EVENT: Luncheon talk on the political and economic implications of Poland

Grzegorz W. Kolodko, an economist who served twice as Polish deputy premier and minister of finance, will discuss the political and economic implications of Poland’s recent membership into the European Union at noon Wednesday, Sept. 29, in the Gamble Room of Rush Rhees Library on the University of Rochester’s River Campus.

Kolodko, who is the John C. Evans Visiting Professor in Polish and European Studies at the University, was a key architect of Poland’s economic reforms in the mid-1990s and returned to the cabinet in 2002 and 2003. His talk is sponsored by the Skalny Center for Polish and Central European Studies at the University, and is free and open to the University community. For lunch reservations, contact the center at x5-9898 before noon Sept. 28.

In his remarks, Kolodko will address the pressing issues facing new EU members, including how they can compete with more advanced economies in Europe and the rest of the world. For Poland, in particular, he’ll also talk about concerns over the loss of political sovereignty as well as the opportunities and risks that lie ahead.

Kolodko, who has a doctorate from the Warsaw School of Economics, is the author of several books, and director of TIGER (Transformation, Integration and Globalization Economic Research) at the Leon Kozminski Academy of Entrepreneurship and Management. The center pursues efficiency and economic equity for post-socialist countries in transition.

Luncheon seminars are part of the Skalny Center’s continuing Skalny Lecture and Artist Series, which offers lectures, films, musical performances, and other presentations about Poland and Central Europe.