International experience will help in the transformation of the region
On the 11th of June, the Silesian University of Technology hosted an event under the patronage of the Polish Presidency of the European Union under the motto: “Transformation of regions in cultural, industrial and social context”. As part of the event, lectures by eminent scientists from all over Europe, meetings and workshops are held, which are supposed to contribute to expanding the possibilities of scientific cooperation in the field of transformation.
The aim of the event “Transformation of regions in cultural, industrial and social context” is to increase awareness of the challenges associated with the energy and digital transformation, as well as to draw attention to the multidimensional changes that are taking place in this area not only in Silesia, but also in other parts of Europe.
- We have fitted very well with the intentions of the Polish Presidency in the European Union, because for years as a University we have been actively involved in the process of transformation of the region - emphasized the Rector of the Silesian University of Technology, Prof. Dr Hab. Eng. Marek Pawełczyk.
Thanks to the Horizon Europe project, which is coordinated by one of the partners of the European University EURECA-PRO, which includes the Silesian University of Technology, the HI-EURECA-PRO project is being implemented.
- The project concerns proper management, use and care for post-industrial heritage, and in the case of Greeks – also cultural and archaeological heritage. Our activities are to support partner universities in developing concepts, exchanging experiences, and finding common solutions that can be applied in all countries currently undergoing transformation – said the Rector.
Silesian University of Technology is a university that is supposed to support transformation in one of the most industrialized regions in Poland and Europe, hence participation in this project and discussions on solutions for the transformation process is very important.
- We are located in Upper Silesia. It is well known that this region is strongly associated with industry, coal, steel, and hard work. The ethos of hard work is the potential of this place. Now we want to turn into a modern region associated with a greener industry. I hope that this conference will allow us to gain valuable tips on how to carry out this process – said Prof. Dr Hab. Eng. Sebastian Werle, Vice-Rector for Science and international Cooperation at the Silesian University of Technology.
As part of the three-day event, lectures by world-renowned scientists are held, presenting various perspectives and possibilities of transition through the process of transformation. At the inauguration, the participants listened to a lecture on the role of universities in this aspect. Inaugural lecture was delivered by Prof. Luciano Saso (former Vice-Rector of Sapienza University of Rome, Highly Cited Researcher in Pharmacy and Medicine, Secretary General of the UNICA Network).
- The topic is extremely important, because universities can really change something in the regions and I know that in Silesia this particular university – Silesian University of Technology, plays a key role. Not only in terms of economic development, but also in terms of cultural development of the region. In my presentation I showed several other examples of how universities influenced the changes and development of other industrial cities and regions, including Turin in Italy or Malmo in Sweden - said Prof. Saso.
On the second day, another view at the process of transformation of cultural, industrial, and mining heritage was presented by Prof. Theocharris Tsoutsos (Technical University of Crete, Greece) - representative of the EURECA-PRO alliance and coordinator of the HI-EURECA-PRO project.
- There is no single solution to efficiently go through the process of change everywhere. We focus on regions that need to change. These are not big cities like Amsterdam or Brussels, but smaller cities and communities that do not like change. - Prof. Theocharris Tsoutsos also stressed that the transformation process is not only about transformations at the economic level, but also at the social level.
- We have had mining areas in Greece since the 50s, but so far this problem has been left to future generations. It’s time to change the way the society is thinking. One of the conditions for sustainable development is to achieve understanding from the public and local population that the process of transformation is needed and can bring benefits, but this requires agreement with all interest groups - universities, decision-makers, investors, or social organizations.
The biggest challenges related to transformation were also discussed during workshops and discussion panels, in which apart from representatives of the world of science, representatives of local government units and cultural units took part, among others Barbara Szafir from the Department of Regional Development and Transformation in the Marshal’s Office of the Silesian Voivodeship and Leszek Jodliński - director of the Municipal Museum in Gliwice.
The event will last until June the 13th, 2025.
fot. Maciej Mutwil
