Andrzej Sebastian Duda former president of Poland, will join Pepperdine president
Jim Gash at the upcoming President’s Speaker Series event to be held Tuesday, November 18, 2025, at noon PST in the Surfboard Room of
Payson Library on Pepperdine’s Malibu campus. This event offers a rare opportunity
to hear from a global statesman in conversation about leadership, purpose, and policy
at our campus.
Andrzej Sebastian Duda was born on May 16, 1972, in Kraków, Poland. He is a Polish
politician, lawyer, doctor of law, and served as the president of the Republic of
Poland from August 6, 2015, to August 6, 2025. He graduated from Jan III Sobieski
Secondary School No. 2 in Kraków and later earned his law degree from the Faculty
of Law and Administration at the Jagiellonian University, where he also obtained a
PhD in legal studies. After completing his studies, he pursued an academic and teaching
career at the Department of Administrative Law at the Jagiellonian University and
also ran his own law office.
Duda began his public career in the state administration. From 2006 to 2007 he served
as undersecretary of state at the Ministry of Justice, and from 2008 to 2010 he held
the position of undersecretary of state in the Chancellery of the President of Poland
under Lech Kaczyński. In 2011 he was elected as a member of the Polish parliament
(Sejm) representing the Law and Justice Party (PiS), and in 2014 he became a member
of the European parliament. In the 2015 presidential elections, he ran as the Law
and Justice candidate, won the second round, and assumed office on August 6, 2015.
In 2020 he was re-elected for a second term.
During his presidency, Duda placed particular emphasis on national security, strengthening
cooperation within NATO, transatlantic relations, and the development of infrastructure
and energy security. In domestic policy, his administration focused on judicial reforms,
family-oriented social programs, and supporting regional and infrastructural investments.
His presidency was also marked by intense debate concerning Poland’s relations with
the European Union and the role of the state in social and political life.
Duda is known for his active international engagement. He has represented Poland at
NATO summits, the United Nations, and the European Union and has been a strong advocate
of the Three Seas Initiative promoting cooperation among Central and Eastern European
countries. In foreign policy, he consistently highlights the importance of the transatlantic
partnership and regional solidarity within Europe.
Duda remains one of the most recognizable contemporary Polish politicians, combining
academic experience with political practice, and continues to play a significant role
in shaping the direction of Poland’s development in the 21st century. Privately, he
is married to Agata Kornhauser-Duda, a German language teacher. The couple has a daughter,
Kinga, born in 1995. His parents, Janina Milewska-Duda and Jan Tadeusz Duda, are both
academics associated with universities in Kraków.
The event is free to attend, however, registration is required. Visit the President’s Speaker Series website for more information.