The conference’s guest of honor was the leader of the Orange Revolution and former Ukrainian president Viktor Yushchenko. During discussions with Jacek Żakowski, President Yushchenko outlined the importance of Polish-Ukrainian relations at this very difficult time. He thanked Poland and stressed that Russia had usurped Ukraine’s language, culture, church and economy for hundreds of years. – This year, we would like to discuss the role of the global crisis as an important catalyst for development. Together with the speakers, we wondered how they impacted us as a society, often being the impetus for making innovative decisions and reaching creative solutions.

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– I am glad that in such a difficult moment for our Ukrainian friends, we were able to host President Yushchenko, who is a symbol of the struggle for freedom and democracy – explains Dominika Lech, deputy chairman of the LSE SU Polish Business Society.

Following President Yushchenko’s speech was a panel dedicated to Ukraine’s integration in the European Union, in which Olena Sotnyk, Jan Krzysztof Bielecki and Maciej Witucki also participated. Olena Sotnyk, a Ukrainian lawyer and politician, emphasized the significance of the time that passed when a devastating war claimed the brightest and most ambitious young Ukrainians. The panelists agreed that Ukraine has a chance to become part of the European Union in the near future. The conference was also attended by humanitarian activist Aleksandra K. Wiśniewska, World Bank economist Marcin Piątkowski, LSE professor Paul De Grauwe, MP Paweł Kowal, and philanthropist Dominika Kulczyk.

– Polish Economic Forum LSE SU has been a meeting place for Polish students with representatives of business, politics and academia for twelve years. At this year’s edition, speakers assured attendees that the future of Poland and Europe depends on us. During the conference, we touched on various topics and we really hope that the panel discussions will form the basis of the academic and career development of our guests. – says Aleksandra Łukawska, vice president of LSE SU Polish Business Society.

During the Forum, the annual competition for the most innovative Polish startup – Ł.pitch. This year, more than 30 high-quality applications were collected. Four start-ups were selected from among the candidates, who had the chance to present their business during the finals: PixBlocks, Vaqat, Envirly and Upmedic. They were judged by a jury consisting of representatives from law firm Kondracki Celej and leading Venture Capital funds: Black Pearls VC, ffVC and Octopus Ventures. The winner of this year’s ł.pitch final is Vaqat, who created a platform with micro-internships, connecting managers with students.