Prof. Bolesław Rok and Prof. Franjo Mlinarič from Kozminski University are members of the jury of the POLSIF Sustainable Finance Research Award – a new award for the academic community that recognizes research supporting the development of sustainable finance in Poland.
The POLSIF Sustainable Finance Research Award is part of the second edition of the POLSIF Awards – a competition organized by POLSIF – Sustainable Investment Forum Poland. It is the first industry award in Poland entirely dedicated to sustainable finance, and this year’s edition includes a scientific category for the first time.
The new award was established for academic articles and research reports that make a significant contribution to the development of sustainable finance in Poland. Particular emphasis is placed on works presenting new concepts, analyses or solutions that can be practically applied by financial institutions.
Bringing Science Closer to Financial Market Practice
The aim of the award is to build a bridge between academic research and market practice. Submitted works will be assessed according to peer-review standards, taking into account methodological quality, innovativeness and contribution to filling a research gap. Market usefulness will also be an important criterion, understood as the possibility of applying research findings by banks, funds, financial institutions, regulators and ESG practitioners.
Researchers from Poland and abroad may submit their work to the competition – individually or as teams. Both academic articles, including working papers, and research reports prepared under the auspices of universities or by independent researchers are eligible. The submitted works should concern the Polish market, the Central and Eastern European region, or have a direct relevance to sustainable finance practice in Poland.
Bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral theses, as well as commercial reports prepared by consulting firms, are excluded from the competition.
Kozminski University’s Expert Contribution
The presence of Prof. Bolesław Rok and Prof. Franjo Mlinarič on the jury of the POLSIF Sustainable Finance Research Award strengthens the academic dimension of the initiative. It is also an example of the engagement of Kozminski University researchers in developing dialogue between academia, the financial market and institutions responsible for economic transformation.
Sustainable finance is now one of the key areas in the debate on the future of the economy. It includes not only financing the climate and energy transition, but also risk management, responsible investment, ESG data transparency, organizational resilience, and long-term social and environmental value. This is why research that does not stop at diagnosing problems, but provides tools, models and recommendations that can be used in practice, is becoming increasingly important, says Prof. Bolesław Rok.
The POLSIF Sustainable Finance Research Award aims to promote precisely this kind of work – scientifically rigorous and, at the same time, relevant to institutions and individuals making decisions in the financial market.
Submissions for the POLSIF Sustainable Finance Research Award category are open until 15 July 2026. The POLSIF Awards final gala will take place on 17 September 2026.
