The most crucial problems of the contemporary world, such as the war in Ukraine, the COVID-19 pandemic or inflation, are the main topics of a three-day conference at the John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin. The International Scientific Conference ‘Poland, Europe and the world in the era of multidimensional crises’ will begin on the premises of the university this coming Monday. Numerous panel discussions will feature representatives of science, politics, law, and business from Poland, Ukraine, Moldova, and Hungary. This is the next stage of the Civic Forum, initiated by groups associated with the Catholic University of Lublin.
“During the panel discussions, representatives from the worlds of science, culture, law, politics, business, and the media will address the subject of multifaceted crises and tensions occurring in the modern world, such as the crisis of values, the COVID-19 pandemic, armed conflicts, in particular the war in Ukraine, the humanitarian crisis, or the inflationary crisis. A debate among experts from various fields will provide a comprehensive overview of all these problems,” says Tomasz Tokarski, President of the Board of the Foundation for the Development of the Catholic University of Lublin and initiator of the project.
“The crisis is at hand; we can observe it in practically every area of life. Inflation and the rising cost of living are making young people in particular very vulnerable. At the same time, a major problem is the increasingly prevalent belief among young people that what is happening in society does not concern them. We want to engage young people in the socio-economic situation and make them aware of the important role their decisions play in shaping the present moment and our future,” highlights Paweł Zdybel, Chairman of the Student Self-Government of the Catholic University of Lublin, co-organiser of the conference.
The conference will start with an inaugural lecture titled “Polish diplomacy in the face of present-day challenges” by Arkady Rzegocki, professor of the Jagiellonian University and head of the Foreign Corps.
The three-day conference will consist of 12 panel discussions on topics such as information and culture wars, the crisis of values, challenges for the Catholic Church, the energy transition as well as the defence and security policy. Two seminars on the 30th anniversary of Polish-Moldovan cooperation and the reconstruction of Ukraine are also an integral part of the event.
“The inclusion of issues related to Moldova and Ukraine is profoundly symbolic. The war in Ukraine and the particular geopolitical situation in the region of Eastern Europe have resulted in an unprecedented decision on the part of the European Union countries to grant Moldova and Ukraine the status of candidate countries. This is a crucial and long-awaited step, but it does not yet prejudge both countries’ membership of the organisation,” points out Prof. Beata Piskorska, political scholar, Vice Rector of the Catholic University of Lublin for BA, MA, and PhD students and development.
The main organiser of the event is the Foundation for the Development of the John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin. The conference is co-organised by: John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, Doctoral Student Government and Student Government of the Catholic University of Lublin. The three-day meeting was funded by the Ministry of Education and Science as part of the Excellence in Science programme.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister of Finance, the Minister of Education and Science, Voivode of Lublin, Marshal of Lublin Voivodeship, Mayor of Lublin, and Rector of the John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin are Honorary Patrons of the international conference.
The partners of the event include: Lublin Science Society, Institute of Central Europe in Lublin, Employers of Lublin Land, Lublin Lodge of the Business Centre Club, Kierunek Polska Foundation, ERIA Association for Education and International Research, Foundation for the Development of Central and Eastern Europe and the Association of Graduates and Friends of the Faculty of Law of the Catholic University of Lublin.
