Opening of the 2026/2027 Academic Year at the Faculty of Economics of the University of Gdańsk
Academic Year Opening Ceremony
Vivat Academia, Vivant Professores!
Have a Good New Academic Year!!
On 5 October 2026, the Faculty of Economics at the University of Gdańsk held the opening ceremony for the 2026/2027 academic year.
The ceremony was opened by the Dean of the Faculty of Economics, dr hab. Wojciech Bizon, Professor at the University of Gdańsk.
On behalf of himself and the members of the Council of the Faculty of Economics, the Dean welcomed His Magnificence, the Rector of the University of Gdańsk, Prof. Dr. hab. Piotr Stepnowski, Corresponding Member of the Polish Academy of Sciences, as well as the students and staff of the University of Gdańsk gathered for the inauguration, retired Faculty staff, senior deans, representatives of other faculties of the University of Gdańsk and universities in the Tricity, representatives of the Council of Experts, guests from institutions, companies, schools and associations, graduates, and all friends of the Faculty of Economics.
Next, His Magnificence Rector Prof. Dr hab. Piotr Stepnowski in the speech, emphasized that the University of Gdańsk is beginning its 57th academic year as a university that is increasingly stronger and increasingly visible in Poland and Europe. For the first time, our Alma Mater ranked among the top ten academic universities in the “Perspectives” ranking, while in the Times Higher Education ranking for implementing the Sustainable Development Goals, it remains Poland's number one university. The Rector congratulated Dr Beata Chmiel on receiving the Jan Uphagen Award of the City of Gdańsk for young scientists, Prof. Monika Bąk on receiving the Professor Karol Taylor Scientific Award, and Prof. Giuseppe T. Cirelli on once again, for the second year in a row, being included among the 2% of the world’s most influential scientists on the Stanford/Elsevier list. He also pointed to the project being implemented with the Faculty of Management and the Marshal’s Office of the Pomeranian Voivodeship as part of the LIFE program, preparing local government staff for the challenges of the circular economy, and announced that, at the Faculty’s request, the Eugeniusz Kwiatkowski Chair would be held by Prof. Theo Notteboom, one of the most highly regarded researchers of port economics and the maritime economy. Addressing the students, the Rector emphasized that in times of instability, the world needs young economists who understand economic mechanisms, can distinguish fact from an impressive slogan, and do not settle for the simplest answers.
In his inaugural address, the Dean dr hab. Wojciech Bizon, prof. UG, within the traditional summary of the past academic year, invited those gathered on a voyage through 250 years of economics, under the University motto In mari via tua - from London in 1776, when Adam Smith’s “The Wealth of Nations” was published, to Sopot in 2026. In each of the 14 “ports”, one of the great theories of economics served as the key to one of the Faculty’s achievements in the past year.
The Dean recalled that nearly 3,300 female and male students study at the Faculty across five programs. The Faculty offers approximately 280 student exchange places at 88 partner universities in 24 European countries, as well as additional opportunities under agreements with universities in the USA, China, Korea, Japan and Australia. A total of 240 students took part in the qualification process for the Erasmus+ program, which is a record for the entire University, while 101 international students came to the Faculty. Cooperation with partners is developing, including with London Stock Exchange Group, ING Bank Śląski, Unilogistics, ONE, Northgate Logistics and the Gdańsk Educational Foundation. the Pomerania Development Agency, Baltic Container Terminal, Chipolbrok, EU-Consult, PKS Gdańsk Oliwa, the Polish Chamber of Forwarding and Logistics, the Pomeranian Science and Technology Park in Gdynia, as well as schools such as Gdańsk Autonomous High School, I LO with Sports Championship Classes in Sopot and the Academic High School in Gdynia.Practitioners co-taught 28 courses, and students took part in more than 20 study visits. As part of the SEA-EU alliance, the University launched a double-degree program with the University of Naples.
Among the scientific achievements, the Dean mentioned the publication of 27 articles worth at least 100 points (26 in English), obtaining a B+ category in the evaluation, confirming full rights to award doctoral and habilitation degrees and to run a doctoral school, as well as 10 doctoral degrees awarded, including to 5 people from abroad, 1 habilitation degree and 14 proceedings in progress. In teaching, the Faculty was the first at the University of Gdańsk to introduce a new form of classes called “Project”, expanded workshop classes, included content on artificial intelligence in the curricula, established a project room, and the Faculty Fund for Supporting Teaching Initiatives FundEK. The Finance program received renewed ACCA accreditation until 2031. The university also announced plans to reconstruct the building's surroundings, including a ramp at the entrance and a quiet workroom for people with special needs.
The Dean congratulated the students on their successes: taking the entire podium at the ONE Case Study Contest 2026, receiving 3 special grants in the LSEG Research Grant Competition 2026, and awards for students at the European Financial Congress, the H2 ORLEN Academy and the National Competition for Papers in the field of International Economic Relations. On artificial intelligence, the Dean appealed to students: “The algorithm will give you an answer. The University is supposed to teach you when that answer is wrong.” The speech concluded with a reference to Adam Asnyk’s poem “Have Hope!” and the ceremonial opening of the 2026/2027 academic year.
The academic community gathered in Auditorium O observed a minute of silence to honor those who passed away during the past academic year. They were: Prof. Dr. hab. Konrad MISZTAL, co-creator of the Gdańsk center for research on the maritime economy, an expert who had a real influence on the directions of Polish maritime policy and the development of the port sector, Dr Witold MALEWSKI, a long-standing lecturer at the Department of Macroeconomics, Stanisław CIESIÓŁKA, a friend of the Faculty and member of the Faculty of Economics Council of Experts, a ship engineer and manager, Piotr KABACIŃSKI, an employee of the University of Gdańsk Security Service at the Faculty of Economics, as well as students Aleksandra GLIBOWSKA (Business and Ecological Technology) and Anna MIELNIK (Economics).
The next point of the ceremony was the presentation of the habilitation diploma in social sciences in the discipline of economics and finance. The Rector and the Dean presented the diploma to dr hab. Tomasz Bieliński, whose scientific achievement is entitled: Shared micromobility in Poland - development, transport behaviour, financing and assessment of scientific activity.
An important part of the inauguration is usually the ceremonial doctoral promotion, and this was also the case on 5 October 2026. A total of 10 people obtained doctoral degrees in the 2025/2026 academic year. The following were promoted during the ceremony:
Adam Damrath, dissertation title: Entrepreneurship Education in Higher Education, supervisor: dr hab. Marek Szczepaniec, prof. UG, assistant supervisor: dr Tomasz Jurkiewicz
Lilia Neumann, dissertation title: Poland’s Energy Policy in Light of the Assumptions of the European Union’s Climate Policy, supervisor: dr. hab. Przemysław Kulawczuk, prof. UG, assistant supervisor: dr Andrzej Poszewiecki
Wojciech Wężyk, dissertation title: Perception of the Brand of Insurance Companies in the Small and Medium-Sized Enterprise Segment and Its Role in Building Customer Trust, supervisor: dr hab. eng. Aneta Oniszczuk, prof. UG, assistant supervisor: dr Tomasz Czuba
Shobhit Navani, dissertation title: Cryptocurrency at the crossroads: navigating regulation, cybercrime, and market dynamics in the digital age, supervisor: dr hab. Giuseppe Cirella, prof. UG
Keno Hinrichs, dissertation title: Interplay between retail banks’ sustainability practices and customers’ perceptions, needs and preferences, supervisor: dr hab. Iwona Sobol, prof. UG, assistant supervisor: dr Urszula Mrzygłód
Tomasz Laskowicz, dissertation title: Identification of the Economic Impact of Offshore Wind Farms at the Local Level Based on a Case Study Analysis of British and Polish Farms, supervisor: prof. dr hab. Jacek Zaucha, assistant supervisor: dr Łukasz Dopierała
Salih Elfurtie, dissertation title: Foreign Direct Investment as a Factor of Libya’s Economic Development, supervisor: dr. hab. Sylwia Pangsy-Kania, prof. UG
Lukas Honecker, dissertation title: The Role of Investor Sentiment in Moderating the Impact of Exogenous Shocks on Stock Prices, supervisor: dr. hab. Anna Blajer-Gołębiewska, prof. UG
Barry John Smith, dissertation title: Corporate Social Responsibility and Financial Performance within the Global Hospitality Industry and Hotel Sector, supervisor: dr hab. Piotr Zientara, prof. UG, assistant supervisor: Dr Joanna Adamska
Karol Orzeszak, dissertation title: Capital Structure of Enterprises under Conditions of Economic Environment Instability in the Accommodation and Food Service Activities Section, supervisor: dr hab. Anna Blajer-Gołębiewska, prof. UG, assistant supervisor: Dr Sabina Nowak
Marc Wilczek, dissertation title: Decision-Making under Constraints: A Behavioral Economics Perspective on Cyber-Related Heuristics and Biases, supervisor: dr hab. Monika Bąk, prof. UG.
In the next part of the inauguration, the Rector’s Awards of the University of Gdańsk were presented.
Individual Second-Degree Rector’s Awards of the University of Gdańsk for scientific achievements documented by scientific publications were awarded to:
dr hab. Przemysław Borkowski, prof. UG
dr hab. Barbara Pawłowska, prof. UG
dr Agnieszka Szmelter-Jarosz
Individual Third-Degree Rector’s Awards of the University of Gdańsk for scientific achievements documented by scientific publications were awarded to:
dr hab. Aleksandra Koźlak, prof. UG
dr hab. Dariusz Tłoczyński, prof. UG
dr Beata Chmiel
Team First-Degree Rector’s Awards of the University of Gdańsk for scientific achievements documented by scientific publications were awarded to:
dr hab. Monika Bąk, prof. UG
dr hab. Piotr Zientara, prof. UG
dr Joanna Adamska
dr hab. Ernest Czermański, prof. UG
dr hab. Aneta Oniszczuk, prof. UG
The Team Second-Degree Rector’s Award of the University of Gdańsk for scientific achievements documented by scientific publications was awarded to:
dr hab. Jacek Winiarski, prof. UG
mgr Paweł Smoliński
The Team Third-Degree Rector’s Award of the University of Gdańsk for scientific achievements documented by scientific publications was awarded to:
dr hab. Marcin Wołek, prof. UG
dr Aleksander Jagiełło
The Individual Second-Degree Rector’s Award of the University of Gdańsk for developing or introducing modern teaching methods and disseminating new teaching aids was awarded to:
dr Olga Dębicka
The Individual Second-Degree Rector’s Award of the University of Gdańsk for active participation in the implementation of the educational process, including academic supervision of student scientific activities, international exchange, as well as supervision of students studying in the individual study mode, was awarded to:
dr Jacek Grodzicki
Individual Third-Degree Rector’s Awards of the University of Gdańsk for active participation in the implementation of the educational process, including academic supervision of student scientific activities, international exchange, as well as supervision of students studying in the individual study mode were awarded to:
dr Elżbieta Babula
dr Magdalena Jażdżewska-Gutta
dr Katarzyna Osiecka-Brzeska
The Individual Third-Degree Rector’s Award of the University of Gdańsk for developing new and innovative educational programs and professional development programs for people with higher education was awarded to:
dr Joanna Fryca
The Individual Fourth-Degree Rector’s Award of the University of Gdańsk for organizational activities for the benefit of the University of Gdańsk was awarded to:
dr Sławomir Antkiewicz
The Team Third-Degree Rector’s Award of the University of Gdańsk for teaching and organizational achievements related to many years of involvement in running, editorial supervision, and development of the student scientific journal “Our Studies”, supporting the development of students’ research and publishing competencies, was awarded to:
dr hab. Sylwia Pangsy-Kania, prof. UG
dr hab. Iwona Sobol, prof. UG
dr Leszek Reszka, prof. UG
dr Łukasz Dopierała
dr Magdalena Markiewicz
Individual Third-Degree Rector’s Awards of the University of Gdańsk for employees who are not academic teachers were awarded to:
mgr Monika Lewiniec
mgr Wioletta Zakrzewska
Individual Fourth-Degree Rector’s Awards of the University of Gdańsk for employees who are not academic teachers were awarded to:
mgr Małgorzata Balicka
mgr Katarzyna Klimek
Roland Olszewski
The Dean’s Award of the Faculty of Economics for the substantive contribution to the establishment, organization and uninterrupted continuation of thirty-five editions of the Postgraduate Studies in Public Procurement was awarded to dr Elżbieta Adamowicz.
The Rafał Stepnowski “The Creator of the Future” Award for outstanding activity in the social sphere was awarded to mgr Julia Łaska, currently a doctoral student at the Faculty of Economics.
We extend our heartfelt congratulations to all the award recipients!
A thrilling part of the ceremony was the recognition of first-year students who achieved the best recruitment results in their respective programs:
ECONOMICS
- Piotr Szymiec
- Aleksandra Trypucka
- Mateusz Przybylski
- Jan Antoniak
- Karina Solarczyk
INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC RELATIONS
- Maciej Winnicki
- Alicja Kanios
- Szymon Pomierski
- Iga Bilińska
- Kamil Stefański
INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
- Tymon Rydzkowski
- Maksymilian Rusik
- Marta Bambrowicz
LOGISTICS AND MOBILITY
- Naheeda Naveed
- Julia Ruszczyńska
- Radosław Ruciński
Afterward, a very moving part of the ceremony was the ceremonial oath taken by all first-year students.
In the academic part, an inaugural lecture entitled “Economic Decision-Making by Women and Men” prepared by dr. hab. Przemysław Kulawczuk, prof. UG was delivered. Drawing on studies from various countries, the speaker showed that systematic differences in decision-making between women and men are fewer than stereotypes suggest, and that the visible differences are contextual. Women more often treat money as a source of security and approach risk more cautiously, and they also achieve better results where trust matters, e.g., in crowdfunding. According to prof. Kulawczuk, the key is social capital: women devote more time to cooperation and information exchange, while men more often compensate for its shortage with a greater propensity for risk. At the end, the Professor, referring to the figures of Atlas and Hercules, encouraged students to value those who will tell them the truth and offer a helping hand.
The ceremony concluded with the singing of “Gaudeamus igitur” and the concert by the Academic Choir of the University of Gdańsk under the direction of prof. dr. hab. Marcin Tomczak.
We wish
all Students and Staff
of the Faculty of Economics of the University of Gdańsk and our Guests
a good, successful New Academic Year 2026/2027
