Researchers from four departments at the University of Gdańsk have prepared a comprehensive diagnosis of Tricity from the legal, technological or socio-cultural perspective. The interdisciplinary monograph entitled. 'The potential of the Tricity agglomeration and the methodology for measuring its use' was created as part of the activities of the UG’s Eugeniusz Kwiatkowski Named Chair of Honour in the academic year 2022/23, when prof. Leszek Balcerowicz was in charge of it. The official launch of the book took place on January 26 this year.
The meeting was opened by the Vice-Dean for Academic Affairs of the Faculty of Management, dr hab. Paweł Antonowicz, prof. UG, one of the co-authors of the monograph, who welcomed all attendees and thanked the deans of the faculties involved in the book's publication.
‘Named Chairs of Honour is the original idea of our Rector, prof. Piotr Stepnowski. The idea was very well received, quickly picked up and brilliantly developed,' said the Dean of the Faculty of Economics, dr hab. Monika Bąk, prof. UG. ‘Thus, three Named Chairs of Honour were established in three different scientific areas: the sciences, humanities, and social sciences.’
In the first year of operation, the Named Chairs of Honour of Eugeniusz Kwiatkowski, Maria Janion and Wacław Szybalski were held by prof. dr hab. Leszek Balcerowicz, dr hab. Agata Bielik-Robson, prof. IFiS PAS, and prof. dr hab. Andrzej Dziembowski, respectively. In the current academic year, these functions were taken over by dr hab. Hanna Suchocka, prof. UAM, prof. dr hab. Mariusz Ziółkowski and prof. Harald Weinfurter.
‘I am convinced that, under the influence of Professor Balcerowicz, we made an excellent choice to devote our monograph to Tricity,' said the Dean of the Faculty of Management, prof. dr hab. Miroslaw Szreder. ‘Much of the work in this book is about entrepreneurship and the successes of economic transformation. Our region used to be known only for its shipbuilding and port industry, but now it has transformed itself. After all, how many young people are finding work here!’
It is worth mentioning that before the event started, the meeting was disrupted by young activists referring to the regime changes of 30 years ago. The guest speaker at the event referred to these actions in his speech:
'It was very risky to be against socialism, understood as the domination of state property, and the dictatorship that arose as a consequence of this system. There were not many brave ones. To be against capitalism in a democracy requires neither reason nor courage,' spoke prof. Leszek Balcerowicz.
Prof. Pawel Antonowicz then led a debate with the co-authors of the monograph. The participants in the discussion summarised the most important features of the Tricity agglomeration from an educational, economic, or social point of view.
‘I would like to thank you all very much for coming and for your interest in all that occupied a part of our scientific activity under the leadership of prof. Leszek Balcerowicz,' he concluded the meeting.
