Lecturer responsible for the classes: dr hab. Monika Bąk, prof. UG
The aim of this course is to familiarize students with the current conditions and challenges faced by Central and Eastern European countries. This region shares a past of operating within a centrally planned economy and a socialist system, which has significantly influenced its development in recent decades. The lecture will explore the successes and failures of economic development in these countries, as well as the significant differences between them. More than 20 countries will be discussed, starting with Poland and the central part of the region, through the former USSR countries, and ending with the Balkan states. The lecture will be co-hosted by two distinguished guests:
Bryan Roberts is an American research economist who has led research projects for governments, think tanks, and other organizations on a wide range of public policy issues. In the last two decades, he has focused on the analysis of issues related to immigration and border management, and he has led research projects that have made innovative use of government and survey data to answer analytically challenging questions. In the 1990s and early 2000s, he lived in several post-communist countries and worked with their governments as an advisor on a wide range of economic policy issues. These countries include Poland, Kyrgyzstan, Bosnia, Armenia, Montenegro, Kazakhstan, North Macedonia, and Turkmenistan. He has also been an Assistant Professor of Economics at the University of Miami in the 1990s and an Adjunct Professor at George Washington University in the 2010s. His teaching career has focused on development economics, economics for public policy making, and cost-benefit analysis. He is now preparing to write a book about the socio-economic impacts of the communist era on central-European countries.
Tomas Lauko is a Global and Regional Business and Marketing Executive. He was born in Slovakia and has pursued his studies in Slovakia, France, and the Czech Republic, graduating from the Prague University of Economics & Business. He began his career in the business development department of Societe Generale in the Czech Republic while still a student. After a year, he transitioned into advertising and communication consulting, moving to Germany to work as a Communication Consultant for Dentsu Aegis Groupe in Germany and Central Eastern Europe. After 1.5 years in Wiesbaden, he returned to Prague for a CEE regional role. For the past 15 years, Tomas’ career has been joint with Publicis Groupe. He initially focused on business and digital development across the CEE region for ZenithMedia, implementing partnerships with major players like Facebook and Google. He was soon appointed Managing Director of Zenith in the Czech Republic, where he led the agency’s transformation becoming the market challenger. In early 2014, Tomas took the role of CEO of ZenithOptimedia Group in Russia, based in Moscow, guiding the agency and its clients through market and economy slump period during the Crimea annexation and its aftermath. He worked with notable clients such as L’Oreal, Nestle, Yandex, Sanofi, Richemont, Daimler, Raiffeisen Bank and many others. After nearly three years in Russia, he transitioned to a global role as a Client Leader for L’Oreal group working for Publicis Media, driving growth and strategic planning across 25 countries. In early 2019, Tomas was appointed Chief Operating Officer for Publicis Groupe in Northern, Central, and Eastern Europe. In April 2021, he became CEO of Publicis Groupe for
Central and Eastern Europe, managing all entities in 28 countries, including global centers of excellence in Data, CRM, Production and eCommerce.
Lectures are held: Tuesdays 09:45 - 11:15 (I and II week) room C301 |