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TECHNOLOGY, SOCIETY, AND SUSTAINABILITY IN CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE. REPORT FROM THE XXI INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE, KAZIMIERZ DOLNY, 20–22 MAY 2024
Volodymyr HUMENIUK1
Publication language: English
scientific paper/VARIA
Transformations No. 2(125)2025, Publication date: 30 June 2025
Keywords: technology, society, sustainability, Central and Eastern Europe, artificial intelligence, digitalization, energy transition, governance, social change, interdisciplinary research
Abstract The XXI International Scientific Conference “Technology – Society – Sustainability in the Central and Eastern Europe” (Kazimierz Dolny, 20–22 May 2024) provided a comprehensive platform for interdisciplinary dialogue on the interrelations between technological development, social transformation, and sustainability. Nearly one hundredparticipants from over thirty-five institutions and more than a dozen countries contributed to an exchange that bridged sociology, economics, law, management, cultural studies, and engineering. Central and Eastern Europe, positioned between the legacies of post-socialist transition and the pressures of globalization, emerged as both a vulnerable region and a laboratory of adaptation. Discussions focused on artificial intelligence, digitalization, energy sustainability, education, governance, and everyday social practices. The conference highlighted not only opportunities linked to technological innovation—such as resilience in postwar reconstruction, environmental monitoring, and digital inclusion—but also significant risks, including financial fraud, ransomware, disinformation, and social exclusion. A key achievement was the articulation of regional insights within global frameworks, reinforcing the need for interdisciplinary cooperation and ethically oriented futures thinking. By situating local experiences within transnational debates, the conference contributed to the internationalization of Central and Eastern European research and produced recommendations for sustainable and just socio-technical development.
Doctor of Sciences in Economics, Professor, State University of Trade and Economics, Ukraine
ORCID: 0000-0002-8493-4470
E-mail: profhumeniuk@gmail.com