A series of open guest lectures featuring external experts on the role of financing, philanthropy, private and civil engagement in the UN in a regional context

The Chair of Diplomacy and International Institutions at the Faculty of Political Science and International Studies, University of Warsaw, invites you to a series of open lectures featuring external experts addressing the role of financing, philanthropy, private and civil engagement in the UN system in a regional context.

The lectures are part of the course: Philanthropy and International Organisations in Global and Regional Perspective: Reinventing Social Leaderships and Global Governance taught at the Faculty of Political Science and International Studies, University of Warsaw, in the summer semester 2025/2026. The sessions will take place as part of the module “Private and Civil Sector, the UN and Global-Regional Governance”. The course is offered within the 4EU+ Alliance programme.

The lectures will be held in person, but it will be possible to join via the ZOOM platform. In such cases, please contact the course coordinator, Dr Anita Budziszewska (anita.budziszewska@uw.edu.pl), in advance by email. The meetings are scheduled regularly on Mondays from 3:00 PM to 4:30 PM. Due to very limited capacity, registration is open exclusively to 4EU+ Alliance partner universities, including: Heidelberg University, Paris-Panthéon-Assas University, Sorbonne University, University of Copenhagen, and the University of Geneva. To register for the event, please send an email to: dyplomacja.wnpism@uw.edu.pl. After registration, participants will receive information about the venue where the lectures will be held.

The meetings will be chaired by Dr Anita Budziszewska.

Below we provide detailed information about the guests in the lecture series:

Aleksandra Lasota, expert on responsible business and migration

Aleksandra Lasota is an expert with over ten years of experience in the United Nations system in the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific, and Europe. She has worked at the International Organization for Migration (IOM), as well as briefly at the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), managing migration programmes with budgets in the millions of dollars – covering both labour and forced migration – as well as projects on human rights and responsible business.

She specializes in building partnerships with governments, the private sector – including international companies such as IKEA and Nissan – and civil society organizations, as well as strategic and policy advisory. She holds two master’s degrees (Arabic Studies from Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań and an MBA in Circular Economy from the University of Bradford). She currently works as an independent consultant in the areas of migration, public-private partnerships, and sustainable business, advising both IOM and private sector partners.

Magda Janiszewska, expert on international projects and project coordinator at Caritas Poland | former UN analyst, MENA region

An expert in international cooperation, humanitarian aid, and development, with experience in the UN system and international non-governmental organizations. She has worked on humanitarian projects in Palestine, focusing on programme development, donor relations, reporting, and monitoring the impact of activities.

She specializes in MEAL (Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning), project management, and building partnerships in complex humanitarian contexts, combining strategic perspective with operational practice. She currently manages Caritas projects in Palestine.

Oluwayemisi Ojo, Universidade Católica Portuguesa | Geneva Graduate Institute

Master of African Studies. She is currently a doctoral candidate at Universidade Católica Portuguesa in Porto and a Junior Visiting Fellow at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies (IHEID) in Geneva.

Her research critically examines how educational technologies and artificial intelligence-based solutions are used to address social problems in Africa, with particular emphasis on political discourse and the political economy of digital education reforms.

Over the past five years, she has conducted research on philanthropy and its role in governance in postcolonial contexts – initially in the area of peacebuilding, and more recently in the field of technology and education governance. Alongside her research activities, she has participated in the design and implementation of development programmes within the UN, the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, and other institutions, collaborating with governments, civil society organizations, and international organizations in various regions of the world.

Michael Prendergast, expert on humanitarian coordination and external relations

Michael Prendergast is a specialist in humanitarian coordination and external relations, with fifteen years of experience in the United Nations system. For the past ten years, he has worked at the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and previously at the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI), supporting important humanitarian and policy initiatives in the Middle East and North Africa, Asia and the Pacific, and Europe.

He specializes in inter-agency coordination, resource mobilization, and strategic cooperation with governments, donors, and partners from the UN system and civil society. He has been involved in responses to major crises, including in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Myanmar, and Sudan.

He holds an LL.M. in International Law and International Relations (University of Kent) and a Bachelor of Civil Law (BCL) from University College Cork.