KEFiP is the most important and largest conference of this type in Poland, where business, administration and science meet – to inspire each other, discuss and develop modern educational activities in the field of economics, finance, cybersecurity and entrepreneurship. This year's edition was even more special because it was the central point of the celebration of the Year of Economic Education – an initiative of 6 non-governmental organizations, supported by a resolution of the Senate of the Republic of Poland. The foundation of the REE 2024 initiative are five centenaries, unique in the history of Polish economics, including an opportunity to recall the importance of Władysław Grabski's economic reforms and initiatives and the idea of economic education contained in Janusz Korczak's book “The Bankruptcy of Little Dzek”
The event began with speeches by special guests, including: president of the National Bank of Poland, prof. Adam Glapiński and President of the Polish Bank Association and Chairman of the REE 2024 Program Committee – Tadeusz Białek. The guests also listened to a speech Agnes Fridely (Legal Officer, Directorate-General for Financial Stability, Financial Services and Capital Markets Union, European Commission) about “Financial literacy and the EU: Why does it matter? What is the Commission doing about it?”
The series of debates and panels on the first day of the Congress began with a debate of economists, organized in cooperation with the Institute of Public Finance, entitled: “The economic crisis is the strictest teacher of economics – is it so, is it so and must it be so?”attended by former finance ministers: Marek Belka, Mateusz Szczurek, Mieczysław Gronicki, Maciej Grabowski.
Then, representatives of the academic community talked about the impact of science on economic development during the debate “The world of science is the basis for the development of the economic world – diagnosis of the current state and the most urgent challenges”which he led Krzysztof Pietraszkiewicz – Chairman of the REE 2024 Honorary Committee. His guests were: dr hab. prof. UWM Mirosław Gornowicz (Vice-Rector for Development and Financial Policy, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn); prof. Ph.D. Maciej Żukowski (Chairman of the Conference of Rectors of Universities of Economics and Rector of the Poznań University of Economics); Ph.D. prof. emergency Robert Rządca (Kozminski University) and prof. Ph.D. n. med. Zbigniew Gaciong (Rector of the Medical University of Warsaw).
She also spoke prof. Danuta Hübner at the fireside cottage titled “20 years of Poland in the European Union – economic education of society using the facts method.” Later in the day, participants listened to:
- Debates “How to encourage young Poles entering the labor market to save for retirement long-term?”
- Debates “Cybersecurity education – still human or already artificial intelligence?”
- Debates “How to balance sustainability, i.e. should we approach E, S, G in the same way?”
On the second day of the Congress, a total of 5 debates and fireside chats were held, during which the issues of challenges for economic education in Poland, the role of banks in the education process and the use of new technologies in education were raised.
First, the participants listened talks “The state and challenges of the future of economic education in Poland”in which participated: prof. UEK, Ph.D. Tomasz Rachwał and dr hab., prof. UŁ, Agnieszka Kurczewska. Then, Krzysztof Berenda talked to his guests about education, but in a different dimension, because the role of banks in the entire process. They were: Bożena Graczyk (Vice-President of the Management Board, ING Bank Śląski); Wojciech Rybak (Member of the Management Board, Bank Millennium); Leszek Skiba (President of the Management Board, Bank Pekao SA)
After the break, Karolina Wysota, a journalist from Money.pl, invited us to talk “There is risk… there should be insurance – the educational needs of society and the priorities of the insurance industry.” He was her guest Ph.D. prof. SGH Marcin Kawiński (Head of the Department of Social Insurance at the Warsaw School of Economics). Then, the participants listened to the capital market debate – “How to change the attitudes and beliefs of young Poles regarding saving and investing – challenges for capital market institutionsin which participated: Monika Gorgoń (Member of the Management Board of the Warsaw Stock Exchange), Michał Masłowski (Member of the Management Board of the Association of Individual Investors), Małgorzata Rusewicz (President of the Management Board of the Chamber of Funds and Asset Management), Mariola Szymańska (President of the Management Board of the EFPA Polska Foundation) i Kacper Makowski (finalist of the Index Investment Challenge in 2022, graduate of the University of Warwick).
The second day of KEFiP ended with fireside chat “New technologies in the service of entrepreneurship education” with the participation of Eliza Kruczkowska(Director, Department of Innovation Development, PFR) i Konrad Wierzchowski(CEE Client Solution Education Lead, Dell Technologies)
The event was held under the honorary patronage of the Council for Financial Education and the Conference of Rectors of Universities of Economics, and the institutional patrons were: the Association of Polish Banks and the Warsaw Stock Exchange. Congress partners: ING Bank Śląski, Santander Foundation, National Depository for Securities, Financial Market Development Foundation, Skarbiec TFI, Center for Banking Processes and Information, Reduta Bank Polski.
