The article is devoted to the presentation and characteristics of the Ceraneum – the Waldemar Ceran Research Centre for the History and Culture of the Mediterranean Area and South-East Europe, which has been operating at the University of Łodź since 2011. The author focuses on the importance of this Centre for the development of Byzantine-Slavic studies in Poland and in the world in general, as well as its organisational structure, financing methods and, above all, scientific and publishing efforts. He also does not neglect the public and didactic activity the Ceraneum undertakes. The aim is to indicate the importance of establishing similar research centres and their methods of organisation, with particular emphasis on their role in internationalising the achievements of Polish science and building strong and effective cooperation among scholars from different countries.