The Foundation and 50-Year Legacy of the Banach Center
The Banach Center was established on January 13, 1972, following an agreement signed in Warsaw by the Academies of Sciences from Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and the USSR. Over time, the agreement was expanded to nclude Vietnam (1979), Cuba (1984), and North Korea (1986).
From its inception, the Banach Center has been part of the Institute of Mathematics of the Polish Academy of Sciences (IM PAS), operating under the guidance of the Institute’s Director alongside the International Scientific Council. The Center’s primary mission has always been to foster and promote international cooperation in mathematics, particularly bridging the East and West.
During the 1970s and 1980s, as East-West relations gained momentum, Poland became a natural meeting point due to its geographical position and rich cultural and mathematical traditions.
Leadership and Milestones
- 1972–1992: Under the leadership of Professor Czesław Olech, the Banach Center gained international recognition as a hub for mathematical collaboration, hosting mathematicians from around the globe.
- 1993–2002: Professor Bogdan Bojarski took over as Director when the original agreement among the Academies was dissolved (1993). This began a new era for the Center, with enhanced collaboration through the European Mathematical Society (EMS). New formats, including condensed workshops, symposia, and interdisciplinary meetings, were introduced alongside activities such as thematic semesters.
- 2002–2010: Professor Stanisław Janeczko, a former Director of IM PAS, served as Director of the Banach Center. In 2006, he appointed Professor Janusz Grabowski as scientific secretary, a role he held until the end of Janeczko’s term.
- 2010–2015: Professor Feliks Przytycki became Director of IM PAS and, by extension, the Banach Center, and Professor Janeczko was appointed Chairman of the Banach Center.
Governance and Evolution
From 1972 to 1993, the Scientific Council of the Banach Center comprised two representatives from each signatory Academy of Sciences and the Center’s Director, tasked with shaping its scientific program. Post-1993, the Council expanded to include representatives from the EMS, founding countries, and four Polish representatives.
Since the autumn of 2015, the Banach Center has been under the formal supervision of Professor Adam Skalski, Deputy Director of IM PAS for scientific matters.
50 Years of Excellence
In 2022, the Banach Center proudly celebrated its 50th anniversary, marking half a century of fostering global collaboration and advancing mathematical research.
Click here for information about the Scientific Council for the 2022–2025 term.
Former Chairmen of the Scientific Council (1972-2005)
- Lubomir Iliev (Bulgaria) 1972-1976
- Ákos Császár (Hungary) 1977-1980
- Klaus Matthes (East Germany) 1981-1982
- Kazimierz Urbanik (Poland) 1983-1986
- Romulus Cristescu (Romania) 1987-1989
- Sergeĭ M. Nikol'skiĭ (USRR) 1990-1992
- Friedrich Hirzebruch (Germany) 1993-2001
- Rolf Jeltsch (Switzerland) - 2002-2005
- Ari Laptev (Sweden) - 2006-2013
- Pavel Exner (Czech Republic) - 2014-2021
Scientific Council for the 2018–2021 term:
- Scientific Director of the Institute responsible for the Banach Center - Prof. Adam Skalski
- Prof. Alexey Davydov (National University of Science and Technology “MISiS”, Russia)
- Prof. Pavel Exner (Doppler Institute for Mathematical Physics and Applied Mathematics, Czech Republic) - chairman of the BC Scientific Council
- Prof. Alice Fialowski (Eötvös Loránd University, University of Pécs, Hungary)
- Prof. Gert-Martin Greuel (University of Kaiserslautern, Germany)Prof. Grzegorz Karch (University of Wroclaw, Poland)
- Prof. Sławomir Kołodziej (Jagiellonian University, Poland)
- Prof. Sjoerd Verduyn Lunel (Universiteit Utrecht, The Netherlands)
- Prof. Domokos Szász (Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Hungary)
- Prof. Henryk Woźniakowski (University of Warsaw, Poland)
Scientific Council for the 2014–2017 term:
- Chairman of the Stefan Banach International Mathematical Center - Prof. Stanisław Janeczko
- Scientific Director of the Institute responsible for the Banach Center - Prof. Adam Skalski
- Prof. Zbigniew Błocki (Jagiellonian University, Poland)
- Prof. Pavel Exner (Doppler Institute for Mathematical Physics and Applied Mathematics, Czech Republic) - chair of the BC Scientific Council
- Prof. Alice Fialowski (Eötvös Loránd University, Hungary)
- Prof. Grzegorz Karch (University of Wroclaw, Poland)
- prof. Sjoerd Verduyn Lunel (Universiteit Utrecht, The Netherlands)
- Prof. Olga Rossi (University of Ostrava, Czech Republic)
- Prof. Domokos Szász (Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Hungary)
- Prof. Dmitry Treschev (Russian Academy of Sciences, Russia)
- Prof. Jouko Väänänen (University of Helsinki, Finland)
- Prof. Henryk Woźniakowski (University of Warsaw, Poland)
Scientific Council for the 2010–2013 term
- Scientific Director of the Institute of Mathematics - Prof. Stanisław Janeczko
- Prof. Grzegorz Banaszak (Adam Mickiewicz University, Poland)
- Prof. Zbigniew Błocki (Jagiellonian University, Poland)
- Prof. Ari Laptev (President of the European Mathematical Society, Sweden) - chairman
- Prof. Péter Pál Pálfy (Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Hungary)
- Prof. Olga Rossi (University of Ostrava, Czech Republic)
- Prof. Marta Sanz Solé (University of Barcelona, Spain)
- Prof. Dmitry Treschev (Russian Academy of Sciences, Russia)
- Prof. Jouko Väänänen (University of Helsinki, Finland)
- Prof. Przemysław Wojtaszczyk (Warsaw University, Poland)
Scientific Council for the 2006–2009 term
- Piotr Biler (Wrocław)
- Olga Gil-Medrano (President of the Royal Mathematical Society, Spain)
- Janusz Grabowski - Scientific Secretary of the Banach Center (Warsaw)
- Sabir Gusein-Zade (Moscow)
- Jerzy Kaczorowski (Poznań)
- Ari Laptev (Sweden) - chairman
- Péter Pál Pálfy (Budapest)
- Carlo Sbordone (Napoli, 2005–2008)
- Vladimir Souček (Praha)
- Przemysław Wojtaszczyk (Warsaw)
Scientific Council for the 2002–2005 term
- Piotr Biler (Wrocław)
- Andreĭ Bolibrukh (Moscow) - died in 2004
- Sabir Gusein-Zade (Moscow) - since 2004
- Stefan Jackowski (Warszawa)
- Rolf Jeltsch (Zürich) - chairman
- Jerzy Kaczorowski (Poznań)
- Olli Martio (Helsinki), 2001 - 2004
- Marta Sanz Solé (Barcelona)
- Carlo Sbordone (Napoli) - since 2005
- Jan Slovák (Brno)
- Verá T. Sós (Budapest)
- Łukasz Stettner (Warszawa) - Scientific Director of the Institute
Scientific Council for the 1998–2001 term
- Friedrich Hirzebruch (Bonn) - Chairman
- Andreĭ Bolibrukh (Moscow)
- Pavol Brunovský (Bratislava)
- Roman Dwilewicz (Warszawa) - Scientific Director of the Institute (to March 2000)
- Bronisław Jakubczyk (Warszawa)
- Tadeusz Januszkiewicz (Wrocław)
- Gyula O. H. Katona (Budapest)
- Stanisław Kwapień (Warszawa)
- Marta Sanz Solé (Barcelona)
- Łukasz Stettner (Warszawa) - Scientific Director of the Institute (from March 2000)
- David A. R. Wallace (Glasgow) - resigned in 2001
- Olli Martio (Helsinki) - from April 2001
Scientific Council for the 1993-1997 term
- Friedrich Hirzebruch (Bonn) — Chairman
- Eva Bayer-Fluckiger (Besançon)
- Pavol Brunovský (Bratislava)
- Ludvig D. Faddeev (St. Petersburg)
- Andrzej Hulanicki (Wrocław)
- Bronisław Jakubczyk (Warszawa) — Scientific Director of the Institute
- Stanisław Janeczko (Warszawa)
- Gyula O. H. Katona (Budapest)
- Aatos Lahtinen (Helsinki)
- Bogdan Ziemian (Warszawa) — Secretary
Members of the Scientific Council (1972-1992)
- Bulgaria: R. Denchev, B. Dymitrov, M. Gavrilov, L. G. Iliev, P. Kenderov, A. N. Mateev, G. Skordev
- Cuba: L. Alvarez, G. Lopez, I. R. Shulcloper
- Czechoslovakia: A. Kufner, L. Mišik, J. Novák, A. Pázman, S. Schwabik
- East Germany: F. Kuhnert, K. Matthes
- Hungary: M. Arató, Á. Császár, E. T. Szmidt
- North Korea: Ho Gon
- Poland: Z. Ciesielski, C. Olech, W. Orlicz, K. Urbanik
- Romania: D. Burghelea, R. Cristescu, G. C. Moisil, T. Postelnicu, E. Radu
- USSR: S. M. Nikol'skiĭ, S. V. Yablonskiĭ
- Vietnam: Phan Dinh Dieu, Hoang Tuy, Pham Huu Sach