The XXXIII Economic Forum, the most important meeting of economic and political circles in Central and Eastern Europe, will be held on September 3-5 in Karpacz. The event will be attended by outstanding leaders and experts who will analyze key issues in economics, politics and society during numerous discussion panels. This year’s theme, “Time for new leaders: shaping the future together”, emphasizes the need to act together in the face of the challenges of the modern world. The Institute of Schuman’s Thought prepared the “Schuman Trimarium Forum” panel.
This year’s edition of the Forum will be attended by over 6,000 guests from Poland and around the world. During the Forum, the following are planned: 350 debates and 6 plenary sessions, there will be numerous discussion panels, special events, workshops, press conferences, galas and concerts.
One of the most important events during this year’s conference will be the AI Forum organized together with the Ministry of Digital Affairs and the largest universities in Poland, which will discuss key issues of the impact of the so-called artificial intelligence to the revolution taking place in society, as well as in the public and commercial service sectors. Problems and challenges that the market will have to deal with in the face of rapid technological development beacuse of the so-called artificial intelligence. Forum participants will consider to what extent investments in scientific research and modern AI technologies in many areas of life will allow the European Union to rebuild its competitiveness in relation to global economies and ensure its security.
During the 33rd Economic Forum, the “Report of the Warsaw School of Economics and the Economic Forum 2024” will be presented, which is the most complete scientific study on the state of the economy in Poland and the countries of Central and Eastern Europe. Developed by experts from the leading university in the country – the Warsaw School of Economics, the document describes current trends and socio-economic phenomena, enabling leaders and local governments to make the most important decisions.
In the context of global competition, the Forum will also feature a debate on China’s dynamically growing role in the international arena. Panel titled “China – the new hegemon?” will bring together specialists in international relations and sinologists who will debate the current state of relations between the Middle Kingdom and the rest of the world. Moderator Radosław Pyffel from the Sobieski Institute will lead a discussion in which Dmytro Yefremov, Member of the Management Board of the Ukrainian Association of Sinologists, Jean-Pierre Cabestan, professor at the Baptist University of Hong Kong, Bogdan Góralczyk, professor from the European Center of the University of Warsaw, Łukasz Gacek, Head of the Department of China at the Jagiellonian University and Roy D. Kamphausen, advisor from The National Bureau of Asian Research in the USA. Panel participants will try to answer the question whether China’s hegemony is inevitable and what determines its advantage in the global race for domination.
Another important topic of this year’s Forum will be human capital. Panel “The fight for human capital. Migration processes and their impact on the economy” will be devoted to the analysis of demographic and migration challenges that are already affecting European labor markets. Moderator Kamil Śliwiński, editor of PKB24.pl, will lead a discussion with the participation of Keith Best, Chairman of Wyndham Place Charlemagne Trust from Great Britain, Igor Lisin, Vice-President of the Management Board of the Ukraina Foundation, Agnieszka Ścigaj, Member of the Sejm of the Republic of Poland, Aleksandra Zapolska, co-founder of the Zustricz Foundation and Bryan Roberts, research consultant from CREATE – University of Southern California. The discussion will focus on how unfavorable demographic trends and the migration of people of working age may affect the European economy, as well as how countries can compete for talent and create conditions conducive to attracting a qualified workforce.
In the context of security, especially in the face of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, the panel “How to strengthen NATO’s frontline states?” will be extremely important. The increase in threats in the Central and Eastern European region and Russia’s actions emphasize the need for stronger cooperation and strengthening the defense potential of countries on the eastern flank of the Alliance. The debate will bring together experts dealing with international security, including Mark Voyger from the American University in Kiev, Iulian Chifu from the Center for Conflict Prevention and Early Warning in Romania, Radu Burduja from the Euro-Atlantic Resilience Building Institute in Moldova, General Dariusz Mendrala from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Investment Department, Filip Nerad from Czech Radio, Roman Lozynskyi, deputy of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and Robert Hamilton from the American Foreign Policy Research Institute (FPRI). The discussion will focus on strategies for strengthening the defense of NATO countries, especially those closest to the borders with Russia.
“Schuman Trimarium Forum” panel
The Institute of Schuman’s Thought (IMS) prepared the “Schuman Trimarium Forum” panel. “This is an initiative of the Institute of Schuman’s Thought, which fills a certain gap in the construction of the Three Seas community of nations” – Prof. Zbigniew Krysiak, chairman of the Program Council of the Institute of Schuman’s Thought, said for the Schuman Optics Magazine. “The complementarity of our panel with the Three Seas project is to create three pillars that are missing in the presidential project of the Three Seas Initiative. These pillars are to build cooperation between universities in the Three Seas Initiative, and IMS has undertaken such activities. The second is to build a network of student scientific circles at universities in the Three Seas Initiative – preparing formed, young cardinals, and the third – the creation of a Three Seas organization, a bit like the Nordic organization. In order to develop the economy, infrastructure and energy, we need to have a very strong cooperative system in the Three Seas region in terms of research, in terms of implementing these projects based on universities and not only technical resources. The theoretical base of these universities, laboratories and construction facilities are to be used for the development of economic elements. An important issue in the scope of the university’s functions is the development of the ideological base according to Schuman’s idea, i.e. the Community of the Three Seas Nations, of all the Three Seas countries, not only those in the European Union. The lack in Three Seas project is that, according to this initiative of President Duda and President Kitarović, it was limited only to countries belonging to the European Union, and the point here is to create a community in our region that will be a kind of positive counterweight in the spirit of Schuman – a practical model that will show how to build the EU, and not what the EU is doing when becoming a superstate” – he explained.
In the economist’s opinion, “this does not contradict the functioning of the EU”. “We understand our problems and this Three Seas organization is supposed to be a body that would improve the implementation processes of projects undertaken by countries. Today we see a very serious deficit in this organization and coordination. The pace of implementation of these projects is insufficient – everything is too focused on dependence on the European Union”- he pointed out.
“The connecting issue that will be discussed in this panel is a clear look at this model of the Three Seas Community of Nations and the Three Seas organization as a mechanism to oppose the building of a superstate by the EU. This Three Seas project is to be more determined to consciously block destructive activities involving introducing a superstate. These problems and disagreement with this superstate are generally communicated by all the Three Seas countries and this dissatisfaction is present everywhere. Only the manipulation of various state leaders by Brussels activists gives the impression that everyone wants to submit to this superstate process. All of these is to be discussed on this panel as a presentation of a project to be implemented” – he added, emphasizing that “within this framework, we want the Schuman Optics Magazine to be a platform for communication between countries, presentation of various aspects and a platform for monthly discussions, a medium for the Three Seas organization”. “All this is intended to counteract German actions reducing the development of the Three Seas Initiative, which was visible at subsequent Three Seas summits. The panel will include people from abroad, professors, practitioners from various fields of economic and social life – there will be people from the United States, Spain, the Czech Republic and experts from Poland who have been taking up these issues for a long time”- Prof. Krysiak said.
In his opinion, a serious deficit in President Andrzej Duda’s project is the lack of an institutional arrangement of the Three Seas Initiative. “It’s not about bureaucratizing it. For every project, a certain institutional arrangement is necessary. For this reason, it all takes place on a somewhat spontaneous basis: from summit to summit, and the point is that cooperation should take place in a continuous manner” – he noted. “This institutional organization would be a hub connecting governments, universities, think tanks and investors” – he clarified.
“The panel is a reference to the initiative of the Institute of Schuman’s Thought, which has been implemented for three years. It aims to integrate young people, but not only young people, but also experts in the field of the Three Seas Initiative. During our panel, we will try to discuss issues of integration and security. We will refer to the model of the community of nations promoted by the venerable Servant of God Robert Schuman. We will tell how the Three Seas can show the European Union and other entities how to cooperate. Of course, we will also talk about the practical dimensions of the Three Seas initiative itself, such as economic and scientific integration. These questions will be also discussed at the next Schuman Trimarium Forum. Therefore, this panel will have a strong correlation with the Three Seas initiative itself, with the community of nations, with building relationships between nations, which will therefore have a pro-development effect” – Tomasz Pysiak said, who will be moderate – by IMS – panel mentioned above. “This may be an indication for the European Union on how it should modernize and develop, how it should return to its roots” – he noted.
One of the most important events
A permanent element of the Economic Forum are awards granted by the Forum’s Program Council to outstanding figures and key companies and organizations in the following categories: Person of the Year, Company of the Year and Non-Governmental Organization of the Year.
The Economic Forum, organized for over three decades, has become one of the most important points on the map of this type of events in our part of Europe. The guests of the Forum are presidents, heads of government, ministers, politicians and local government officials, presidents of corporations, people of culture, renowned scientists, opinion-forming journalists and representatives of non-governmental organizations. For three days, the Forum in Karpacz becomes a key place for discussion on the most important challenges shaping the present and future of Central and Eastern Europe.
The Main Partner of the Economic Forum is the Marshal’s Office of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship. The partners of the Economic Forum include: the City of Karpacz, the City of Wrocław, the Wrocław Airport named after Nicolaus Copernicus, Lower Silesian Economic Cooperation Agency. One of the media partners of the event is the monthly Schuman Optics Magazine.