On 10-12 March 2026, the CNTI Auditorium of the University of Economics in Katowice became a space for inspiring meetings, debates, and the exchange of experiences during the 6th edition of the "Economics Without Borders" project. The event featured engaging lectures, discussion panels, and conversations with experts and practitioners who demonstrated how contemporary business, sport, education, finance, cities, and new technologies respond to the challenges of a just transition. It was a unique opportunity to learn about real-life examples of activities, gain practical knowledge, and look at the future of the economy from different perspectives - all under the theme "Business in the Face of a Just Transition." The event was formally opened by the Head of the Promotion Department, Angelika Gagracz.
The opening lecture of the first day of the event was delivered by dr Artur Grabowski and was entitled "Football Enterprises in the Social Market Economy and Sustainable Development." During the lecture, he introduced participants to, among other things, the foundations of the economic order, the objectives of a football enterprise’s activity, as well as sustainable development in sport. There was no shortage of real-life examples presented in the form of case studies.
This was followed by a discussion panel entitled "CSR in Sport - Opportunity or Threat? Between Profitability and PR," moderated by dr Adrian Pietrzyk from the Department of Marketing Management and Tourism, with the participation of:
- dr Artur Grabowski from the Department of Economics,
- Katarzyna Biały (President of the football section of Zagłębie Sosnowiec),
- Grzegorz Żmuda (President and founder of the SKN Supporters’ Association and activist of the Polish Federation of Disabled Supporters),
- Karol Pawlik (Director of MOSiR Mysłowice and Member of the Management Board of the Polish Ice Hockey Association),
- Karina Skowronek (President of Zagłębiowski Park Sportowy sp. z o.o. - the entity managing the ArcelorMittal Park sports complex in Sosnowiec).
The experts discussed the accessibility of sporting events in a broad, systemic approach - from infrastructure, through organisation and communication, to social issues. During the debate, the panellists shared experiences from their organisations, pointing to solutions that already provide effective support for supporters with disabilities. At the same time, they did not avoid difficult topics - they spoke about the real barriers that still hinder cooperation with clients and supporters with disabilities, as well as the challenges that institutions wishing to create truly accessible sporting events face on a daily basis.
As part of the first day, there was also a lecture by the President of the Management Board of AZS UE Katowice, Tomasz Serwiak, and the Vice-President for Media of KU AZS UE Katowice, Agata Korotusz, entitled “Sport Means People - Passion, Friendship, Competition. Join the Game!” In their speech, they presented the activities of the Academic Sports Association, drawing attention to the role of academic sport in building relationships, developing passions, and shaping attitudes of cooperation and healthy competition among students.
The first day of the event concluded with a debate entitled “Modern Education in the Times of Just Transition.” The discussion was attended by mgr Marcin Pałys, mgr Jakub Krężel, and Rafał Trybuś from the Polish Esports & Gaming Agency. The conversation focused on the challenges facing contemporary education, the role of new technologies, and the importance of future skills in dynamically changing socio-economic realities.
The second day began with a lecture entitled "A Trial Company or a Full Start? Unregistered Activity vs. Sole Proprietorship." The topic was presented to participants by mgr Alicja Kozacka from the Department of Entrepreneurship and Innovative Management. The speech focused on the differences between both forms of running a business and on the obligations connected with each of them. The moment at which it is worth moving from unregistered activity to a sole proprietorship was also discussed. The speaker also pointed out the most common mistakes made when running one’s own company and ways to avoid them.
The next item on the agenda was a lecture entitled "Marketing as a Way of Running a Business. How Does Customer Orientation Build Competitive Advantage?", delivered by dr Mirosław Pacut from the Department of Marketing. The meeting was devoted to the role of marketing in business development and the importance of consciously building relationships with recipients. The speaker introduced the etymology of marketing and drew attention to how understanding customers’ needs influences business decisions and makes it possible to stand out in the market. During the lecture, it was also shown how a customer-focused approach supports company growth and strengthens its position in relation to competitors.
The second day of the event ended with a debate entitled "From Vision to Reality - How to Effectively Design and Launch a Modern Business?" The discussion, moderated by dr hab. Grzegorz Głód, prof. UE, was attended by: mgr Alicja Kozacka, dr hab. Tomasz Jadczyk, prof. ŚUM (Medical University of Silesia), Wiktor Żydek (student of the University of Economics in Katowice), and Maciej Świącik from Studio Visign and Kolorowa Ściana. The conversation focused on the path from an idea to a real venture, the challenges that arise at the planning stage, and the practical aspects of introducing new projects to the market. The panellists shared experiences from their own professional activity, indicating factors conducive to the development of innovative initiatives.
The last day of the event was preceded by the signing of a partnership agreement with the Maria Skłodowska-Curie General Secondary School. The agreement was signed by Headteacher Karolina Turoń-Miklas and, on behalf of the University of Economics in Katowice, Vice-Rector for Teaching and International Relations prof. dr hab. Wojciech Dyduch. The Vice-Rector emphasised how important cooperation between the university and secondary schools is, noting that it brings mutual benefits. He pointed out that this type of partnership creates many opportunities for students and teachers to broaden their knowledge, develop their interests, and gain a better understanding of the academic environment, while allowing the university to build lasting relationships with young people and support their educational development. More information.
The day began with the formal opening of the third day of the event, after which participants listened to the lecture entitled "Transformation in the World of Finance," prepared by dr Łukasz Szewczyk and mgr Paweł Dobrosz. The speakers drew attention to how dynamic economic, technological, and social changes affect the financial sector. They also discussed the importance of a flexible approach to financial management, the growing role of new technologies, and the need to adapt financial institutions and tools to contemporary challenges.
This was followed by a lecture entitled "The Transformation of Upper Silesian Cities," delivered by dr hab. Małgorzata Czornik, prof. UE. The speech was devoted to the transformations taking place in the urban space of the region and the challenges associated with the process of just transition. Participants were able to take a closer look at how the cities of Upper Silesia are changing their function, identity, and directions of development in response to the needs of residents and contemporary social, economic, and environmental conditions.
After the coffee break, participants returned to the CNTI Auditorium for the final lecture of this year’s edition of the project. The speech entitled "From Journalist to Avatar - How Are the Media Coping in the Age of AI?" was delivered by mgr Ilona Ptak. The speaker addressed the impact of artificial intelligence on contemporary media, indicating both new opportunities and the challenges connected with technological development. She discussed the changing role of the journalist, the importance of information credibility, and the ways in which editorial teams and media creators are adapting to a reality in which AI-based tools are playing an increasingly important role.
The third and final day of the Economics Without Borders project concluded with a walk around the campus of the University of Economics in Katowice. It was an opportunity for students of the new partner school to become better acquainted with the university, its space, and its everyday academic environment.
The entire project showed that transformation is a process present not only in major strategies and debates about the future of the economy, but also in everyday life - in finance, urban space, and the media. This year’s edition of the event once again became a place for inspiring meetings, the exchange of experiences, and conversations about the challenges that are already shaping social and business reality today.
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