Prof. dr hab. Jolanta Itrich-Drabarek honored with a medal for services to the civil service

February 17 is celebrated as the day of the Polish civil service. It commemorates the adoption in 1922 of the first civil service act in Poland. This legal act unified the administrative solutions of the three former partitions into one coherent state system and granted special status to Polish civil servants. During the Second Polish Republic, the civil service was compared in rank to military service. Its representatives were expected to demonstrate dedication, professionalism, and concern for the welfare of the state and its identity.

This year’s celebrations brought particular cause for pride to our academic community. On February 17, 2026, Prof. dr hab. Jolanta Itrich-Drabarek was honored with a medal for services to the civil service, awarded at the request of the Head of the Civil Service by the Prime Minister.

Professor Itrich-Drabarek has been conducting research on the civil service for twenty-six years. She is the author of numerous academic publications in Polish and English, the organizer of international academic conferences devoted to this subject, and the creator of an original course for students on the civil service. At the University of Warsaw, she initiated and developed a research community focused on this topic, creating a nationally recognized school of civil service research.

We warmly congratulate Professor Itrich-Drabarek on this prestigious distinction and wish her continued success!