Janusz Korczak's Legacy at the World OMEP Congress in Poznań

How is Janusz Korczak's thought interpreted today in the context of children's rights and contemporary education? These questions resonated throughout the World OMEP Congress held in Poznań.

During the sessions of the World OMEP Congress hosted by Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, the Maria Grzegorzewska University (APS) was represented by Professor Anna Odrowąż-Coates and Dr Karolina Żelazowska-Byczkowska.

The plenary programme featured lectures by distinguished invited speakers, including Dr Laura Lundy, who presented When a Child Speaks: The Value of Undeniable, Sustainable and Credible Child Participation, and Professor Anna Odrowąż-Coates, Head of the UNESCO Janusz Korczak Chair at APS, who delivered the lecture Korczak's Inspirations for Education and Children's Rights: Relational Sustainability in the Age of Digital Perfection.

The invitations to deliver plenary lectures were extended by Professor Adrijana Višnjić-Jevtić, President of World OMEP, and Professor Renata Kamińska, President of OMEP Poland and Adam Mickiewicz University.

The presence of the Korczakian perspective in the Congress programme reflects the ongoing international debate on children's rights, education, and child participation. The ideas of Janusz Korczak, whose academic and educational work was closely connected with our University, continue to provide an important point of reference for contemporary educational research and practice.

This year's World OMEP Congress brought together nearly 500 researchers and practitioners from around 60 countries, creating a unique platform for the exchange of knowledge and experiences in the field of early childhood education and children's rights.

Congress Programme:
 https://www.omep2026.org/conf-data/OMEP2026/files/Program/Draft%20agenda%20July%2015.pdf

Profiles of the Plenary Speakers:
 https://www.omep2026.org/speakers