, and journalist Anne Applebaum.

This year, the university celebrates its 80th anniversary.

The UMCS Senate decided to grant the honorary titles during two separate sessions. The resolutions for Anne Applebaum and Agnieszka Holland were passed on September 24, 2024, while Olga Tokarczuk’s recognition was decided earlier, on May 25, 2022.

Anne Applebaum's honorary doctorate recognizes her "outstanding scientific and journalistic achievements" and her "masterful teaching of the understanding of history, particularly that of Eastern Europe and Poland, her sensitivity to the values of democracy, and the quality of media."

In her speech, Applebaum highlighted the proximity of the ongoing war in Ukraine and described it as a battle for truth, freedom, and identity, condemning Russia’s aggression. "This is not a war over land - Russia has 11 time zones. This is not a war over resources - Russia has the entire periodic table just beneath its surface. This is a war for truth and freedom, for the right to memory and the right to a future, for the right to identity," she said.

She also emphasized the critical role of universities in preserving truth and reason amidst growing misinformation and manipulation.

"In times when truth is increasingly denied or negotiated, the role of the university takes on fundamental importance. In a world where disinformation spreads like wildfire and the line between fact and fiction is deliberately blurred, universities become oases of reason and respect for reason. They are havens for free people who boldly engage with ideas, a bastion of democratic society," observed Applebaum.

The American historian, who is Poland's Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski's wife, expressed her deep connection to Poland and its historical resilience, calling it a lesson in the fight for sovereignty and democracy.

Agnieszka Holland was honored "for seeking truth and asking uncomfortable questions, for depicting the ambiguities of the world in her films, and for revealing the complexity of human relationships and emotions." The Senate’s resolution also highlighted her ability to combine cinematic poetics with uncompromising civic engagement, courage in addressing difficult issues, sensitivity to others, and her ongoing creative evolution.

Agnieszka Holland, during her speech, reflected on her latest film, The Green Border, which shed light on the deep societal changes brought about by migration and the propaganda surrounding it. She discussed her decade-long focus on films addressing crimes against humanity committed by totalitarian regimes, aiming to explore their causes and mechanisms.

Holland expressed her belief that World War II’s horrors never truly ended, only subsided temporarily, and warned that the foundational lessons of the Holocaust - exposing the dangers of nationalism, racism, and hate-driven politics - are being forgotten. She noted that since 2015, she has observed how easily fears surrounding refugees and migrants can be exploited, becoming fuel for populist agendas. The filmmaker argued that fascism begins when democratic politicians adopt the rhetoric and agenda of extremists, creating scapegoats to strip vulnerable groups of their rights and, ultimately, their humanity. Holland questioned whether fears of a mass influx of desperate migrants justify their dehumanization, pointing to the thousands of lives already lost in the Mediterranean Sea. She highlighted the paradox of vacationing on these shores while ignoring the humanitarian tragedies unfolding there. The director also addressed the ongoing war in Ukraine and global conflicts, lamenting growing global fatigue and the loss of belief in positive outcomes. She underscored the crisis of hope, marked by skepticism about truth, solidarity, and the survival of the planet, urging for renewed faith in the possibility of a better world.

Olga Tokarczuk was awarded the honorary title "for the power to create, through words, worlds where the past meets the present to address future challenges." The Senate also commended her for expanding the boundaries of sensitivity, imagination, and intellect, and for "promoting an attitude of tenderness toward the Earth and all its inhabitants, particularly those marginalized and deprived of rights, voice, and love."

Tokarczuk centered her speech at Maria Curie-Skłodowska University on the pervasive sense of fear caused by wars, climate crises, and political upheavals. She highlighted how fear undermines the sense of stability and fundamental values, leaving people feeling unsettled and questioning even basic certainties.

Tokarczuk reflected on humanity's resilience, noting that approximately 60 billion individuals have lived on Earth, each contributing to the collective human experience. She emphasized the power of life instincts, creativity, and communication as forces that have helped humanity overcome challenges. She argued that culture is humanity's fundamental response to fear, organizing chaos, fostering understanding, and building bonds amidst fragmented relationships and the isolating noise of the internet.

European culture, she noted, thrives on dialogue with history and ideas from the past, and Tokarczuk sees her own work as a voice in this ongoing conversation. She described culture as a dynamic, interpretative dialogue that enables each generation to see the world anew and contribute its wisdom. It is also, she suggested, an act of defiance against rigid authority, encouraging intellectual questioning and resisting oversimplification and propaganda.

Tokarczuk expressed admiration for the university's namesake, Maria Curie-Skłodowska, whom she considered an inspiring role model. She also congratulated Lublin on being named the European Capital of Culture for 2029, pledging her support for its efforts to foster cultural exchange and innovation.

The UMCS was established on October 23, 1944, by a decree of the Polish Committee of National Liberation (PKWN) as a state university with four faculties: medicine, natural sciences, agriculture, and veterinary science. Initially spread across various locations in Lublin, the university was gradually consolidated and expanded, receiving land in the western part of the city in 1946 to develop its campus.

Over the years, UMCS underwent numerous reorganizations, leading to the creation of separate universities, including the Medical University and the University of Life Sciences. Today, UMCS comprises 12 faculties, employs approximately 2,800 staff members (including 1,500 academic teachers), and has about 17,000 students, nearly 1,800 of whom are international.