piotr.krygiel@new.sobieski.org.pl

Expert on the field of: social policy, foreign policy

Topics of interest: social capital, the third sector, community funds, soft power, public diplomacy, think tank development, the civic dimension of diplomacy and international relations.

A manager with over 15 years of experience at the intersection of the public, private and non-governmental sectors, with a strong track record in designing and implementing development strategies for both public institutions and NGOs.

From 2004 to 2010, he collaborated with the Stefan Batory Foundation and the School for Leaders Foundation on projects supporting civic engagement and grassroots activism in Belarus and Ukraine.

Between 2016 and 2020, he served as Deputy Director of the National Institute of Freedom – Centre for Civil Society Development (NIW-CRSO), where he contributed to building the institution’s structure and launching new support programs for NGOs, including the Long-Term Volunteering Support Program – Solidarity Corps and the think tank development priority within the Civil Society Organizations Development Program. He was the author of the concept for creating the Civil Society Development Support Fund in 2018, funded by allocating 4% annually from state gambling revenues (Totalizator Sportowy).

In 2022–2023, he served on the management board of the GPW Foundation, where he oversaw projects supporting youth in the areas of financial education and career development.

As Director of the Polish Institute in Prague (2023–2024), he was responsible for promoting Poland abroad and advancing public diplomacy efforts.

In 2018, he participated in the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) in the United States. In 2022, he served as a mentor in the FLEX Alumni Program organized by the U.S. Embassy.

He holds a degree in political science from the University of Warsaw and completed a course in non-governmental organization management at the University of Western Ontario. He is fluent in English, Russian, and Czech.