The event commenced at 11:10 AM, and the gathered guests were welcomed by Aleksandra Sekuła, Deputy Director of the Marketing Center, who officially inaugurated the first day of EBG, themed "Economics vs. Regional Transformation and Ecology."

Following her introduction, Vice-Rector for Teaching and International Relations prof. dr hab. Wojciech Dyduch, took the stage. He remarked:

"It is a great pleasure to open the fourth edition of Economy Without Borders. Yesterday, we learned that [the individual you wish to omit] will likely become the next US president. The markets reacted swiftly to this news, with the dollar strengthening. This choice will also affect us. This perfectly illustrates the idea that economics knows no bounds. Economics is not just about money or currency exchange. It knows no boundaries in innovation, green transformation, environmental impact, or social responsibility. These are fascinating topics, and it is with great pleasure that I welcome all our guests and panelists."

Subsequently, the participants of the first session, "Supporting Inclusive Green Transformation," took the stage. Dr Marcin Baron moderated the discussion. The panelists included:

• dr Miłosława Stępień, CEE Bankwatch Network,
• dr Michiel Stapper, Assistant Professor at the University of Amsterdam and Tilburg University,
• dr Łukasz Trembaczowski, University of Silesia.

During the debate, the panelists focused on the scientific, practical, and sociological perspectives of climate policy, its management, and the societal impact of climate change and related actions. The discussion delved into topics such as just transition, the actions undertaken by non-governmental organizations like associations, foundations, and other civic initiatives, particularly the CEE Bankwatch Network, and how climate-related decisions affect societies, especially small local communities.

In the following session, "Economics for Ecology: The Social Impact of Ecology," moderated by dr hab. Julia Włodarczyk, prof. UE, the following speakers shared their insights:

• Ing. Petr Rozehnal, Ph.D., Deputy Head, Department of Systems Engineering and Informatics, Faculty of Economics, VSB-Technical University of Ostrava,
• Doc. Mgr. Ing. František Zapletal, Ph.D., Deputy Head, Department of Systems Engineering and Informatics, Faculty of Economics, VSB-Technical University of Ostrava,
• Ing. Karel Hlaváček, Ph.D., Department of Economics, Faculty of Economics, VSB-Technical University of Ostrava,
• dr hab. inż. Grzegorz Sierpiński, Professor at the Silesian University of Technology, Head of the Department of Transport Systems, Traffic Engineering, and Logistics, Dean of the Faculty of Transport and Aeronautical Engineering,
• dr Anna Urbanek, University of Economics in Katowice.

The guests discussed the interplay between economics and ecology and the societal impact of ecology itself. The conversations revolved around the connections between economics, ecology, societies, and the environment. They also explored the significance of long-term plans that can effectively address identified economic, ecological, and social problems, not merely by mitigating their effects but by addressing their root causes.

The second day of Economy Without Borders, themed "Economics vs. Technology and Art," was opened by Aleksandra Sekuła, who welcomed the gathered guests and presented the day's agenda.

Subsequently, the first panel took the stage, marking the beginning of the session "Economics, Business, and IT," moderated by prof. dr hab. Małgorzata Pańkowska.

The panel included:

• dr Omed Hassan Ahmed, Department of Information Technology, University of Human Development, Sulaymaniyah, Iraq,
• Professor Chen Kai, Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania,
• Professor Ovidiu Bordean, Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.

Dr Omed Hassan Ahmed delivered the first presentation, focusing on various IT solutions employed in business and economics, such as facial, voice, and DNA recognition. He delved into facial recognition technology in particular, highlighting its prominence among other security methods and its potential applications for data protection.

Professor Chen Kai discussed blockchain technology, its history, its use in China, its potential for development, and the opportunities it presents. He addressed the challenges associated with this system and its practical implementation. The social and economic aspects of implementing this tool were also discussed.

Professor Ovidiu Bordean presented the topic "The Role of Technology in Education: The Application of Generative Artificial Intelligence in Higher Education." He explored the potential of AI in education while also cautioning about its risks. He presented and discussed in detail two conducted studies: "What Motivates Students to Use ChatGPT" and "What You Need to Know to Adhere to ChatGPT Policy."

In the following session, "Art and the Circular Economy," moderated by dr hab. Monika Wieczorek-Kosmala, prof. UE, the following participants took part:

• prof. dr Cleber J. C. Dutra, Institute of Economics, Finance, and Management, Jagiellonian University in Krakow,
• mgr Magdalena Mach, Social Responsible Design Workshop, Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow,
• dr hab. Dominika Bochańczyk-Kupka, prof. UE.

The participants discussed the impact that art, alongside the circular economy, can have on ongoing social changes in the environmental context. The fundamentals of the circular economy, its benefits, and its significance, particularly in times of hyperconsumption, were presented. The panelists outlined the problems we face, focusing in particular on plastic pollution. They discussed in detail why plastic is one of the biggest environmental problems and sought to answer the question of how we can address it.

The meeting was opened by a speech by prof. dr Cleber J. C. Dutra from the Institute of Economics, Finance, and Management at Jagiellonian University, entitled "The Circular Economy in European Countries and Consumer Behavior: Is HAPPINESS within YOUR Reach?".

The speaker discussed the principles of the circular economy, its application, and its translation into reality. He introduced the concepts of REUSE, REPAIR, RECYCLE. The audience also learned about the concept of a digital passport, which in the future will be attached to purchased goods and will provide information about the origin of a given product and details of its production. The issue of overconsumption was also raised, which is one of many problems contributing to the pollution of the planet through the production of huge amounts of waste.

Next, there were behavioral experiments in education on climate change. The experiment required the audience's participation and was conducted by Ing. Aleš Lokaj, Ph.D., Katarina Krzikallova, Ph.D., dr hab. Dominika Bochańczyk-Kupka, and dr hab. Monika Wieczorek-Kosmala. The experiment involved surveying attitudes towards "fast fashion." After completing the survey, participants watched a series of films on the topic of fast fashion, its harmful impact on the environment, and how large fashion corporations violate labor and human rights in pursuit of profits. The survey was then repeated, and the results were discussed by the facilitators.

The next lecture was given by Marek Taptuch from the Ostrava University of Technology. The speaker introduced and presented the possibilities of artificial intelligence. In cooperation with the audience, he tested the capabilities offered by AI, such as consecutive machine translation, image and video creation, and many others.

After Marek Taptuch's lecture, dr Łukasz Szewczyk presented "Economics versus Art. How to Invest in the Alternative Assets Market." The speaker introduced and presented the possibilities of artificial intelligence. In cooperation with the audience, he tested the capabilities offered by AI, such as consecutive machine translation, image and video creation, and many others.

Mgr Kacper Zagała presented the topic "Games and e-sports - globally and locally." He introduced the audience to the topic of video games.

The final event was a presentation by the employees of the Internationalization Office of the University of Economics - director of the office - Edyta Lachowicz-Santos and Magdalena Skowron - head of the International Projects Unit. The speakers talked about the European Universities project, using the example of Bauhaus 4EU, a project in which UE Katowice participates. This initiative enables multidimensional exchange and cooperation, the creation of new educational projects, joint studies, the acquisition of joint diplomas, the development of research, and the integration of administrative processes

Photo gallery

Ekonomia bez granic jest kontynuacją interkontynentalnego projektu “Ekonomia bez granic” realizowanego w ramach programu Ministerstwa Edukacji i Nauki "Społeczna odpowiedzialność nauki” w latach 2021-2023.

Projekt został dofinansowany przez Górnośląsko-Zagłębiowską Metropolię oraz Województwo Śląskie.

Wydarzenie odbywało się w ramach pasma Miasto-Region-Akademia Europejskiego Miasta Nauki Katowice 2024.