11th European Congress of Local Governments

From March 2 to 3, 2026, the 11th European Congress of Local Governments was held in Mikołajki, focusing on the functioning of local governments and local development.

The event attracted a record number of over 3,000 participants from Poland and abroad. The congress program included over 250 events, including plenary sessions, panels, debates, workshops, presentations, and author meetings.

The leading theme of this year’s edition was the issue of cooperation between local government and scientific institutions, and the role of cultural heritage in building the social and economic potential of regions.

Representatives of our faculty: Prof. Jolanta Itrich-Drabarek, PhD; Aleksandra Gasztold, PhD; Prof. Tomasz Grosse, PhD; Dr. Grzegorz Gudzbeler, professor, and Dr. Bartłomiej Biskup took part in discussion panels, sharing their expert knowledge and commentary, including in panels entitled “Strategic reserve: how to build social resilience” and “Education as an investment in the future. School in local government, society, and the economy.” They also moderated important discussions between representatives of local government, government administration, business, non-governmental organizations, and the media.