8. Silesian Science Festival with the participation of UE Katowice

The 8th Silesian Science Festival was officially announced during a press conference held on November 13, 2024, at the former Silesian Museum building. The University of Economics in Katowice was represented by Vice-Rector for Science and Academic Staff Development, prof. dr hab. Maciej Nowak.

The 8th Silesian Science Festival was officially opened with a press briefing attended by representatives of local government and business. The University of Economics in Katowice was represented by Rector prof. dr hab. inż. Celina M. Olszak. During the meeting, the activities organized as part of the Festival were discussed.

In the afternoon, a ceremonial welcome and official opening of the Festival took place on the Main Stage at the International Congress Center. The event was attended by authorities from universities associated with the Academic Consortium – Katowice City of Science, as well as representatives of the Ministry of Industry, the National Science Center, the City of Katowice, the Silesian Voivodeship Office, and the GZM Metropolis.

Our University was represented by the following authorities: Rector prof. dr hab. inż. Celina M. Olszak, Vice-Rector for Science and Academic Staff Development, prof. dr hab. Maciej Nowak and Vice-Rector for Teaching and International Relations, prof. dr hab. Wojciech Dyduch.

“Science. The New Industry of Silesia” – debate at SSF with the participation of the Rector

During the Silesian Science Festival 2024, an inspiring debate took place featuring representatives of the authorities of the City of Katowice, the Górnośląsko-Zagłębiowska Metropolis, the National Science Center, and universities associated with the Academic Consortium Katowice – City of Science. The debate was moderated by Przemysław Jedlecki.

The discussion participants included:

• Deputy Mayor of Katowice Waldemar Bojarun,
• Director of the National Science Center dr Marcin Liana,
• Chair of the Górnośląsko-Zagłębiowska Metropolis Board Kazimierz Karolczak,
• Rector of the University of Silesia prof. dr hab. Ryszard Koziołek,
• Rector of the Academy of Physical Education in Katowice prof. dr hab. n. med. Andrzej Małecki,
• Rector of the University of Economics in Katowice prof. dr hab. inż. Celina M. Olszak,
• Vice-Rector for Science and International Cooperation of the Medical University of Silesia prof. dr hab. n. med. Katarzyna Mizia-Stec,
• Rector of the Silesian University of Technology prof. dr hab. inż. Marek Pawełczyk,
• Rector of the Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music in Katowice prof. dr hab. Jarosław Mamczarski.

“We talk about science as an industry, but we must remember the primary mission of universities. (…) We need to educate highly skilled professionals who will go into business, and that business will come here to us, supported by local government. Along the way, we will enhance our region with beautiful places. (…) We must make use of the resources we have. To achieve the ambitious goals we are discussing in science, as emphasized by the academic community, investments need to be tripled compared to the current level. The suggested target is 3% of GDP,” highlighted HM Rector prof. dr hab. inż. Celina M. Olszak.

On the first day of the 8th Silesian Science Festival, the Evening in the City of Science took place, combined with the signing of the City of Science Declaration. The ceremony was attended by university authorities from the Academic Consortium – Katowice City of Science, as well as representatives of the City of Katowice, the Marshal's Office of the Silesian Voivodeship, and the Górnośląsko-Zagłębiowska Metropolis.

The University of Economics in Katowice was represented by Rector prof. dr hab. inż. Celina M. Olszak, along with Vice-Rectors prof. dr hab. Maciej Nowak and prof. dr hab. Wojciech Dyduch, as well as Chancellor Paweł Kadłubiak.

The City of Science Declaration is a unique initiative that unites all residents of our region around a shared goal: to create a space for dialogue, collaboration, and action for a better future for Silesia. It is an invitation to build a region where science serves as a new industry, driving social and economic transformation.

“We believe that science is the new industry of Silesia! Through science, education, and art, we will be able to repay the debt owed to the environment and to the residents of cities and villages in our voivodeship. We will leverage the potential of science – our shared asset – to transform the region into an even better place to live. We want to live in a City of Science and work together for change and development!” – emphasize the signatories.

On the first day of the Silesian Science Festival, the following lectures and workshops were conducted:

• mgr Magdalena Niewiadomska – workshop: The Wonderful World of Peter Rabbit
• dr Adrian Pietrzyk – lecture: What Influences the Success of a Sports Enterprise – Visible or Invisible Factors?
• dr hab. Monika Foltyn-Zarychta, dr Rafał Buła – lecture: From Rags to Riches? A Brief Journey through the Land of Investments
• dr Adam Polko – lecture: The City as a Common Good
• dr Hab. Katarzyna Bratnicka-Myśliwiec, mgr Aleksandra Swałek – lecture: Profit Is Not Everything: Social Enterprises in Action
• dr Radosław Cyran, mgr Wiktoria Jędrusik – lecture: Housing Accessibility in the Cities of the Górnośląsko-Zagłębiowska Metropolis
• dr Dagmara Modrzejewska, dr Magdalena Dominiczewska – workshop: Leadership and Strategic Management – Workshops for Agile Entrepreneurs
• mgr Anna Adamczyk – lecture: The Art of Creative Problem-Solving
• mgr Aleksandra Swałek, mgr Ewa Raczyńska – lecture: Seeing More Together – The Role of Empathy in Designing Social Innovation
• dr Jan Kaczmarzyk – lecture: When and Why Are Returns “Abnormal”?
• prof. dr hab. Marcin Komor – lecture: Online or Offline Shopping? Motives, Preferences, and Shopping Technologies of Poles and Germans.

Sunday activities during the 8th Silesian Science Festival featured the following contributions:

• dr hab. Małgorzata Dziembała, prof. UE, dr hab. Aleksandra Burgiel-Szewc, prof. UE, dr hab. Jan Acedański, prof. UE, dr Kinga Hoffmann-Burdzińska, dr Krystyna Mitręga-Niestrój, mgr Bartłomiej Hadasik – workshop: Red Riding Hood Strikes Back: The Adventures of the Wolf in the Land of Scientific Articles
• dr Barbara Probierz – Summary of Artificial Intelligence Week
• dr Edyta Sygut – lecture: Tourist Tax in Katowice
• dr Milena Gojny-Zbierowska – lecture: Stress: What It Gives Us and What It Takes Away
• dr Justyna Brzezińska – lecture: Financial Alphabetism – Origins, Role, and Measurement Methods
• dr Łucja Waligóra – lecture: The Impact of Workforce Age Variability on Organizational Resilience: Challenges and Opportunities
• dr Agnieszka Majorek-Gdula – lecture: Her Majesty Space
• dr Dorota Adamek-Hyska – lecture: Understanding Municipal Financial Statements
• dr Agnieszka Majorek-Gdula, dr Piotr Gibas – workshop: Her Majesty Space
• dr inż. Danuta Zwolińska, dr Anna Mercik – workshop: Logistics Frenzy
• dr Łukasz Szewczyk – Summary of Money Week
• dr Artur Grabowski – lecture: The Modern Economy and Global Competition for Resources
• dr hab. Katarzyna Bratnicka-Myśliwiec, mgr Ewa Raczyńska – lecture: Entrepreneurship at the Heart of the 15-Minute City: New Opportunities for Business and Communities
• dr Paweł Piotrowski, Angelika Gagracz – Summary of Tourism Week
• dr Bartłomiej Gabryś – Summary of Creativity Week
• dr hab. Jan Kozak, prof. UE, dr hab. inż. Paweł Kasprowski, prof. PŚ, dr inż. Rafał Prabucki, dr hab. inż. Anna Timofiejczuk, prof. PŚ, dr hab. Rafał Żelazny, prof. UE, Grzegorz Długajczyk – Artificial Intelligence in Industry, Law, and Economics.

The Silesian Science Award is a distinction granted to individuals who significantly contribute to the advancement of science, demonstrate outstanding artistic achievements, and promote Silesian science on both national and international stages.

During the 8th Silesian Science Festival, one of the award recipients was a representative of the University of Economics in Katowice – prof. dr hab. Krystian Heffner from the Department of Spatial and Environmental Economics. The award was officially presented by the Vice-Rector for Science and Academic Staff Development, prof. dr hab. Maciej Nowak.

On the final day of the Festival, lectures and workshops for participants were conducted by:

• dr Rafał Buła, mgr Dominika Krawczyńska – discussions on science “The Science of the Young” in the City of Science
• dr Edyta Sygut – lecture: Taxes and the Gaming Market (Not Just Gambling)
• dr Sylwia Słupik – lecture: The (Un)Ecological Human? (Human Week)
• mgr Rafał Rydzewski – workshop: Creative Mojo: Design an Innovation in an Hour!
• dr hab. Joanna Błach, prof. UE, dr Małgorzata Lipowicz – lecture: The Financial Zoo
• mgr Kacper Zagała – lecture: Katowice – A Gaming and E-sports City
• dr Aleksandra Nocoń – lecture: The Central Bank Yesterday and Today: The 100th Anniversary of Bank Polski SA
• dr hab. Jolanta Wartini-Twardowska, prof. UE – lecture: The Hidden Picture: Using Graphs to Understand Business Models
• dr Kinga Hoffmann-Burdzińska, dr Adrian Pyszka – lecture: Consumer 4.0 – The Human of the Future? (Human Week)
• dr Patrycja Juszczyk, dr Dagmara Wójcik – lecture: Coopetition – Symphony or Diafonia? On Dynamic Confrontations in the World of Cultural Institutions
• dr Artur Machura – lecture: J. Dewey's Postulates in the Didactics of IT Project Participants
• mgr Paulina Badura – lecture: The New in the Old – The Marriage of the Business World and Industrial Heritage
• lic. Szymon Mazur – lecture: How to Spend Offline Time? With Nosacze Role-Playing Game!
• lic. Szymon Mazur, mgr Klaudia Żubryk – lecture: The Needs of Young People Living in Silesia: Present and Future – A Report on Social Research
• dr Magdalena Jarczok-Guzy – workshop: Mandatory Deductions from Gross Salary – How Much Will I Get “in Hand”?
• mgr Michał Szczęsny – Youth Council at EMN Katowice
• dr Łucja Waligóra – lecture: Age and Aging – A Multidimensional Journey Through Life
• lic. Marcel Goldmann, Julia Herbuś – Students in the City of Science.

Over the three days of the Silesian Science Festival, interactive exhibition stands were hosted by lecturers from the University:

• Silesian Center for Innovation in Machine Learning
  Conducted by: dr hab. Jan Kozak, prof. UE, dr Barbara Probierz, mgr Piotr Stefański, mgr Łukasz Stachnik, mgr Szymon Głowania, students from the Algorithmics and Programming Research Circle
• Game Room Controlled by Eye and Head Movements
  Conducted by: dr hab. Jan Kozak, prof. UE, dr Barbara Probierz, dr inż. Rafał Prabucki, dr hab. inż. Paweł Kasprowski, prof. PŚ, dr hab. Dariusz Szostek, prof. UŚ, mgr Mateusz Jakubik, dr inż. Adrian Kapczyński, mgr Jakub Wyczik
• Marketing Madness: The Game for Attention in a Crowded World
  Conducted by: dr hab. Marcin Komor, prof. UE, dr hab. Beata Nowotarska-Romaniak, prof. UE, dr hab. Beata Reformat, prof. UE, dr Mirosław Pacut, mgr Anna Wójcik, mgr Justyna Krawczyk
• City of the Future – The Future in the City
  Conducted by: dr Piotr Gibas, dr Adam Polko, dr Beata Dubiel, dr inż. Arkadiusz Halama, dr Agnieszka Majorek-Gdula, dr Irena Żurawska-Bartosik, dr Agnieszka Dembicka-Niemiec, mgr Małgorzata Kolek
• In the World of Money (in collaboration with the National Bank of Poland)
  Supervisors: dr Witold Gradoń, dr Łukasz Szewczyk (Department of Banking and Financial Markets, UE Katowice)
  NBP Representatives: Grzegorz Bomba, Director of the Katowice Regional Branch of NBP, Mariusz Siembiga, Deputy Director of the Katowice Regional Branch of NBP,
  Experts: Bartosz Łuczywo, Agnieszka Bigaj, Dariusz Szydło, and members of the Bank Security Staff
• Discover What Kind of Digital Technology User You Are
  Conducted by: mgr Agnieszka Stadnicka,Tomasz Szczygioł, mgr Marta Łukaszczyk, Kacper Małysz, Stanisław Płyta, Paweł Sikora, Wanessa List, Teresa Kania, Patrycja Paszek, Magdalena Badura, Marcelina Wojtanowicz, Iwona Seweryn, Piotr Kołodziej, Wiktoria Gruszecka
• Independent Together: Modern Social Services
  Conducted by: dr Hanna Kelm, dr Karolina Szymaniec-Mlicka, prof. dr hab. Aldona Frączkiewicz-Wronka, mgr Dominika Marciniak, dr Sylwia Słupik, prof. dr hab. Agnieszka Lorek, prof. dr hab. Wiesław Koczur, prof. dr hab. Aleksander Lipski, prof. dr hab. Sławomir Kantyka
• Welcome to the Open Library!
  Conducted by: dr Katarzyna Wyszyńska, mgr Michał Tomaszek, mgr Paulina Pytel, mgr Marta Błeszyńska, lic. Kamila Salik-Sitko, mgr Patrycja Patrzykowska, Anna Nowak-Piątek, dr Anna Strzałkowska, mgr Anna Robakowska, mgr Klaudia Kępska, mgr Judyta Motak, Sabina Żok

Additionally, a city game titled “The Perceptible City” was conducted by dr Agnieszka Majorek-Gdula and Alicja Łańska.