From 11 to 14 March 2026, the sixth edition of the international conference International Women’s Day Conference in Economics, Finance and Management (IWD 2026) was held at the University of Economics in Katowice in a hybrid format.
The project is financed from the state budget funds granted by the Minister of Science and Higher Education under the Wektory Nauki Programme. Amount of funding: PLN 53,083.80. Total project value: PLN 75,834.00 (the project is headed by dr hab. Julia Włodarczyk, prof. UE). Thanks to the funding, it was possible to invite as many as seven special guests (keynote speakers), including: Lefteris Topaloglou (University of Western Macedonia), Nargiz Hajiyeva (Azerbaijan State University of Economics - UNEC), Julia M. Puaschunder (International University of Monaco), Sandra Fontanaud (Université de Picardie Jules Verne), Jake Murdoch (Université de Picardie Jules Verne), Don Pagach (North Carolina State University), Grzegorz Mardyła (Kindai University), and Artur Strzelecki (University of Economics in Katowice).
As in previous editions of the conference, the discussions focused on three pillars: issues of climate change (I - Issues in Climate Change), women’s perspectives in the economy (W - Women’s Perspectives), and the challenges of the digital economy and AI (D - Digital Economy). During the conference, 65 presentations were delivered, addressing such issues as, for example: just transition, the employment and entrepreneurship of women in regions undergoing energy transition, climate finance, challenges related to climate risk management, eco-innovation, gender inequalities in science, women’s entrepreneurship in countries of the Global South, barriers to women’s labour supply in Japan, the presence of women in the Polish armed forces and on the Moroccan labour market, the impact of women’s empowerment on food security in Nigeria, the role of women in rebuilding communities in post-conflict regions, the role of AI in achieving the SDGs, the ethical use of AI in searching scientific literature, cyber risk management in open banking, digital finance in the BRICS countries, digital governance in higher education, as well as NATO’s transformation in the face of changes in the Pacific Ocean, South-South cooperation for sustainable development, and the determinants of Chinese investment in Africa.
A new feature of the sixth edition was experimentation with innovative presentation formats: the conference programme included Fireside Chats (informal conversations involving invited guests, in which students and doctoral students also took part) and Flash Presentations (short, often more dynamic presentations supporting concise scientific communication skills).
The conference confirmed its global character - nearly half of the presenters were from abroad, representing centres from Europe, North and South America, Asia, and Africa (including countries of the Global South). Once again, the conference became not only a platform for the exchange of the latest scientific knowledge, but also a place for intensive networking, promoting pluralism and diversity in the world of science.
In total, more than 200 people took part in the conference, including students of the University of Economics in Katowice.
The project is financed from the state budget funds granted by the Minister of Science and Higher Education under the Wektory Nauki Programme. Amount of funding: PLN 53,083.80. Total project value: PLN 75,834.00.
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