Prof Jolanta Choinska-Mikaback

Jolanta Choińska-Mika is a Professor at the Institute of History, University of Warsaw (PhD 1991, habilitation 2004). Between 2005-2012 she was the Vice-Head of the Institute of History and was in charge of admissions, assessment, curriculum reform and students’ academic welfare. Between 2008 and 2016 she was a member of the University of Warsaw Senate’s Commission for Students, Doctoral Students and Quality of Teaching, which monitors programmes and curricula along with all internal regulations related to the teaching and learning process at the University. She was also a member of a special Rector’s group (2014 – 2016) responsible for monitoring of the teaching programme and training of prospective teachers. In 2015 – 2016 she was the first Director of the School of Education, a joint undertaking of the Polish-American Freedom Foundation and the University of Warsaw.
In addition to these activities, Prof. Choińska-Mika is a researcher in Early Modern European history, parliamentary history and political culture. Prof. Choińska-Mika teaches a wide range of courses, including history of Poland, history of Tudor and Stuart England as well as courses on teaching methods for prospective teachers of history. Prof Choińska-Mika’s research interests and teaching expertise are complemented by her public engagement and outreach activities. Over the years, Prof Choińska-Mika has given a number of public lectures on the topics of early modern history, parliamentarism, historical education, and participated in numerous radio and TV programmes and debates.
Her recent academic publications focus on early modern republicanism, parliament and parliamentary institutions, early modern social communication as well as the relationship between localities and centres of power. Her key publications include: Sejmiki mazowieckie za Wazów (1998); Między społeczeństwem szlacheckim a władzą. Problemy komunikacji społecznej: społeczności lokalne – centrum za Jana Kazimierza.(2002); Od zgody wszystkich do jednomyślności – modus concludendi sejmów polskich za ostatnich Wazów (2010); Obywatele u władzy: narodziny, rozwój i upadek szlacheckiej republiki (2013); Parlamentaryzm koronny za Jagiellonów (2015); Mazowiecki parlamentaryzm XVI – XVIII wieku (2015); Instytucje parlamentarne i samorządowe w przestrzeni miejskiej Polski i Litwy, XV – XVIII w. (2016); She also published and edited a number of school books and teaching resources.
Prof. Choinska-Mika is also a member of the scientific committee of journals: Edukacja (Education), Biblioteka Epoki Nowożytnej (Early Modern Library Collection), Muzealnictwo (Museology). From 2010 to 2015 she worked for the Educational Research Institute (IBE) – a governmental educational think-tank and a research institute. She is a Senior Advisor to the Ministry of Education and the Central Examination Board (CKE) and between 2007 and 2015 she played a leading role in drafting the national curriculum reform, and was in charge of the history course cluster. In 2006 Prof. Choińska-Mika was nominated to the Advisory Council of the Polish History Museum, and until now has actively taken part in its works (third term) For her public engagement and achievements in the field of education, she was awarded Order of Polonia Restituta (2010) and Medal of Commission of National Education (2011). She is a member of the International Commission for the History of Parliaments and Representative Institutions and the Polish Historical Society.