Zrównoważony i społecznie odpowiedzialny rozwój w sieci powiązań społeczno-gospodarczych

About the conference - science for sustainability

Invitation

Undoubtedly, sustainability and socially responsible development—addressing economic, social, and environmental challenges simultaneously and interdependently—remain critical issues in global research. As the complexity of societal challenges grows, the need for effective partnerships between academia, business, and the public sector becomes more pressing. The Triple Helix model, emphasizing collaboration among these sectors, has proven to be a valuable framework for fostering innovation, resilience, and sustainability in socio-economic networks.

Although much has been written about these subjects, significant gaps remain that require innovative and interdisciplinary exploration. Therefore, we would like to encourage a robust discussion on the opportunities, challenges, and frameworks for sustainable and socially responsible development within the evolving dynamics of socio-economic relations. Since sustainability issues are deeply rooted in specific contexts.

Since sustainability issues are deeply rooted in specific contexts, we invite papers that explore the role of socio-economic networks in advancing sustainable development, focusing on topics such as:

• models of cooperation between the public sector, private sector, and universities,
• attitudes toward sustainability,
• social innovation to promote sustainable development,
• education and public awareness in creating sustainable development practices,
• financing sustainable development,
• technology for a sustainable future,
• implementation of public policies for sustainable development,
• sustainable urban development,
• international cooperation for sustainable development,
• AI, public, private, and university partnerships, and labor.

The conference’s emphasis on the network of socio-economic relations stems from the recognition that sustainable and socially responsible development is inherently collaborative. It requires strong partnerships between academia, business, and the public sector and effective governance systems that align stakeholders' goals.

We look forward to receiving papers that bridge theory and practice, generate actionable insights, and expand the frontiers of knowledge on sustainable development in a rapidly changing world. Conceptual, methodological, and empirical contributions using quantitative, qualitative, or mixed research methods are welcomed.

Join us for this interdisciplinary dialogue and contribute to shaping the future of sustainable and socially responsible development.

Malgorzata Rozkwitalska-Welenc, Conference Chair, WSB Merito University in Gdansk, University Coordinator of the Scientific Disciplines „Management and Quality Sciences” and „Economics and Finance”

Artur Kozłowski, Scientific Committee Chair, WSB Merito University in Gdansk, Vice-Rector for Science and International Cooperation

Jagienka Rześny-Cieplińska, Organizing Committee Chair, WSB Merito University in Gdansk, Editor-in-Chief of the WSB Journal of Business and Finance

We invite you to the Merito Universities Group Conference in Gdansk, with the Sustainable and Socially Responsible Development in Socioeconomic Networks theme. We are pleased to announce that the conference will be held in a hybrid format, both in person and online. However, we hope to see you in Gdansk. We invite you to participate actively in this eventful and inspiring academic event. We want to enhance interaction and networking in the professional community during our conference, which will benefit our participants long after the event. During a company visit, we also intend to show how businesses respond to challenges related to sustainability and social responsibility.

We want to encourage cross-cutting and interdisciplinary discussions on the challenges of sustainable and socially responsible development (individual, group, organization, region, economy, world, etc.) in the network of socio-economic relations. Conceptual, methodological, and research papers, as well as works in progress, are welcome.

We welcome papers from various scientific disciplines. The conference includes the following tracks:

• models of cooperation between the public sector, private sector, and universities,
• attitudes toward sustainability,
• social innovation to promote sustainable development,
• education and public awareness in creating sustainable development practices,
• financing sustainable development,
• technology for a sustainable future,
• implementation of public policies for sustainable development,
• sustainable urban development,
• international cooperation for sustainable development,
• AI, public, private, and university partnerships, and labor.

Malgorzata Rozkwitalska-Welenc, Conference Chair, WSB Merito University in Gdansk, Poland

Scientific Committee

Artur Kozłowski, Scientific Committee Chair, WSB Merito University in Gdansk, Poland

Arnold Bernaciak, WSB Merito University in Poznan, Poland

Tomasz Czapran, European Research University, Czechia

Monika Chodorek, WSB Merito University in Torun, Poland

Krzysztof Dembek, Swinburne University of Technology, Australia

Paolo Esposito, Università degli Studi di Napoli Parthenope, Naples, Italy

Dominik Franczak, College of Economics and Computer Science, Krakow, Poland

Osman M. Karatepe, Eastern Mediterranean University, Turkey

Peter Kristofik, Matej Bel University, Banska Bystrica, Slovakia

Anna Motylska-Kuźma, DSW University of Lower Silesia, Wroclaw

Petr Mrkývka, Masaryk University, Czechia

Ove Oklevik, Norway Western University of Applied Sciences, Norway

Fevzi Okumus, Rosen College of Hospitality Management, University of Central Florida, USA

Leise Kelli de Oliveira, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Brazil

Johannes Platje, WSB Merito University in Wroclaw, Poland

Biagio Simonetti, University of Sannio, Benevento, Italy

Katarzyna Smulska, WSB Merito University in Torun, Poland

Przemysław Stach, College of Economics and Computer Science, Krakow, Poland

Michał Szostak, Collegium Civitas, Warsaw, Poland

Alicja Szostkiewicz, WSB Merito University in Gdansk, Poland

Babak Taheri, Texas A&M University, USA

Antoni Wilinski, WSB Merito University in Gdansk, Poland

Anna Zgrzywa-Ziemak, WSB Merito University in Wroclaw, Poland

Piotr Olaf Żylicz, WSB Merito University in Warsaw, Poland

Organizing Committee

Jagienka Rześny-Cieplińska, Organizing Committee Chair, WSB Merito University in Gdansk, Poland

Romana Antczak-Jarząbska, WSB Merito University in Gdansk

Maja Głuchowska-Wójcicka, WSB Merito University in Gdansk

Alicja Gruszczyńska, Merito Centrum

Agnieszka Jarosik-Michalak, WSB Merito University in Gdansk, Poland

Marcin Kisielewski, WSB Merito University in Gdansk, Poland

Przemysław Kitowski, WSB Merito University in Gdansk, Poland

Katarzyna Moszczyńska, WSB Merito University in Gdansk, Poland

Joanna Olkowicz, WSB Merito University in Gdansk, Poland

Marcin Panek, WSB Merito University in Gdansk, Poland

Patrycja Rudkowska, Research Federation of WSB&DSW Universities

Alan AtKisson has over 35 years of experience in sustainability and sustainable development. He is an author of books, articles, and professional handbooks focused on systems-based approaches to sustainability. He served in senior leadership roles in public service until his retirement in 2025, most recently as Executive Secretary and CEO of the Global Water Partnership, and previously as Assistant Director-General and Head of Department at Sida (Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency), where he represented Sweden internationally.

At Sida, he led development programs focused on mobilizing finance and investment, strengthening private-sector collaboration, empowering civil society, supporting research and capacity building, and promoting innovation for sustainable development. He has received several awards, including induction into the International Sustainability Hall of Fame in 2013. He lives in Stockholm and is currently writing a book on sustainable futures. His conference speech is titled: “Future-thinking: everything from visioning to strategic planning.”

Richard Little. I am Visiting Professor at the University of Cumbria and remain an occasional teacher at several other institutions. As a consultant-partner in a worldwide consulting firm (from 1983 to 2020) I advised clients large and small on questions of corporate and institutional responsibility and ran offices in Tokyo, Rome and New York. In 2008, with Prof. Jem Bendell I co-founded the Institute for Leadership and Sustainability at Ambleside. My lifelong passion is mountaineering: it surprises me, given my relative incompetence in the sport, that I have survived to enjoy it for so long.

Pratima (Tima) Bansal is a Professor and Canada Research Chair of Business Sustainability at the Ivey Business School, Western University (London, Canada). She has been investigating sustainability-related issues for almost 30 years, by applying the lenses of time, space, scale and systems to business strategy. Her research has been published in many top-tier management journals, and she has completed two terms on the editorial team as an Associate and Deputy Editor of the Academy of Management Journal. She founded the Network for Business Sustainability and Innovation North, which applies systems thinking to corporate innovation. She will deliver the speech: Designing a Better Future for All: Integrating Systems Thinking into Strategic Management.

Dr. Maliha Hashmi is a globally recognized healthcare innovation leader working at the intersection of health, technology, and futurism. She is known for developing transformative approaches to modern health systems and improving global access to advanced medical care.

She has been ranked among the Top 10 Female Innovators globally (Entrepreneur Mirror) and named one of the Top 50 Most Influential Muslims in America (EqualityX). She has also been listed among the Global 200 Women Power Leaders (White Page International) and Top 5 Iconic Women Leaders in Business (The CIO Times).

Her awards include the Forbes Health Leadership Award, the Innovative Health and Wellness Design Award (The Red Awards), and the Innovative Health Transformation Leader of the Year (C3 Summit, New York City). She has advanced academic training from Harvard and MIT and serves as a WEF Global Future Expert and V20 Delegate for the G20, contributing to global health policy and strategic innovation.

We are pleased to announce that the following editors will run the meet-editors session:

1. Han Woo Park, YeungNam University, Republic of Korea: Fellow, International Communication Association (ICA); Editor-In-Chief Journal of Contemporary Eastern Asia, Quality & Quantity, ROSA Journal (the first peer-reviewed journal on Web3); Founder Cyber Emotions Research Center, WATEF (World Association for Triple Helix & Future Strategy Studies), DISC(Data, Innovation, Social networks, Convergence) International Conference; Formerly Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW), Oxford Internet Institute, Social Media Research Foundation
2. Joanna Ejdys, Bialystok University of Technology: Editor-in-Chief of the Management in Production and Services
3. Colin Higgins, Deakin Business School: Editor-in-Chief, Business and Society
4. Jagienka Rześny-Cieplińska, WSB Merito University in Gdansk, Poland: Editor-in-Chief of the WSB Journal of Business and Finance