PROFESSOR ANNA GIZA-POLESZCZUK
Scientific career
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2012 – a degree of UW Professor
Extraordinarius
2005 – a degree of Doctor Habilitatus
1985 – a degree of Doctor of Philosophy
1978-1981 – doctoral studies, The
Institute of Sociology, The Faculty of
Philosophy and Sociology of UW, PhD
dissertation under the supervision of
Prof. Stefan Nowak "Life as a novel"
1973-1978 – master studies, The Institute of Sociology, The Faculty of Philosophy and
Sociology of UW, master thesis supervised by Prof. Jerzy Pelc "Semiotics – defining notions
and main issues"
Professional experience
Academic activity:
 since 2012 – Vice-Rector of the University of Warsaw for Development and Financial Policy
 2008-2012 – Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Philosophy and Sociology of UW
 2005-2008 – director of the Institute of Sociology of UW for science and research
 2007 – head of the Section of Social Capital, the Institute of Sociology of UW
 1995-2006 – reader at the Chair of Social Psychology, the Institute of Sociology of UW; giving
research seminars, lectures in the issues of contemporary Poland, classes for foreign
students
 1989-1994 – director for educational affairs at the Institute of Sociology of UW, leader at the
Chair of methodology of Sociological Research, the Institute of Sociology of UW
Business activity:
 2002-2005 – advisor to the Board of Unilever Polska for Brands Communication; the tasks
involved consultancy during the process of developing strategic documents positioning key
brands as well as supervision of their communication and promotion
 2000-2002 – advisor to the Board of Unilever Polska for Human Resources; the tasks involved
participating in Selection Board (which made decisions concerning recruitment and
organizational structure) and contributing to developing the company’s strategy
 1994-2000 – director of the Market Research Department at Unilever Polska; over the period
of 1998-2002 – director of the market research department at Unilever Innovation Centres
for Central and Eastern Europe (Poland, Ukraine, Russia, the Baltic Sea countries, Hungary,
Czech Republic, Turkey); preparing materials and main assumptions for developing long-term
business strategies for the region, including analyses of trends as well as diagnoses based on
competitive context; giving strategic workshops both at the company’s top management
level and individual production departments and individual brands
Trace record in research
Market research:
 over 3000 projects coordinated (of qualitative and quantitative character), including
approximately 20% international ones; on the basis of the analyses performed by her team
crucial business decisions were made
Academic research:
 participation in national and international grants and research Project, among others, in an
international project financed by UN "Migration, their causes and consequences", focused on
international migrations (1996); a project financed from EU funds "Cultural Encounters in the
Economy" researching transformations in economic culture of the Central and Eastern
European countries in view of the new organisational culture moving from the West (20042006); a project carried out in 6 European countries "Job Mobility and Family Lives",
researching mobility related to the modern labour market and its impact on family forming
strategies and the quality of family life (2006-2008)
Studies commissioned by public institutions – a team member:
 2008 – member of a team headed by Prof. Urszula Sztanderska and Prof. Marek Górka
conducting a project "De-activation processes on the Polish labour market" for MPiPS
 2008 – head of the team conducting a project "Global Libraries" for Bill&Melinda Gates
Foundation
 2007 – member of a team headed by Prof. Urszula Sztanderska and Prof. Marek Górka
conducting a project "Local labour markets" for the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy
(MPiPS)
 2007 – member of CASE team carrying out a project "The causes of non-registered labour, its
scale, nature and social consequences" commissioned by the MPiPS Department of Labour
Market as part of Sectoral Operational Scheme of Human Resources Development 20042006
 2007 – member of a team headed by Prof. Urszula Sztanderska and Prof. Marek Górka
conducting a project "Labour markets on the territories of former state-owned agricultural
farms" for MPiPS
 2006 – a member of a team conducting a project "Young consumer facing advertising, brands
and purchasing", commissioned by Office of Competition and Consumer Protection (UOKiK)
 2006 – program board member and member of a team conducting "Violence free school",
commissioned by regional press (Polskapresse, Media Regionalne) and TP S.A. Foundation (of
Polish Telecom)
Research commissioned by public institutions – heading the team of the associates of the Institute of
Sociology:
 a project "Social and cultural trends in the context of the application of modern
telecommunication technologies" for Polish Telecom – TP S.A.
 consulting evaluation research (designing and approval works) for the Ministry of Regional
Development, the Department of Implementing National Strategy of Regional Development
 ongoing consultancy of evaluative research for the Polish-American Freedom Foundation
Prizes and awards
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The Helmuth Plessner Prize, for All Works in theoretical sociology; the prize awarded by the
Minister of National Education for the book Co nam zostało z tych lat; the S. Ossowski prize
for the book Co nam zostało z tych lat; the Jan Długosz prize for the book Przemiany więzi
społecznych