Conferral of the title of doctor honoris causa on dr Henryka Bochniarz

The ceremony was solemn in nature and brought together representatives of academia, the economy, public administration, and numerous honorary guests. The act of conferring the title of doctor honoris causa was performed by the Rector of the University of Economics in Katowice, prof. dr hab. inż. Celina M. Olszak.

In the laudation, HM the Rector emphasized that dr Henryka Bochniarz uniquely combines the worlds of academia, business, and public life, and that her activity is a model of responsible leadership based on the values of dialogue, freedom, solidarity, and European cooperation. She also noted that the Laureate’s presence among the University’s doctors honoris causa is an important reinforcement of the University’s mission as a center for reflection on the contemporary economy and society.

The conferral of an honorary doctorate is a moment when a university declares that it values not only scholarly achievements, but also the values represented by the laureate. When selecting a person for this highest honor, we are guided by their accomplishments and life attitude. Today, we stand before someone who consciously combines theory with practice, who acts within the academic, social, and economic spheres with unwavering energy and passion.

Henryka Bochniarz has, in an exceptional way, fused the worlds of academia and business, the state and citizens, strategy and empathy. She is a woman who consciously took the risk of change, showing that in times of economic transformation it is people, dialogue, and institutions that determine the future - said HM the Rector prof. dr hab. inż. Celina M. Olszak.

Dr Henryka Bochniarz belongs to the group of the most outstanding personalities of public life in contemporary Poland. She is the founder and long-standing president of Lewiatan Confederation - the largest organization of employers in Poland; a co-founder of the Women’s Congress; the creator of the European Forum for New Ideas; and the Leadership Academy.

She served as Minister of Industry and Trade in the government of Jan Krzysztof Bielecki, was President of Boeing Central & Eastern Europe, and sat on supervisory boards of leading international companies and institutions. For years, she has been actively involved in promoting equality, the development of civil society, and strengthening the role of women in public and economic life. As an economist and columnist, she is the author of numerous publications and commentaries devoted to economic transformation, the labor market, and social dialogue. Her activity has been honored many times in Poland and abroad.

The reviewers in the proceedings to confer the title of doctor honoris causa were prof. dr hab. inż. Jerzy Buzek and prof. dr hab. Jerzy Hausner, who in their opinions unequivocally emphasized the fundamental importance of dr Henryka Bochniarz’s activity for the development of democratic institutions, social dialogue, and a modern market economy in Poland and Europe.

After the ceremony, the Laureate delivered a short address summarizing the lecture entitled "35 Years of Success, 10 Years of Challenges: The Anatomy of Polish Convergence", available in the publication issued on the occasion of the conferral of the DHC, in which she provided an in-depth analysis of the transformations of the Polish economy after 1989 and indicated the key challenges facing Poland in the coming decade.

When I read that only 14% of our society considers it true that Poland belongs to the G20 group, I thought that we still have quite a lot of work to do here - myself included. We need to clearly and consistently show what has happened over the last 35 years. I mean above all the key growth factors, which intensified especially after accession to the European Union - an event that I consider absolutely fundamental and unquestionable if today we want to speak of such a great success. I am talking about technology, capital, but above all about people - well educated, entrepreneurial, who made an enormous contribution to this development. Those who started with foldable beds and today stand at the head of large, global companies. We still talk about them far too little. In my lecture, however, I focus mainly on the question: what next? Because I believe that even the greatest skeptics will today admit that what happened in Poland is a huge success - on the verge of a miracle. The most important question, however, is: what next? Will we merely reap the fruits of the growth to date, or will we begin to think seriously about how to sustain it? I point to several key areas which, in my opinion, require a change in thinking and a breakthrough in the existing paradigm. If we do not decide to truly invest in education, science, culture, and the creative sectors, then in confrontation with new technologies and artificial intelligence we simply will not stand a chance - said dr Henryka Bochniarz.

The conferral of the title of doctor honoris causa on dr Henryka Bochniarz is an expression of the highest recognition of the University of Economics in Katowice for a person who, through her academic, economic, and social activity, has had a lasting impact on the shape of contemporary Poland and the European debate on the economy and democracy.

In keeping with tradition, in the UE Honorary Doctorate Holders Avenue of Oaks of the University of Economics in Katowice, located on the University campus, a pedunculate oak named after doctor honoris causa dr Henryka Bochniarz was planted.

The Avenue of Oaks of Doctors Honoris Causa is part of the Polish Trees Trail, created as part of the pro-ecological UniEKO project. Pedunculate oaks were chosen to create the avenue due to the species’ nobility rooted in the awareness of Poles and its longevity. All planted oaks are assigned to doctors honoris causa to whom the University of Economics in Katowice has conferred this honorary title throughout its history. After the ceremony inaugurating the academic year, the symbolic unveiling of the doctor honoris causa plaque in the aforementioned avenue officially took place.

On the occasion of the conferral of the title of doctor honoris causa, a commemorative publication was released, available in electronic form on the website (only in Polish languague version).