Paulina Florjanowicz, Ph.D.
Director
National Institute for Museums / Narodowy Instytut Muzeów (Warschau)
Paulina Florjanowicz is an archaeologist and heritage management expert who currently serves as the Director of the National Institute for Museums (NIM). With over twenty years of experience in the cultural sector, her work focuses on bridging the gap between academic research, public administration, and the practical needs of modern museums. Between 2016 and 2022, as the Director of the Department for Cultural Heritage at the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, she was responsible for the oversight of national museums and the coordination of major commemorative programs. Her professional path has been defined by a commitment to both public institutions—including the National Institute of Cultural Heritage and the National Centre for Culture—and the non-governmental sector.Dr. Florjanowicz is an active participant in the international museum community, contributing her expertise to several European platforms. She is a Board Member of the Network of European Museum Organisations (NEMO), former Expert Panel Member for the European Heritage Label, and a former jury member for the European Capital of Culture. She also contributes to the ICOM International Committee for Museum Security and the European Association of Archaeologists. In addition to her administrative roles, she is a dedicated academic lecturer, teaching museum studies and heritage policy at several of Poland’s leading universities.Her research interests center on the relationship between politics and archaeology, a topic she explored in her 2023 book, Polish Archaeologists in the Face of Nazism and Stalinism. Her efforts in heritage protection and public service have been recognized with state honors, including the Golden Cross of Merit in 2025. At the National Institute for Museums, she currently focuses on developing systemic solutions for the sector, such as the PANOPTIKUM project, which aims to provide museums with sustainable, high-standard shared infrastructure for the long-term protection of their collections.
