Silesian University of Technology at the SME Congress
“Ready for Change?" – this is the motto of the 13th European Congress of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, which took place on October 25-27, 2023 at the International Congress Centre in Katowice. It is a place for meetings, discussions, inspiration and exchange of ideas focused on topics related to the future of business. Representatives of the Silesian University of Technology took part in the event.
This year's edition of the SME Congress focused on the question: “Ready for Change?" The question is asked not only to entrepreneurs, but also to the inhabitants of the province of Silesia - a region that has undergone economic transformation, but reality still poses new challenges for people. In a world of constant economic and technological changes, not only entrepreneurs must be ready for innovation.
– The university does not function in a vacuum, but in a socio-economic environment, it is an important element of this environment – said prof. Bogusław Łazarz, Vice-Rector for General Affairs of the Silesian University of Technology. – There would be no companies, there would be no investments, if it were not for the people who are prepared by the university at a certain stage of their education, especially for companies from the production sector.
During the SME congress, there were several panels devoted to the future of education and necessary competencies on the labour market, during which scientists from the Silesian University of Technology were experts. Prof. Bogusław Łazarz together with prof. Marek Gzik, director of the European HealthTech Innovation Centre (EHTIC) represented our University during the discussion " Education of the 21st century - what should it be like?"
– Undoubtedly, education will develop towards an individual approach. If we approach collectively, some people lose their chances. If we manage to approach it individually, the chances increase, argued prof. Łazarz. – On the other hand, education should prepare for the challenges that await us in the future, related to the development of the IT and artificial intelligence sectors, taking into account ethical issues. We cannot forget about developing soft skills, he added.
Experts discussed topics related not only to the personalization of teaching, the development of soft and digital skills, but also how to educate to respond to business needs, what qualifications are necessary for a just transformation of the region, and whether there are universal competences of the future.
– Indeed, for many years we have placed great emphasis on the so-called key competences of the labour market, i.e. specific professions, digital and technological competences – said dr hab. Małgorzata Dobrowolska, prof. SUT, director of the Business School of the Silesian University of Technology. – Yes, we taught psychosocial competences necessary to function in interpersonal relationships, such as communication, assertiveness, public speaking, and coping with stress, but we cared less about the key competence, which is the ability to learn throughout life. It is a human ability that is responsible for our adaptation, promotes good functioning and adaptation to what the changing world brings - emphasized prof. Dobrowolska.
The European Congress of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises is organized by the Regional Chamber of Commerce in Katowice. This is one of the largest events for SME companies in Europe. Tens of thousands of entrepreneurs and experts from all over the world and a large group of representatives of government and local government administration, business environment institutions, and the world of science and culture have participated in the previous editions.
