During the official opening, the Dean of the Faculty, Colonel Bartosz Kozicki, PhD, Professor of the Military University of Technology, emphasized the importance of an interdisciplinary approach to contemporary security issues and the need for dialogue between the academic community, experts, and practitioners from the public sector. The aim of this year’s edition was to discuss the reorientation of national and international security in the context of the major events of the second and third decades of the 21st century, including the COVID-19 pandemic, the full-scale war in Ukraine, as well as the growing tensions in the Middle East and South Asia amid the increasing economic and military power of China.

The inaugural lecture, titled “The Changing Challenges Faced by the Armed Forces in the Area of Security”, was delivered by General (ret.) Jarosław Mika, whose address set the tone for the substantive discussions that accompanied the entire event.

Over the two days of discussions, three plenary sessions and eight thematic panels were held, addressing geopolitical, military, technological, economic, legal, and social aspects of security. The discussions covered, among other topics, contemporary armed conflicts, the resilience of states and regions, civil protection and crisis management, cybersecurity, environmental challenges, and the defense potential of the European Union.

A particularly special moment of the conference was the granting of a commemorative medal of the Faculty of Security, Logistics and Management of the General Jarosław Dąbrowski Military University of Technology in Warsaw to Mateusz Komorowski, Founder and President of the International Institute for Civil Society (MISO). This distinction expressed recognition of MISO’s contribution to fostering public and academic debate on security and to strengthening cooperation between the academic community and civil society institutions.

An added value of the conference was the opportunity to exchange experiences and confront perspectives among academics, military experts, local government representatives, and members of the business sector. The event became a platform for integration and cooperation among people who, in their daily work, contribute to strengthening the security of the state and its citizens.

The organizers have already announced the next part of the conference, which – as previous experience suggests, is likely to attract an even broader group of researchers, experts, and practitioners interested in defense and security issues in the changing world.