The Chair of American Studies (CAS) of the Instuitute of American Studies and Polish Diaspora was founded in 1991 as an intcrfaculty research institution of the Jagiellonian University with the aim of teaching Polish students about various issues concerning the United States of America. In 1995 a program was launched of doctoral studies of the Center (until the present moment there have been 18 doctors educated at CAS). In October 2001 CAS 1aunched its program of graduate (M.A.) American Studies and, one year later undergraduate program of studies. At present in the Institute there are enrolled 650 day-system and extramural students and almost 60 doctoral students.
The research conducted at the Chair for American Studies includes American history, U.S. foreign policy, contemporary American society, development of the American civilization, U.S. film and theatre, American literature and art, U.S. legal and political system, Native Americans’ history and culture, U.S. sports, and many more. Interdisciplinary character of the studies attracts many young people who want to broaden their knowledge and experience concerning various aspects of historical and contemporary American reality. In March 2007, CAS has opened ‘M.A. Program in Transatlantic Studies’ directed primarily to foreign students who would like to study in Kraków politlcal and cultural aspects of Transatlantic relations. The international conference U.S. Foregin Policy: Theory, Mechanizms, and Practice which took place in May 2007 at the Institute, was an intensive workshop devoted to historical and modern methods and approaches in analyzing U.S. foreign policy. The aim of the conference was to serve as a forum for sharing ideas and discussing new issues in re1ation between the United States and the rest of the world. The organizers wanted, in particular, to stimulate further collaboration of American Studies specialists from the participating institutions and help to formulate proposals of future joint research programs.