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Global Experience, Real Impact. The Go4Poland Summer School Has Ended

Can an international career path lead through Poland? Participants of the Go4Poland Summer School discovered that the Polish market offers not only opportunities to gain professional experience, but also to help shape projects of strategic importance to the economy. The week-long programme organised by the WSE Foundation culminated in the conference “Your Career. Destination: Poland!”, held on 28 August in the Trading Hall of the Warsaw Stock Exchange (GPW).

This year’s Go4Poland Summer School brought together 25 Polish students and graduates representing 18 leading universities across 15 countries. They shared both international educational experience and an interest in exploring career opportunities in Poland. Over the course of a week, participants learned about the operations of leading Polish companies and institutions, met with business practitioners, and developed competencies related to new technologies, entrepreneurship, and the capital market.

The programme included visits to the headquarters of ORLEN, Bank Pekao, CD PROJEKT, and the Warsaw Stock Exchange. Direct meetings with representatives of these organisations enabled participants to compare their perceptions of working in Poland with the actual needs of employers and gain insight into projects delivered by companies operating in both domestic and international markets.

Poland Needs Competence and Courage

The Summer School concluded with the conference “Your Career. Destination: Poland!”, dedicated to career development, talent acquisition, and the competencies required in an economy being transformed by emerging technologies. The event brought together programme participants, experts, representatives of business, the financial market, public administration, and the technology sector in the Warsaw Stock Exchange Trading Hall.

The conference was opened by Eliza Zeidler, Deputy Minister of State Assets. In her remarks, she highlighted the scale of investments and transformations facing the Polish economy and stressed the importance of the younger generation in driving these changes.

“Poland is a place where you can do more than work. You can make an impact. You can help decide what Poland will look like in 10, 20, or 30 years’ time, create new technologies, companies, and solutions, and manage investments and institutions that build and develop our country,” said Eliza Zeidler, Deputy Minister of State Assets.

The Deputy Minister emphasised that the energy transition, the development of nuclear energy, the digitalisation of public services and industry, investments in transport infrastructure, and strengthening technological security all require specialist knowledge, creativity, and international experience. These are precisely the areas in which young professionals can become involved in initiatives that directly influence the pace of Poland’s modernisation.

Talent as a Source of Competitive Advantage

The opening keynote presentation, “People Are Capital. Talent Is an Advantage”, was delivered by Dominika Niewiadomska-Siniecka, Member of the Management Board of the Warsaw Stock Exchange and the WSE Foundation. Referring to the legacy of Jan Czochralski, the Polish scientist whose work laid one of the foundations of modern electronics, she noted that gaining knowledge abroad and later applying it in Poland can represent successive stages of the same ambitious professional journey.

“Going abroad provides knowledge, experience, and perspective, while returning home can give that experience a unique purpose. Poland today is not yet a completed project, but it is already a project that is sufficiently large, strong, and mature to enable the pursuit of ambitions on a global scale,” she said.

She further noted that the participants’ competitive advantage stems not only from their education, but also from their ability to work in international teams, navigate different cultures, and compare diverse operating models. Such competencies are particularly valuable for an economy that needs professionals capable of combining technological, business, financial, legal, and social expertise.

Young Voices on the Future of the Economy

A key component of the conference was an Oxford-style debate organised by participants of the Go4Poland Summer School. The discussion focused on increasing the participation of domestic companies and resources in public investment projects, while also considering the importance of openness to international competition.

The debate gave a platform to the younger generation and allowed participants to apply their skills in argumentation, responding to counterarguments, and analysing the implications of economic decisions. It also demonstrated that young people are eager to engage in discussions on national resilience, corporate competitiveness, and the responsible use of public investment.

Conference discussions also explored how Polish companies can more effectively attract and develop talent, which competencies are becoming increasingly important in the age of artificial intelligence, and how experience gained at foreign universities can be leveraged within Polish organisations.

Bridging World-Class Universities and the Polish Economy

Go4Poland does not end with the closing session of the conference. The programme is designed to build lasting relationships between Polish students and graduates of international universities and entrepreneurs, public institutions, mentors, and experts.

The Summer School enabled participants to meet organisations and individuals actively shaping the Polish economy. At the same time, companies and institutions had an opportunity to connect with talented young people who bring an international perspective, high professional standards, and competencies acquired through diverse academic and business environments.

At its core, Go4Poland is a community of people willing to share their knowledge and experience with the next generation of young professionals. This year’s Summer School and conference engaged experts representing ORLEN, the Warsaw Stock Exchange, Hewlett Packard Enterprise Polska, EY, the Polish Investment and Trade Agency, Bank Pekao, PFR Portal PPK, BETA ETF, CD PROJEKT, IPOPEMA, P&G, Allegro, DC, and Mastercard.

The Go4Poland Summer School demonstrated that the question “Why Poland?” does not have a single answer. For some, the key attraction may be the opportunity to work on major investment projects; for others, it may be technology development, entrepreneurship, access to a dynamic market, or the chance to make a tangible impact. What unites these motivations are people, their competencies, and their ambition to apply experience gained around the world in Poland as well.

The event was held under the Honorary Patronage of the Ministry of State Assets, the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, the Ministry of Digital Affairs, the Ministry of Development and Technology, and the Ministry of Finance.

ORLEN served as the Strategic Partner of the Go4Poland Summer School. The conference partners included the Warsaw Stock Exchange, Bank Pekao, the National Depository for Securities (KDPW), BondSpot, the Commodity Clearing House (IRGiT), CFA Society Poland, PFR Portal PPK, EY, BETA ETF, and the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange (NAWA).