Symposium on the social market economy connects IHI Zittau, TU Kharkiv and Krakow University of Economics

On September 5 and 6, 2024, the University of Economics in Krakow (Uniwersytet Ekonomiczny w Krakowie) hosted a Polish-German seminar on the social market economy organized by IHI alumna and current Krakow Vice Rector Prof. Maria Urbaniec , entitled "In search of a new socio-economic order in the European Union and Ukraine", supported by the Polish Economic Society (Polskie Towarzystwo Ekonomiczne) and the Konrad Adenauer Foundation in Poland.

IHI Zittau was represented by Prof. Oksana Makovoz from the Technical University of Kharkiv. Prof. Makovoz has been employed at IHI Zittau since September 2022 as part of the DAAD project "Ukraine Digital", so that she represented the German and Ukrainian partner universities at the conference "in personal union", so to speak.

The main aim of the event was to hold a debate on the current challenges and opportunities for the development of the European Union in connection with the consequences of Russian aggression against Ukraine. During the seminar, academics and experts from various disciplines had the opportunity to discuss the role of a social market economy based on the principles of ordoliberalism in the reconstruction of Ukraine as well as in promoting sustainable development and strengthening the resilience of society. The focus was on the search for a new socio-economic order in the European Union and Ukraine.

The seminar program comprised three main plenary sessions:

• Social Market Economy in the Era of Modern Challenges,
• Selected socio-economic issues in Ukraine,
• Social market economy in economic theory.

In addition, parallel panel discussions were held on the following topics:

• Search for a new socio-economic order in the EU,
• Modern challenges of socio-economic development,
• Climate change in Europe,
• Trends in socio-economic development in Europe,
• Socio-economic challenges in Ukraine.

The seminar was attended by more than 60 guests and advisors, including academics and experts from Poland, Germany, Ukraine and the United States, who shared their knowledge and experience on the role of the social market economy in addressing current socio-economic challenges in Europe.

The two-day discussion provided an excellent opportunity to exchange knowledge and experience and contributed to a better understanding of the socio-economic challenges in the European Union and Ukraine.