Over 70 speakers from Poland and abroad, 6 plenary sessions, 16 thematic panels and nearly 200 participants present on site and online. The 2026 Civitas University Social Horizons Forum is now behind us – the first event of such scale and ambition, both academic and popularising in nature, in the history of our university. Over two intensive days, Civitas University became a key point on the map of public debate in Poland.
The event’s success in terms of attendance and the high level of audience engagement confirmed the strong demand for reliable, academic discussion. The debates and lectures brought together an exceptionally diverse audience – from established scholars and market experts, through representatives of the public sector, to students and alumni. The hybrid formula ensured broad and inclusive access to knowledge, making the Forum a space for genuine dialogue, linking theory with the search for real answers to pressing social challenges.
A practice-oriented programme: from education to security and AI
At the heart of the Forum was a diverse, interdisciplinary programme. The event format was designed to combine a theoretical perspective with market and social practice. Over two days, speakers in plenary sessions and discussion panels addressed a wide spectrum of topics that shape our daily lives today and determine the directions of development in the social sciences and humanities.
The key lines of discussion focused on three main areas:
- Modern education and the labour market: Experts reflected on how to educate future generations wisely in an era of permanent change and how the higher education system should respond to the rapidly evolving needs of employers. They discussed the flexibility of curricula and the skills of the future that are becoming crucial for navigating the labour market.
- Artificial intelligence and technologies: Panels devoted to AI in the social sciences attracted particular attention. The discussions covered not only the technological advancement of algorithms, but above all the ethical, psychological and sociological consequences of the digitalisation of social life and the ways in which technology is transforming our everyday relationships and social structures.
- Public security and social resilience: In the face of global and local crises, researchers and practitioners analysed mechanisms for building social capital, trust in institutions and the resilience of communities to contemporary threats and disinformation.
The high substantive quality of the panels clearly demonstrated that Civitas University – consistently strengthening its position as a university – is becoming a key centre setting the standards for academic debate in Poland.
