Graduate of History Department at University of Pedagogy in Krakow, Poland; doctorate at National Louis University in Chicago, IL, USA; post-diploma certificates in “Legal and Financial Aspects of Corporate Governance” and “Modern Concepts of Management”. For several years a faculty member at Wyzsza Szkola Biznesu – National Louis University in Nowy Sacz, Poland and Vice Rector and Dean of School of Political Science there. In the years 2008-2017 Vice President for Strategy and Development at Nowy Sacz Waterworks – responsible for one of the biggest in the region infrastructural projects in the water and waste water sector (extension of the pipeline system, reconstruction of a water plant). Currently, Director of Malopolska School of Public Administration at the University of Economics in Krakow and Associate Professor at the Department of Public Administration, expert and consultant in the area of city development, public strategic management, city public services, and circular economy cooperating closely with Open Eyes Economy Summit, the City of Nowy Sacz, the City of Jaslo, Polish Waterworks Chamber of Commerce; international projects supporting decentralization reform in Ukraine.

[English version below] Jerzy Hausner – profesor doktor habilitowany nauk ekonomicznych, profesor zwyczajny, pracownik Katedry Administracji Publicznej Uniwersytetu Ekonomicznego w Krakowie, społeczny Pełnomocnik Rektora ds. Kultury i Sportu. Członek Polskiego Towarzystwa Ekonomicznego. Członek Rady Polityki Pieniężnej (kadencja: 24.I.2010-24.I.2016). Członek Komitetu Nauk Ekonomicznych PAN oraz Komitetu Nauk o Pracy i Polityce Społecznej PAN. Od 2014 r. działa w Bruegel, Brussels European and Global Economic Laboratory. Laureat Nagrody Kisiela. Przewodniczący Rady Programowej Open Eyes Economy Summit.

Jerzy Hausner, Full Professor of Economic Sciences, works at the Department of Public Administration (Faculty of Public Economy and Administration, Cracow University of Economics), Rector’s Plenipotentiary for Culture and Sport. Member of the Polish Economic Society. Member of the Monetary Policy Council (2010-2016). Member of the Economics Committee of the Polish Academy of Sciences Committee. Since 2015, Member of the Polish National Commission for UNESCO. Chairman of the Open Eyes Economy Summit Program Council. Since 2018, Member of the High Level Industrial Roundtable „Industry 2030”. Member Winner of the Kisiel Award.

[English version below] Profesor doktor habilitowany inżynier architekt Politechniki Poznańskiej, od początku związana z Wydziałem Architektury PP (przez dwie kadencje 2002-2005 i 2012-2016 prodziekan WA PP). Wiedzę i doświadczenia praktyczne zdobywała m.in. w Holandii (Croonen Adviseurs b.v. w ‘s-Hertogenbosch i Avans Hogeschool w Tilburgu). Ekspert w zakresie kształtowania miejskich obszarów nadrzecznych. Jej zainteresowania naukowe i projektowe dotyczą roli wody w krajobrazie i zrównoważonym rozwoju miast, jakości przestrzeni publicznych, a także zagospodarowania wód opadowych w miastach. Była kierownikiem kilkunastu projektów badawczych oraz ekspertem zewnętrznym w międzynarodowym projekcie REURIS (2009-2011), dotyczącym rewitalizacji rzek miejskich, członkiem Komitetu Badań nad Zagrożeniami Związanymi z Wodą przy Prezydium Polskiej Akademii Nauk oraz grupy doradczej ds. programu strategicznego „Rzeka w mieście” w Poznaniu (2011-2012), a od 2016 roku – członkiem zespołu UM Poznania ds. zagospodarowania terenów nad rzeką Wartą w Poznaniu. Laureatka m.in. nagrody Ministra Infrastruktury II stopnia za wybitne osiągnięcia twórcze w dziedzinie planowania przestrzennego i urbanistyki (2008) i Medalu Komisji Edukacji Narodowej (2014). Jest autorką ponad 100 publikacji naukowych, w tym 2 monografii (2011): „Woda w miejskiej przestrzeni publicznej. Modelowe formy zagospodarowania wód opadowych i powierzchniowych” i „Front wodny Poznania – Dolina Warty. Rewitalizacja związków z rzeką” oraz propagatorką idei regeneracji miejskich rzek (ponad 90 konferencji krajowych i międzynarodowych). Organizowała dwa cykle konferencji naukowych w Poznaniu: międzynarodowy pt.: Water in the townscape oraz ogólnokrajowy pt.: Człowiek-Ekologia-Architektura.

Prof. Dr. habil. in architectural engineering, associate profesor at the Poznań University of Technology, closely affiliated with the Department of Architecture (served as Deputy Dean of the Department in 2002-2005 and 2012-2016). Trained and worked abroad at Croonen Adviseurs b.v. in ‘s-Hertogenbosch and Avans Hogeschool in Tilburg (the Netherlands). Expert in the development and shaping of urban river areas. Research interests include the role of water in the environment and the sustainable development of urban and public spaces, as well as precipitation water management. Served as the leader of several projects and as an external expert during the international project REURIS on the revitalization of urban rivers (2009-2011), and a member of the Committee for Research on Water-related Hazards at the Presidium of the Polish Academy of Sciences, and Advisory Board of the strategic programme „River in the City” in Poznań (2011-2012). Furthermore, since 2016, she has been a member of the Team for Managing the Warta River Area at the Poznań Municipal Office. Recipient of several rewards such as the Minister of Infrastructure prize for exceptional achievements in urban planning (2008) and the Medal of the National Education Commission (2014). Author of over 100 scientific publications, including two monographs (2011): „Water in the public urban space. Models of precipitation and surface water management” and „Poznań Waterfront – The Varta Valley. Revitalising relations with the river”. She is also a keen populariser of the idea of urban water regeneration, having attended over 90 conferences on the subject (both in Poland and abroad). She also organised two series of scientific conferences in Poznań: „Human-Ecology-Architecture”, aimed at a Polish audience, and an international one titled „Water in the townscape”.

An economist, a lecturer at the Department of Economics and Public Administration, Krakow University of Economics, a consultant of the Malopolska Regional Research Center of the Statistical Office in Krakow; an expert in, among others, of the Malopolska School of Public Administration, the Krakow University of Economics, a former President of the Foundation for Economy and Public Administration; constantly cooperating with local authorities; an author and a co-author of several publications related mainly to the issues of urban development as well as local and regional development policies. He has completed dozens of national and international projects, several as a manager, within the framework of the Structural Funds, for the government and self-government administration as well as commercial entities. A graduate of postgraduate studies in Public Administration Management, a beneficiary of foreign academic scholarships (in the USA, Italy, France, Portugal, and UK), a member of the European Regional Science Association.

[English version below] Profesor nauk o Ziemi (dożywotni tytuł naukowy) i członkiem korespondentem Polskiej Akademii Nauk oraz członkiem Academia Europaea (dożywotnia godność). Jest absolwentem Politechniki Warszawskiej (1974). Posiada stopnie naukowe doktora i doktora habilitowanego w dziedzinie geofizyki – hydrologii (Instytut Geofizyki PAN). Kieruje Zakładem Klimatu i Zasobów Wodnych w Instytucie Środowiska Rolniczego i Leśnego PAN w Poznaniu (od 1990). Jest profesorem wizytującym na Uniwersytecie Nauki i Technologii w Nankinie (Chiny). Pracował w Instytucie Badań nad Wpływem Klimatu w Poczdamie (PIK) w Poczdamie w Niemczech (pół etatu, od 2001 do kwietnia 2016 r.), a obecnie ma tam status gościa. Jego najważniejsze badania naukowe dotyczyły ekstremalnych wydarzeń hydrologicznych (w szczególności powodzi) oraz wpływu zmian klimatycznych na zasoby wodne. Był czterokrotnym autorem prowadzącym w wydawnictwach Międzyrządowego Zespołu ds. Zmian Klimatu (IPCC). Był członkiem grupy doradczej ds. środowiska (w tym klimatu) w 7. programie ramowym Komisji Europejskiej. Był i jest mocno zaangażowany we współpracę naukową (krajową i międzynarodową), w tym w wiele projektów badawczych. Spędził około 15 lat za granicą w celach naukowych. Był stypendystą Fundacji Alexandra von Humboldta na Uniwersytecie w Karlsruhe oraz urzędnikiem naukowym w Światowej Organizacji Meteorologicznej w Genewie. Był redaktorem i współredaktorem czasopisma naukowego Hydrological Sciences Journal oraz członkiem rad redakcyjnych kilku czasopism naukowych. Opublikował ponad 500 publikacji naukowych jako autor lub współautor. Warto jego indeksu H wynosi 35 (wg Web of Science). Jego najliczniej cytowana publikacja według Web of Science przyniosła 1570 cytowań (współautorski artykuł w Science w 2008), a według Google Scholar 3754 cytowania (wydawnictwo IPCC, którego był współredaktorem, nieuwzględnione w bazie danych Web of Science). Otrzymał polskie ordery państwowe: Złoty Krzyż Zasługi i Krzyż Kawalerski Orderu Odrodzenia Polski, a także Wielką Złotą Pieczęć Miasta Poznania (Polska), Nagrodę Tisona Międzynarodowego Stowarzyszenia Nauk Hydrologicznych (IAHS) oraz dwie nagrody Polskiej Akademii Nauk. W 2017 roku otrzymał prestiżowy Medal Dooge’a Międzynarodowej Nagrody Hydrologicznej IAHS, UNESCO i WMO, przyznawany globalnie jednemu laureatowi rocznie. W 2018 r. otrzymał honorową profesurę na Uniwersytecie Nauk i Technologii Informatycznych w Nankinie. Wygłosił wiele zaproszonych wykładów plenarnych i prezentacji na międzynarodowych i krajowych konferencjach naukowych, w tym na imprezach o dużym znaczeniu. Być może najbardziej prestiżowym wyróżnieniem typu było wygłoszenie zaproszonego Wykładu Penmana na III Międzynarodowym Sympozjum Brytyjskiego Towarzystwa Hydrologicznego w 2010 roku.

Zbigniew W. Kundzewicz is a Professor of Earth Sciences (lifetime title), a Corresponding Member of the Polish Academy of Sciences and a Member of Academia Europaea (lifetime dignity). He graduated from Warsaw University of Technology (1974). He holds doctorate and habilitation in hydrology from the Institute of Geophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland. He has been leading the Climate and Water Department in the Institute for Agricultural and Forest Environment, Polish Academy of Sciences in Poznań (Poland) since 1990. He is a Guest Professor in the Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology (China). He was a Senior Scientist in the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) in Potsdam, Germany (part time, from 2001 to April 2016) and now has a guest status at PIK. His main scientific contributions have been in the areas of extreme hydrological events (and floods in particular) as well as climate change impacts on water resources. He has been a four-fold Coordinating Lead Author of publications of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). He was a Member of the Advisory Group on Environment (including Climate) for 7th Framework Programme of the European Commission. He has been involved in extensive scientific collaboration (national and international), including many research projects and has spent ca 15 years abroad, on scientific duties. He was an Alexander von Humboldt-Foundation Research Fellow at the University of Karlsruhe and a Scientific Officer at the World Meteorological Organization in Geneva. He was Editor and Co-Editor of a scientific periodical Hydrological Sciences Journal and member of editorial boards of several scientific journals. He has published more than 500 scientific publications as author or co-author and his H-index after Web of Science is equal to 35. His single most cited publication after Web of Science raised 1570 citations (joint paper published in Science in 2008), while after Google Scholar 3754 citations (IPCC Technical Paper “Climate Change and Water” co-edited by Kundzewicz, not included in the Web of Science data base). He has received Polish state orders: Golden Cross of Merit and Knight’s Cross of Polonia Restituta, a Great Golden Seal of the City of Poznań (Poland), a Tison Award of the International Association of Hydrological Sciences (IAHS), and two awards of the Polish Academy of Sciences. In 2017, he received the prestigious Dooge Medal of the International Hydrology Prize of IAHS, UNESCO, and WMO, bestowed globally upon one recipient per year. In 2018, he received Honorary Professorship in the Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology. He has delivered many invited plenary lectures and presentations at international and national scientific conferences, including high-impact ones. Perhaps the most prestigious conference presentation was the invited Penman Lecture at the Third International Symposium of the British Hydrological Society in 2010.

He published over 80 works (including 26 in English), over 40 conference presentations (including English and Russian). He is the author of 2 and co-author of 12 scientific monographs, and co-authored 5 sheets of the Hydrogeological Map of Poland. He has about 100 unpublished studies in the field of hydrogeology, including: documentations, projects and expert opinions. Many times he has been awarded by the Rector of the Wrocław University for scientific achievements. He has reviewed dozens of scientific articles, including Balkema and Springer Editors, and was a reviewer of 5 doctoral dissertations and 3 post-doctoral (habilitation) dissertations. Cooperation with several foreign centers, including the University of St.Petersburg, the Charles University in Prague, Freie University in Berlin, UTAD University in Vila Real in Portugal, Sonora University in Hermosillo, Mexico. In 2017, he established cooperation with the Universities of Santo Tomas and INACAP in Santiago (Chile). He participated in several dozen of research projects (as a manager or contractor) and many national and international conferences. He was the supervisor of 3 PhD, 41 Master’s and 29 bachelor’s theses in the field of geology and environmental protection. He organized several long students scientific trips to various regions of Europe and Asia, including: the Altai Mountains, east of Kazakhstan, five times in Russia (Kola Pen., Karelia, Ural Mountains, Lake Baikal, Sayany Mts.), Georgia (Caucasus), Turkey, Ukraine (Carpatian Mts., Crimea) and Romania (Carpathians Mts.) and to Chile (Atacama desert). He was the head of scientific expeditions to polar regions (Svalbard and Greenland).

[English version below] Doktor nauk technicznych, hydrogeolog. Wieloletni wykładowca geologii i hydrogeologii na Politechnice Wrocławskiej. Pracował także w uczelniach w Afryce północnej, uczestnicząc jednocześnie w projektach dotyczących eksploatacji oraz ochrony wód podziemnych. m.in., przy finansowanym przez OPEC programie przeciwdziałania procesowi pustynnienia w krajach suchego klimatu (Sudan). Na zlecenie europejskiego funduszu PHARE uczestniczył w projektowaniu rekultywacji zbiorników pouranowych w Czechach, na Węgrzech, w Bułgarii oraz w Estonii. Radny Rady Miejskiej Wrocławia od 2002 r. Wiceprzewodniczący w kadencji 2002-2006 oraz w kadencji 2006–2010. Od stycznia 2009 r. jest Przewodniczącym Rady Miejskiej Wrocławia. Doctor of Technical Science, a geohydrologist. He has been teaching Geology and Hydrogeology at Wrocław University of Science and Technology for many years. He was working at many universities of North Africa as well and was engaged in projects which are relevant to exploitation and protection of underground water, for example a founded by OPEC programme to prevent the countries of dry climate (Sudan) from desertification. At the commission of PHARE (Poland and Hungary: Action for the Restructuring of the Economy), he took part in designing the remediation of depleted uranium tanks in Czech Republic, Hungary, Bulgaria and Estonia. He has been a city councilman of the City Council of Wrocław since 2002. In 2002-2006 and 2006-2010 he was its Vice-Chairman, and since January 2009 he has been the Chairman of the City Council of Wroclaw.

Piotr Voelkel co-founder VOX Capital Group, which includes companies operating in related industries, such as manufacturing of construc

Professor at Institute of Meteorology and Water Management in Warsaw and Wrocław University of Technology, Senior Policy Advisor at Odra-Vistula Flood Management Project Coordination Unit and Director of Strategy at the Wrocław Regional Development Agency. Expert in water management and in regional policy. He is author of more than 150 papers publications and numerous professional evaluations in the domain of water management, environmental engineering, application of mathematics, public finances and regional policy. In years 1992-1998 Governor of Wrocław Province, 1993-1997 Chairman in the National Council of Governors, 1998-2001 Advisor to Prime Minister. In 2000-2001 and 2008-2010 Chairman of the International Commission of Odra River Protection Against Pollution. During 2004–2005 he was a member of the Governmental Interdepartmental Team preparing the National Development Plan 2007-2013 for Poland. Since 2001-2006 he worked as PCU director in World Bank Flood Recovery Project implementing realization of modern flood protection warning and forecasting system for Poland. Since 2008-2016 Project director of the World Bank & CEB supported Odra River Basin Flood Protection Project and Odra-Vistula Flood Management. He is member of the Committee for Spatial Planning and Deputy Chairman of the Water Management Committee of the Polish Academy of Sciences.

Witold Ziomek has been the President of the Management Board of Municipal Waterworks and Sewerage Joint Stock Company (MPWiK S.A.) in Wroclaw since 2017. Prior to being promoted to CEO he held the position of Vice President of the Company for 10 years and was responsible for all the finance functions, IT services, capital investment, asset management and customer relationship. During that period MPWiK Wroclaw successfully arranged the financing scheme that combined the EU grants and the EIB loan and executed an investment programme worth over 1.5 billion PLN – the biggest project in its history. Prior to becoming involved in the public sector, Witold Ziomek had been employed for 20 years by private sector companies both in Poland and abroad. Among his work experience are: a three-year engineering contract in Tokyo, a management position in a Warsaw-based financial advisory firm specialising in M&A transactions as well as a position of the finance director in an international company based in Wroclaw, Poland. He is fully proficient in English. Witold Ziomek graduated from Wrocław University of Science and Technology, the Faculty of Electronics and subsequently obtained an MBA degree at Wroclaw University of Economics. In his private life Ziomek is a big fan of sport competitions and a ski enthusiast. He also has a keen interest in photography.

Prof. Jerzy Zwoździak has long experience in solving various scientific problems, teaching and training, and consultancy with respect to the broadly defined environmental protection. He has been cooperating with Polish industry from the early 80-ties l.c., elaborating numerous reports and expertises. He is particularly active in the field of: Environmental impact assessment studies, Environmental management; Source apportionment studies; Implementation new strategies in the environment, Methods of waste disposal, Land-use planning, Ecologistics. Prof. Jerzy Zwoździak obtained his PhD in the Institute of Environmental Protection Engineering at Wroclaw University of Technology, Poland and there he completed the habilitation. Since 1996 he is full professor. As part of his R&D activities, he was the project leader, main investigator and investigator of numerous national, bilateral and international projects, where he e.g. coordinated the complex, interdisciplinary project commissioned by the Ministry of Education and Science: “New methodologies and technologies for the deodorization of industrial, agricultural and municipal sectors” (PBZ-MEiN – 5/2/2006). As part of his professional performance, Prof. Jerzy Zwoździak served as Director of Institute, Dean of Faculty and a Head of scientific and teaching Department at Wrocław University of Technology. Among others, he was Specialist Adviser to Minister of Environmental Protection, Natural Resources and Forestry, Specialist Adviser to Minister of Economy, Specialist Advisor to General Inspector of Environmental Protection and a Member of various advisory/review groups (e.g. Polish Academy of Science and Polish Scientific Research Committee). Recently, he served as vice-President of National Water Management Authority, where he e.g. was responsible for cooperation with EU. Prof. Jerzy Zwoździak was awarded the Minister of Education and Minister of Environment prizes and numerous Rector, Dean and Director of WUT ones.