By virtue of the Rector's Order No. 39/23 dated March 31, 2023, the Faculty of Spatial Economy and and Regions in Transition was established at the University of Economics in Katowice.

Reasons for Establishing the New Faculty:

The establishment of the new faculty is supported by the academic, educational, and expert achievements in the field of spatial, environmental, and regional economics, as well as the position and recognition of the UE Katowice community among researchers specializing in these areas. It also aims to enhance the university's position both nationally and internationally.

The key reasons for establishing the Faculty of Spatial Economy and Regions in Transition at the University of Economics in Katowice include:

1. The issues related to territorial-sectoral transformation have become a priority in recent times, as they will significantly impact the further socio-economic development of Poland. The significance of these topics has increased, especially after the signing of the Paris Agreement, the United Nations' Agenda 2030, and the adoption of the European Green Deal in 2019. The concept of transformation is directly linked to the development of a low-emission economy, particularly the growth of green economy, renewable energy sources, circular economy, passive construction, blue and green infrastructure, and low-emission transport in conjunction with sustainable urban mobility and urban development, including post-industrial areas.

2. The University of Economics in Katowice needs to open up to new interdisciplinary research areas that share common themes such as economy, space, region, environment, ecology, energy, and transformation. These issues should become key specializations of the university. In other words, it is necessary to intensify and integrate activities related to the development of scientific research and education, especially in the field of spatial, urban, climate, energy, and just economy transformation processes.

3. For over 30 years, the University of Economics in Katowice has been conducting scientific research, teaching, and expert activities related to strategic and regional studies, spatial and environmental economics. The university's staff, particularly those from the Department of Strategic and Regional Studies and the Department of Spatial and Environmental Economics, have made significant scientific and expert contributions that are highly regarded both in Poland and abroad in the field of spatial economics. It is worth emphasizing that their achievements and genuine recognition within the community have led to the identification of the "Katowice School of Strategic and Regional Studies."

4. There is a need to take urgent action to create new scientific disciplines at the University of Economics in Katowice, which would undergo evaluation by the end of 2025. The establishment of the Faculty of Spatial Economy and Regions in Transition will contribute to the integration of researchers and motivate them to work towards the new scientific discipline of "social and economic geography and spatial management”.  This discipline would differentiate itself from the current disciplines conducted at the university, namely "economics and finance" and "management and quality studies." The new discipline would significantly contribute to the desired diversification of scientific specializations, which is essential from the perspective of current scientific evaluation criteria.

5. Recent initiatives undertaken by the university, including the establishment of the Center for Economic Transformation, align with the current trends of socio-economic transformation. They are a response to the need for creating a new research, educational, and expert space dedicated to conducting studies for the entire academic community, including the Faculty of Spatial Economy and Regions in Transition.