Rafal Trzaskowski

Rafał Trzaskowski ’91 spent his senior year at Cranbrook as an exchange student from Warsaw, arriving in 1990 to improve his English and immerse himself in a new academic culture. He returned to Poland after graduation, earning degrees in international relations and European studies from the University of Warsaw, followed by a Ph.D. in political science. Trzaskowski rose quickly in public life—as a Member of the European Parliament, Poland’s Minister of Administration and Digitization, and, since 2018, Mayor of Warsaw. He was also the Civic Coalition’s presidential candidate in both 2020 (finishing as a close runner-up) and again in 2025, when he narrowly lost the runoff. In September 2023, he returned to Cranbrook—his first visit since 1991—to deliver a powerful lecture to students and faculty, calling Cranbrook “the best education I ever had” and sharing how critical thinking and diverse perspectives shaped his journey on the global stage.

 

Read more about Rafal’s visit to Cranbrook by clicking here.