1st place in the EKF Academy 2020 competition

Ms Wiktoria Pawlos, a third-year student of economics at the Faculty of Economics of the University of Gdansk, took first place in the competition of the Academy of the European Financial Congress EKF 2020.

On October 12-14, 2020, the European Financial Congress takes place, a part of which the "EKF Academy" project is implemented. It brings together outstanding students and young graduates from Poland and abroad.

The main goal of the project is to motivate students to deepen their knowledge of financial stability and sustainable socio-economic development and to propose pragmatic solutions.

An important element is also to encourage students to take part in the debate on the economic challenges facing Poland and Europe.

The topics of this year's competition are:

1. Will liberal economies recover faster from the crisis following the coronavirus pandemic and why?
2. How can we save our planet without endangering economic growth?
3. New technologies and the finances of the future.

Ms Wiktoria Pawlos submitted an essay entitled "Circular economy as a model that effectively manages natural capital".

The subject of the essay refers to the assumptions of the circular economy as a way to make economic growth independent of limited natural resources’ excessive consumption. It was published in the publication "What would we change in Poland and Europe".

The competition was determined based on the evaluation of the essay and its presentation in the laureates' debate.

Link to EKF Academy publications:
https://www.efcongress.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/publikacja-Akademii-EKF-2020.pdf

Statement by Mrs. Małgorzata O'Shaughnessy, President of the Competition Jury:
(https://www.linkedin.com/posts/malgorzata-o-shaughnessy-b442342_ekf-activity-6721436046577479680-vIRD)

"The winning essay, entitled “A circular economy with effective natural resource management”, was written by Wiktoria Pawlos from the University of Gdansk.  In her essay, Wiktoria promotes a circular economy model and criticises GDP-based measures of economic development. She also criticises consumerism, drawing attention to the fact that more economically developed countries are, de facto, climate debtors. Her postulate to retreat from non-renewable energy and her reference to Poland’s Responsible Development Strategy are, to quote Professor Mariusz Andrzejewski, “a timeless call from a representative of the Young Generation of Economists, for whom profit or GDP indictors are no longer important, and for whom a balanced climate and its sustainability in a circular economy have become paramount.”

Congratulations to Wiktoria, other finalists and to all the students who have submitted essays to the Academy."


Ms Wiktoria Pawlos studies under scientific supervision at the University of Gdańsk as part of the "School of Eagles" project.