“History cannot be changed. We must change ourselves”

The award has, in fact, been given to only two people so far. Apart from Professor Kotsan, the other recipient is Bishop Markian Trofymiak of the Lutsk diocese of the Roman Catholic Church. The highest award of the Catholic University of Lublin is a statue – a smaller version of the monument located in the main square of the university campus. The monument depicts an exciting moment when Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski honored newly elected Pope John Paul II. The statue bears the engraved names of the recipients.

Like Bishop Trofymiak, Professor Kotsan was recognized for his contribution to developing inter-university cooperation and cordial relations between the two peoples. Professor Kotsan, rector of Lesia Ukrainka Volyn National University, says that his university and the Catholic University of Lublin have seven years of cooperation experience since he was elected rector. Volyn is a border region near Poland and the EU, so it is very well-placed to cooperate and forge friendship with our neighbors. Volyn University has cooperation links also with the University of Warsaw, the Maria Sklodowska-Curie University of Lublin and universities located in Chelm. However, its closest ties are still with the Catholic University of Lubin, which is the oldest and most authoritative such institution in Central Europe. This is the only Polish university that has both the state and church status. According to Professor Kotsan, the two universities coordinate their curricula, including on the graduate level, and have joint research projects. The Polish university’s rector, Professor Stanislaw Wilk has an honorary doctorate degree from Volyn University.

The top awards were handed to the two Ukrainian recipients at an international conference to mark the 20th anniversary since Poland recognized Ukraine’s independence. The conference entitled “Poland-Ukraine. 20 years against the background of 1,000 years of neighborhood” took place under the patronage of Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski, who sent a letter of greetings, noting that present-time Poland-Ukraine relations are partnership relations that “increasingly link us in politics, the economy and societal cooperation.” The 26 reports presented at the conference focused cultural, religious, political, economic, military and sports aspects of Ukraine-Poland relations on the level of the states and their citizens. Professor Kotsan noted that both Poles and Ukrainians understand that history is as it is and cannot be changed. Instead, we need to change ourselves, learn from our mistakes and together go to Europe.