Whatever happens to Poland, her writers must not forget the lessons of history, said Jan Jozef Szczepanski at the International Seminar last night. Speaking on "Societies in Transition," Szczepanski cited the Polish writers' role in the last 185 years as a guide to contemporary authors' quest for freedom.

The other speakers on this topic, Dusan Simic, journalist for the Yugoslav newspaper Borba, looked towards the future rather than the past in analyzing current Yugoslav policy.

The supremacy of world socialism is inevitable, he felt, but it will not occur at present. The road to this future lies not in the exercise and conflict of two major powers such as the United States and the Soviet Union, but rather through each country's independent stand, such as the one Yugoslavia has taken.

Independence was also the basis of the first panel of the evening, entitled "Fruits of Freedom: Indonesia and Pakistan." Mr. Sumantoro, editor-in-chief of the newspaper Berita Indonesia, cited his country's "active and independent non-committal" foreign policy as the solution to establishing a "just and prosperous society." "Indonesia wishes to construct its own ideology," rather than adopting that of either the United States or U.S.S.R.

Syed Nurul Alam, lecturer in Economics at Decca University in Pakistan, attributed his country's success to its policy of "to live and let others live." This slogan, he asserted, has allowed his divided nation to set up two capitals, establish a stable banking and currency system, and build up its industry.

Hazret Ali Sidkar, attorney of the supreme court of Pakistan, spoke of the Islamic principles of love and faith as the uniting force of his country's two segments. He recognized the importance of foreign understanding for a new country establishing itself, and called the International Seminar an example of nations working together.

The next forum will take place next Wednesday in the Littauer Auditorium at 8 p.m