Short biography

Graduated in philosophy from the University of Lodz. Originally studied the origins of the idea of universities in the Middle Ages. For over two decades associated with the academic field of educational sciences, teaching future teachers. Since 2020 President of the Centre for Excellence and Science Foundation, trainer and educator, editor-in-chief of the quarterly magazine on education Cogitantium. Passionate about change and well-being in life.

My Story 

I remember the day I gave my first lesson to students. My hands were shaking terribly. But I also remember the day I decided that wasn't enough. That the system was holding me back and that I wanted to help people change their lives. Adults who often believe that their years at school, or even as students, have trapped them in a reality that is difficult to change. But man is a creator, he can not only adapt to what he cannot change, but also change what is very difficult to change. That is why it is important to motivate people and show them that it is possible and worthwhile to change their lives for the better. In a life where the more we experience, the more possibilities we have. I'm showing that people learn all the time, not just once in their lifetime.

Learning is getting to know unknown flavours, visiting unknown places, and it is also about new perfumes, the smell of which we have never experienced before.

It is also, but not only, about new theories, ways of life, recipes for happiness. That's why my portfolio includes various courses that have taught me a lot, as well as teaching others.

For example, courses with teachers, many of whom I have taught, have taught me that teaching is about sharing experience, but also about recognising the experience of others. It's about leaving room for a calm opening to new things and understanding someone's well-trodden paths.I gave away the knowledge that time can be planned differently, and that in order to do a good and satisfying job as a teacher, you need to find time for yourself. In return, I was given the knowledge of how difficult it is to break out of the cocoon of habits, expectations and tiredness. But also how much joy can come from working with children and young people every day.

Teaching older people has taught me the joy of life: not in the abstract, but manifested every day, in every encounter, in every detail. 

I gave them digital skills, how to use social media, how to contact family when they are far away, how not to be scammed, how to use e-banking and e-offices freely. I was given back a lot of life experience and the ability to use it. I gained more joy in everyday life and new contacts on Facebook.

The classes with prisoners taught me how important freedom is and how quickly you can destroy your life and the life of your family. But they also showed me how a life story can ruin someone's self-esteem. 

I gave them the knowledge of how to fight for themselves, how to bring out what is valuable in themselves, how to talk to their family in difficult times and how to emerge victorious (which does not mean defeated) from the conflict. I was given back an unforgettable lesson in humanity. One that may be hidden somewhere deep, but is still there, waiting to be allowed to come out and act again.

As a trainer of soft and social skills, but also as a philosopher and social educator, I understood how much we can give each other. As long as we are open to others, to the desire to acquire knowledge, to deepen and verify what we already know, to understand that there is no point in stopping on the road to improvement. I will never forget the words with which my student greeted me a few weeks after the course. He said with a laugh: "And what the hell have you been doing, sir? I sat at my desk and waited quietly for retirement. And you made me so angry that I took courage, fought and got promoted!" For me, there is no better reward, but also no better incentive to keep "messing with people's heads".

What can we expect in the future? I see the EPALE community developing over the next decade into an even more dynamic, inclusive and action-oriented hub for adult learning in Europe. We need safe learning spaces that encourage critical thinking.