On Thursday, May 22, 2025, the Faculty of Economicsat Maria Curie-Skłodowska University (UMCS) hostedaninternationalconferencetitled Data Science – ShapingCareers with Market-DrivenCompetencies. The event broughttogetherrepresentatives from academia, business, and public administrationwhoareengaged in the development of modern competencies in the fields of data analysis and artificialintelligence.
The conference was officiallyopened by Professor Dorota Kołodyńska, Vice-Rector for Students and Quality of Education, whoemphasized the role of the university in shapingfutureprofessionals. Dr. Mariusz Lisowski, Vice-Dean for Student Affairsat the Faculty of Economics, followed with a welcomeaddress, highlighting the importance of cooperationbetweenacademia and the socio-economic environment in building market-relevantskills.
Among the participants—both on-site and online—wereprimarilystudents and staff of UMCS, as well as representatives of the ATHENA consortium, whichgave the event a distinctlyeducational and internationaldimension. The conferencealsowelcomedrepresentatives from companiescooperating with UMCS, includingCapgemini, DataArt, GenPact, Netrix, Orange, Sii, PwC, and Vistra, along with officials from the City of Lublin. The presence of business and localgovernmentrepresentativesprovidedspace for dialogue on shaping modern competencyprofiles and aligningeducation with the dynamicneeds of the labor market.
The plenarysessionfeatured Hanna Sobocińska (DataArt Poland), Dariusz Wójcik (Netrix S.A.), Dr. Monika Jakubiak (UMCS), and MSc Michał Błaszczykowski—a graduate of the Data Science program at UMCS and currentlyaffiliated with Lublin University of Technology. The speakersofferedbothpractical and academicperspectives on developing data-relatedcompetencies and applying Data Science knowledge in professionalsettings.
A highlight of the event was the panel discussionmoderated by Dr. Kamil Filipek, Director of the Center for ArtificialIntelligence and Computational Modeling at UMCS. The panel included Krzysztof Saniak (SII Poland), Małgorzata Czarnomska (UMCS), Dariusz Wójcik (Netrix S.A.), George Liodakis (Hellenic Mediterranean University – ATHENA), and Hanna Sobocińska (DataArt Poland). The discussionfocused on future-proof skills, labor market demands, and the role of highereducation in preparing talent for the challenges of digitaltransformation.In the afternoon, thematicsessionswereheld in fourparalleltracks. Theseworkshopsexplored the practicalapplications of artificialintelligence, textclassification, explainable AI (XAI), and the importance of softskills in data-relatedprofessions.On the eve of the conference, a networking dinner was held with the participation of UMCS authorities, the Board of Lublin Universities (ZUL), and representatives from the business and municipalsectors. The event provided a valuableopportunity to buildpartnerships and exchange experiencesamong the threesectorsinvolved in joint educational and development initiatives.
The conference was organized by the UMCS Center for Education and Student Services and the Faculty of Economics as part of the NAWA Welcome to Poland project. It served not only as a platform for the exchange of knowledge and experience but also as a meeting point for the academic, business, and public sectorscommitted to advancing modern competencies in the age of digitaltransformation.
text: PhD. Anna Tatarczak
Photo: DataArt
