Integrating the Region’s Academic Community: Poland’s Perspective on Opportunities and Challenges Ahead

Geopolitical instability has highlighted the need to strengthen academic cooperation and research capacities in Central and Eastern Europe. On October 1, 2026, in Warsaw, the Institute of Economics of the Polish Academy of Sciences (IE PAS), together with the FREE Network, organized the conference Regional influence through academia: Poland’s role in integrating the regional academic community. This brief summarizes the conference discussions on Poland’s potential to enhance regional academic integration and the opportunities and challenges involved.