PIOTR ŻELAZNOWSKI

WHO AM I:

I am an architect and urban designer based in Gdańsk, Poland, specializing in the conceptual stages of large-scale architectural and masterplanning projects with an international scope. A graduate of the Gdańsk University of Technology, I gained experience working in Rotterdam at MLA+, contributing to major urban projects in Russia and China. Today, I operate as an independent urban designer, merging global expertise with local initiatives. I collaborate with leading firms like Tekuma Frenchman on masterplanning in the Middle East and with Polish design companies on innovative urban solutions. Since 2014, I have co-led the Metropolitan Institute Foundation, an NGO dedicated to exploring innovative and forward-thinking approaches to urban development and governance, particularly in metropolitan integration and management.

WHAT WILL I TALK ABOUT:

At SPP Paris, I will delve into the future of cities amidst the rapid changes brought by urbanization, climate adaptation, and technological advancements. My talk will emphasize how we can design cities that are not only healthy and functional but also innovative and forward-thinking. I aim to show that urban planning isn’t just about reacting to present conditions or following trends; it’s about anticipating the future and creating visionary spaces that improve quality of life. Designing cities is an experimental process—one that imagines a better future and prepares us for it today.

Who am I:

I am Emeritus Professor at Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands, and former Director of the TU Delft Process Technology Institute.  With 45 years of industrial and academic experience I am author of numerous scientific publications on process intensification, chemical reaction engineering and industrial catalysis. I am Editor-in-Chief of Chemical and Process Engineering: New Frontiers (Polish Academy of Sciences), Series Editor of the Green Chemistry Book Series (Royal Society of Chemistry) and former Executive Editor of Chemical Engineering and Processing: Process Intensification (Elsevier). I was also the founder the Working Party on Process Intensification at the European Federation of Chemical Engineering, and Chairman of the European Process Intensification Centre (EUROPIC).

My research interests focus on intensification of chemical processes using electricity-based energy transfer mechanisms. The research in this field brought me among other things the prestigious ERC Advanced Investigator Grant. I am currently affiliated at Warsaw University of Technology where I continue research on green fuels production and on novel energy storage systems using renewable electricity as primary energy source. 

What will I talk about:

I will talk about the greening of the big bad wolf . I will discuss the role that novel, unconventional concepts in my expertise field - chemical engineering - will play in achieving the decarbonization of chemical and related industries.

Who Am I?

I am an architect and a PhD student at Université Paris-Est Sup (ÉD VTT, IPRAUS UMR AUSser, ENSA Paris-Belleville) and Iuav University of Venice. My doctoral research focuses on the heritage of postwar social housing in Europe. I am also the author of the publication titled Iwona Buczkowska. L'architecte face à la pérennité de son œuvre, which addresses the preservation of 20th-century French architecture threatened by demolition (Harmattan, 2020)

What will I talk about?
The conservation and rehabilitation of postwar housing stock have become central issues in the contemporary debate on housing, driven by current concerns around sustainability and ecology. European policies increasingly target housing estates to reduce carbon footprints and energy consumption, but these are not the only challenges modern renovations face. As a researcher and practitioner, I explore effective strategies to redefine existing typologies and improve the social conditions of living environments. At the same time, "ordinary architecture," such as public housing, is experiencing renewed interest from heritage experts and architecture enthusiasts. In this talk, I will discuss recent housing renovations in France, addressing topics like technological innovation, social engagement, and the balance between modernization and the preservation of cultural heritage.

WHO AM I:

I'm a PhD candidate in environmental sociology at the Graduate School for Social Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences and Augustin Cournot Doctoral School of the University of Strasbourg, France, preparing my PhD thesis on governance and public engagement of European wetlands under the joint supervision of Dr. Hab. Krzysztof Niedziałkowski and Prof. Rémi Barbier. Besides, I'm an expert evaluator and monitor in Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe. I am experienced in implementing sustainable development projects by cooperating with the business sector, science, public administration, and NGOs. My research interests are deliberative and participatory practices in biodiversity conservation, environmental management, and system and governance theories.

WHAT WILL I TALK ABOUT:

I will discuss my research, which is focused on mobilizing values for wetland conservation in Europe, presenting cases from France, Germany, and Latvia. 

WHO I AM

I bring nearly 20 years of experience in the field of health, education and environmental innovation and philanthropy through my strategic advisory.

For 12 years, until 2021, I was the CEO of the Fondation Hôpitaux de Paris - Hôpitaux de France, a leading non-profit organisation bringing about change in patient care in hospitals. Prior to that, I was an associate researcher at the Center for Geostrategic Studies of Normale Sup’ Ulm. I then created and ran the department of know-how transfer at Suez Environment - a worldwide utility company, where I also specialised in Water for All Programs in large metropolises across the globe. 

I am also a Philanthropy and Fundraising lecturer at Sciences Po Paris and at the University of Silesia in Katowice, Poland.

I am a board member of the Pr. Jozef Pieter Foundation in Poland and the initiator of the Pr. Jozef Pieter Prize for Teachers, which is awarded yearly on Teachers’ Day, October 14th 2023. 

I graduated from Imperial College London, HEC Paris and Sciences-Po Paris and have lived and worked around the world. 

WHAT I WILL TALK ABOUT

As strategist and advisor, I help companies and entrepreneurs maximise their impact by designing efficient philanthropic strategies and developing new visions across environmental, social, and governance (ESG) matters. I am an expert on the role of philanthropy in (scientific) innovation. 

WHO I AM

I am a Founder of Cabinet Patok, a research and consultancy firm specializing in strategy, analyzing cultural codes and signals of change. As a sociologist of culture, social depictions, and organizations with solid experience in the fashion industry (Courrèges, Givenchy), and in lecturing (Paris Dauphine-PSL, CNAM, Sorbonne, UVSQ) I collaborate with experts from various scientific disciplines. Additionally, I also hold a Ph.D. in Sociology from Sorbonne Paris Cité. I am also a professional ballet dancer and have been working for ballet companies in France for more than 15 years.

WHAT I WILL TALK ABOUT

Creative understanding of human relations, social practices, and social depictions, in both a local and international context at the center of my activities. I will focus on negotiations and intercultural management skills. 

1. WHO AM I?
I work as an expert in the prognostic branch of the Polish military sector, focusing on geopolitics, technology, and civilization. I also serve as Vice President of the International Society for the Comparative Study of Civilizations, which analyzes civilizational traditions to gain geopolitical insights.

My past experience includes working with Big Four companies, EU Commission projects, and leading the Science & Tech desk at Wprost Weekly. I hold a PhD in Philosophy from Jagiellonian University and four other degrees, including an MSc in Philosophy of Science from LSE, an MA in European Studies from Maastricht, and a BA in International Relations. My works include Cities in the Neomedieval Era (2017), State Power Index (2018), and Światy AI (2024).

2. WHAT WILL I TALK ABOUT?
One of the most pressing challenges in EU societies is social polarization and fragmentation, driven by:

Globalization: Migration models show that when integration fails, distinct cultural identities spatially segregate, fragmenting national cultures.

Technology: Social media fosters information bubbles and microcultures that exist alongside or in opposition to national cultures. The rise of conversational AI (e.g., Character.ai) will further increase social alienation.

To counter this growing alienation, EU governments (France, Germany, Italy, etc.) have introduced public programs aimed at strengthening the younger generation’s bond with society, ultimately increasing social resilience. Poland is also developing its own initiatives in this regard.

WHO I AM

I studied at the Polytechnic School of Gdansk and at the ESA in Paris. In 1976, I obtained the DESA Architect diploma and opened the agency in 1978.

From social housing to educational buildings to urban planning, my projects are distinguished by numerous prizes, exhibitions, conferences, films, television reports, radio interviews, monographs, and publications in France and abroad.

Since 2017, the Blanc Mesnil project and the Collège de Bobigny have been an integral part of the museum collections of the Cité de l’architecture et du patrimoine, Palais de Chaillot.

Prizes include: Gold medal and special prize for the Blanc Mesnil project at the 5th World Architecture Biennale, 1989; Silver medal and Delarue prize for the entire work Academy of Architecture, Paris, 1994; Grand Public Prize for Architecture, Ile-de-France region awards, for the Blanc Mesnil project, 2003; 20th Century Architecture Label for the social housing project in Saint Dizier, 2016; JANE DREW PRIZE, 2024.

WHAT I WILL TALK ABOUT

Architecture of CARE. Breathing Spaces.

Care about the inhabitants projecting the spaces which have to provide their pleasure, care about the buildings which have to be well inserted in the site and magnify it, care about our towns and villages, care about our landscapes just to allow the urban equilibrated ecology to be developed, based on conviviality and exchange where the user is the center of interest.

The objective is to research and invent friendly spaces bathed in light where we feel “elsewhere”, offering multiple views and access to the outdoors, following the architecture of oblique planes and supporting arches, rejecting standardisation and orthogonality.

WHO AM I?

I weave my research expertise in extreme weather events and climate impacts from Hamburg University, Princeton University, and the Environmental Defense Fund in NYC with systems-thinking innovation. As a European Climate Pact ambassador and founder of the EquiRoots Climate Collective (ECC) association in Paris, my mission is to bridge the knowledge-action gap by nurturing inclusive climate action initiatives and leading capacity-building events. These initiatives aim to build infrastructure for cultural transformation and collective climate leadership.

As the founder of the Inner Development Goals climate hub, I host systems-thinking capacity-building journeys that integrate the “mind-heart-body approach” to foster a group’s social cohesion. The most recent one, “From Climate Risk to Resilience,” connects adaptation planning, transformative action, and social equity in the context of the recent release of the first European Climate Risk Assessment report. In this initiative, I host multi-stakeholder conversations on an evolving definition of collective identity, planetary well-being, and comfort zone/boundaries as a central point for climate action.

WHAT WILL I TALK ABOUT?

My expertise bridges the inner and outer dimensions of transformation for a sustainable and equitable world. My passion is nurturing women into leaders of resilient communities and inclusive climate action. As a partner of She Changes Climate and New Women's Connector, I actively support young female voices at the nexus of climate and gender.

WHO AM I?
Agnieszka Oleksyn-Wajda, Attorney at Law, Rector's Proxy for ESG at Łazarski University, and Director of the Institute for Sustainable Development and Environment, as well as the MBA ESG Program. I lead Postgraduate Studies in Environmental Law, co-direct Postgraduate Studies in Fashion Law and Management, and specialize in responsible consumption, communication, and sustainable business strategies, particularly within the fashion industry. Since 2021, I’ve been a Climate Pact Ambassador appointed by the European Commission. I also serve as an Expert in Textiles for the New European Bauhaus and the UN Global Compact Network Poland. An advocate for climate action and sustainable business practices, I frequently contribute to reports and speak at conferences on the circular fashion sector.

WHAT WILL I TALK ABOUT?
My focus is the Implementation of the Sustainable Development Principle: A Case Study of the European Textile Sector.
The European Commission takes a holistic approach to sustainable development, recognizing the unique challenges of the textile industry, which has a large environmental footprint and growing public scrutiny. Since the 1970s, international sustainable development policies have evolved, with milestones like the 2030 Agenda and Paris Agreement. However, textiles lacked specific regulations until recently, driven by consumers and businesses increasingly valuing reputation.
Initiatives like the Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action (UN) and the Fashion Pact (G7) spurred progress, but change remains slow. The European Commission’s 2022 Strategy for Circular Textiles aims to eliminate fast fashion by 2030, focusing on durable and recyclable products. Textiles also intersect with other sectors, like construction, shown by the New European Bauhaus project, proving the cross-industry potential for sustainable growth.