Master in Global Leadership and Geopolitics

Former Vice Prime Minister and Minister of FinanceKozminski University

An intellectual and politician, academic lecturer, and architect of Poland’s successful post-communist systemic reforms. Author of economic bestsellers and numerous works in the fields of political economy, development policy, and interdisciplinary studies on globalization and international relations, published in twenty-eight languages. The most frequently cited economist from post-communist countries. Founder and director of the TIGER think tank - Transformation, Integration and Globalization Economic Research at Kozminski University in Warsaw. 

Former four-time Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance of Poland. In the past, an expert at the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, as well as a lecturer at Yale and UCLA, and a visiting professor at many prestigious universities in Europe, Asia, and America. A marathon runner and globetrotter who has visited 172 countries and set foot on Antarctica. 

Kozmiński UniversityLead Economist at the World Bank

Marcin Piatkowski is Professor of Economics at Kozminski University and Lead Economist for South Asia at the World Bank. Previously, he directed World Bank private sector initiatives in China and advised governments across Europe and Asia.  

His distinguished career includes roles as Chief Economist and Managing Director of PKO BP, economist at the IMF European Department, and Advisor to Poland’s Deputy Premier.

A Harvard pre- and post-doctoral scholar, he holds a Ph.D. and habilitation from Kozminski University and an M.A. from the Warsaw School of Economics. Author of the acclaimed Europe’s Growth Champion (Oxford University Press, 2018; 2nd ed. 2025), he received the Polish Academy of Sciences’ "Best Book in Economics" award. A frequent lecturer at institutions like Harvard and Peking University, he leads panels at the World Economic Forum.  

AI ResearcherKozminski University & Harvard University

Aleksandra Przegalińska is a pioneering figure in artificial intelligence research and academic innovation. She currently serves as Vice-Rector for Innovation and AI at the Academy of Leona Koźmińskiego, where she is also Associate Professor with habilitation in management and organizational sciences. 

Her academic path includes a PhD in the philosophy of artificial intelligence from the University of Warsaw and studies at The New School for Social Research in New York. Since 2016, she has conducted advanced research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Boston and is also a Senior Research Associate at Harvard University’s Center for Labor and a Just Economy. In addition, she acts as Scientific Advisor to Campus AI, contributing her expertise to the development of AI education and research. 

Her research interests cover a broad range of topics in artificial intelligence, with a particular focus on natural language processing, machine learning, social robotics, and wearable technologies. This interdisciplinary expertise allows her to bridge theoretical foundations with practical applications in the rapidly evolving field of AI. 

Senior ResearcherCenter for Human Rights and International JusticeStanford University

Søren Juul Jørgensen is a JD Research Fellow at the Center for Human Rights and International Justice at Stanford University. He is the founder of GAEIA, an international research platform focused on the societal impact of technology, as well as the founder of ForestAvenue, a strategy firm established in Silicon Valley, Brussels, and Copenhagen. 

He previously served as Consul General of Denmark for California and CEO of the Danish Innovation Center in Palo Alto, where he focused on technology innovation and industry engagement, supporting startups, corporate innovation, and research collaboration. He is a former senior diplomat in the Danish Foreign Service, with postings in Brussels, Warsaw, New York, and San Francisco. 

His professional background also includes experience with international technology companies such as Mærsk Data and IBM, as well as work in the green energy sector, where he helped establish Bigadan, a leading Danish RNG/biogas company in the United States. He has also taught law at the University of Copenhagen and continues to serve as a mentor and advisor to tech startups and initiatives. 

Professor of StrategyEMYLON Business School

Philippe Silberzahn is a professor at emlyon business school (France). He also teaches at HEC Paris. His work focuses on how organizations manage disruptions, surprises and situations of radical uncertainty. As a keynote speaker, management educator and consultant, he works with the leadership teams of large government and private organizations engaged in transformation efforts when confronted to disruptions in their markets.

He is the author of several books and numerous articles on these topics. He has over twenty years of prior experience as an entrepreneur and CEO in the software industry. He holds an MBA from the London Business School and a PhD in management from the École Polytechnique (France). His latest book in English, “Welcome to uncertainty” was published in September 2023. He is a professor of strategy and co-author of the book "Constructing Cassandra: Reframing Intelligence Failure at the CIA."

Director of Global Relations and Co-operation at the OECDOECD Sherpa to G20/G7/APEC

Andreas Schaal is the Director for OECD Global Relations and Co-operation, as well as the OECD Sherpa to the G7, the G20 and APEC. In these functions, he supports and co-ordinates the OECD’s contributions to global governance under the leadership of OECD Secretary-General Mathias Cormann. In close co-ordination with OECD Members and the OECD’s External Relations Committee, he and his team implement the OECD Global Relations Strategy, engaging with over 100 partner countries around the globe at the ministerial level and building a global level playing field by increasing adherence to OECD standards and policies. Andreas’ expertise includes two decades of conceptional and strategic work on foreign affairs, national, international and global economic policy, and global governance. He is responsible for the OECD’s relations with Brazil, China, India, Indonesia and South Africa as well as with Southeast Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, South East Europe, Eurasia, and the Middle East and North Africa.

The OECD Global Relations and Cooperation Directorate, which he oversees and manages, includes around 100 team members. Under Andreas’ leadership, it supports the Secretary-General’s objectives for a regionally inclusive and globally relevant Organisation. Between 2013-2016, he served the organisation as the Head of the Sherpa Office and the Global Governance Unit at the OECD and between 2013-2018 as the G20 Sous Sherpa. Since joining the OECD in 2008, he has also held positions as a Senior Policy Analyst in the Investment Division of the Directorate for Financial Markets and Enterprise Affairs, and as Counsellor in the Office of the Secretary General.

Prior to joining the OECD, Mr Schaal held various positions during his work for the German Federal Government, including: Deputy Director G8 Summit/German Sherpa Office, Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Technology; Economic Counsellor, German Permanent Delegation to the OECD, Paris; Vice Chair (elected 2005-2006) of the OECD’s Economic and Development Review Committee (EDRC); and Policy Advisor and Chief of Staff to Parliamentary Secretary of State Siegmar Mosdorf, MP, Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Technology.

Andreas Schaal is a non-Resident Senior Fellow of the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at Renmin University of China (RDCY). A German national, he holds a Masters in Public Policy and Public Management from the University of Konstanz, Germany

Assistant DirectorGeoEconomics CentreAtlantic Council

Bart Piasecki is an economist with extensive expertise in international economic policy, providing in-depth macroeconomic analysis and strategic advice to support decision-making at the executive board level. He is recognized for his deep understanding of international financial systems and the interplay between global markets, multilateral institutions, and public policy. He has experience collaborating with governments, NGOs, international organizations, and financial institutions worldwide. 

He holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration from WSB University and completed executive education at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. 

Former Ambassador of FranceSenior Fellow on China-Russia RelationsAsia Society

Pierre Andrieu is a former French Ambassador and a senior expert on China–Russia relations. Over a distinguished career at the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he held key positions across Europe and Asia, including Ambassador to Moldova and Tajikistan, as well as French Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, where he led negotiations on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. 

He brings extensive academic experience, having taught international relations, European affairs, and Russian foreign policy at leading institutions such as Sciences Po, ESCP Business School, and IRIS. His expertise spans EU policy, Eastern Europe, Russia, and Asia, combining strategic insight with hands-on diplomatic practice. 

Within the Master in Global Leadership and Geopolitics, Pierre Andrieu offers a unique practitioner’s perspective on global affairs, leadership in complex environments, and high-level international negotiation. 

Senior Advisor for Geopolitics and TechnologyVisiting Research Fellow, Oxford University

Dr. Milo Jones is a Visiting Research Fellow at the Changing Character of War Centre, Oxford, and Senior Advisor for Geopolitics and Technology to Arcano Partners and Clearway Capital. An expert in the impact of technology on geopolitics, he serves on the board of a major US firm and provides high-level executive consultancy. He authored Constructing Cassandra: Reframing Intelligence Failure at the CIA, 1947–2001 (Stanford University Press, 2013). 

Formerly a Senior Manager at Accenture and stockbroker at Morgan Stanley, Dr. Jones also served as a US Marine Corps officer and Airborne graduate. He holds a PhD and MA from the University of Kent, an MBA from London Business School, and a BA from Northwestern. He is a Fellow of the Salzburg Global Seminar and a member of the IISS and AFIO. He resides in Poland and France, bringing decades of investment and strategic expertise. 

European Center at the University of Warsaw

Political scientist, sinologist, Hungarian studies scholar, former diplomat, and columnist; professor of social sciences affiliated with the European Center at the University of Warsaw (served as its director from 2016 to 2020). He specializes in contemporary international relations, with a particular focus on China, East and Southeast Asia, globalization, and Hungarian affairs.

From 2003 to 2008, he served as Poland’s ambassador to Thailand, the Philippines, and the Union of Myanmar (formerly Burma); prior to that, he was a long-serving diplomat at the embassy in Budapest (1991–1998) and chief of staff to the Minister of Foreign Affairs (2001–2003). He is the author of numerous books on China and Hungary, including *The Great Renaissance: China’s Transformation and Its Consequences* and *The New Long March: China in the Xi Jinping Era*. He is a regular commentator on Polish media.

Researcher and Head of Gulf StudiesAl Jazeera Centre for Studies

Haoues Taguia is a political analyst and researcher at the Al Jazeera Centre for Studies, focusing on geopolitics, security dynamics, and political movements across the Middle East and North Africa. His work examines regional conflicts, ideological transformations, and the strategic behavior of state and non‑state actors shaping contemporary political landscapes.

As a frequent contributor to academic discussions and media debates, Taguia offers balanced, insight‑driven perspectives on complex regional developments. His contributions at Al Jazeera Centre for Studies provide valuable guidance for scholars, policymakers, and observers seeking to understand the shifting dynamics of the Arab world and its global implications.

President, Centre for International Relations

Political scientist, and European studies scholar specializing in international relations, with a particular focus on the European Union. Since May 2013, she has served as president of the Center for International Relations—one of Poland’s oldest independent think tanks focused on foreign policy. Co-founder and president of the THINKTANK Center for Dialogue and Innovation, and publisher of the quarterly “THINKTANK Review.”

She lectures at the European Center of the University of Warsaw and at the Vistula Academy of Finance and Business. She is a graduate of the University of Warsaw (Italian studies), the Sorbonne in Paris (history and political science), and the State Higher School of Theater (PWST) (cultural history); she completed two doctoral programs (in Poland and abroad) and specialized studies at the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University in New York (Fulbright scholarship). From 2001 to 2008, she served as an expert and head of the European Commission’s Information and Communication Program in Poland and Bulgaria. She is the author of over 150 publications, has supervised over 100 theses, and is a regular commentator on European and international affairs in Polish and foreign media.

Lecturer at Akademia Leona KoźmińskiegoPolish Minister of Energy, Climate and Environment (2016–2021), President of COP24

Michał Kurtyka is a graduate of the prestigious Parisian École Polytechnique and earned a scholarship in quantum optics at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, located near Washington, where he worked under the leadership of Nobel laureate in physics William D. Phillips. Kurtyka also specialized in economics, with a particular focus on industrial and market organization, studying under Jean Tirole, the 2014 Nobel laureate in economics. In the field of international economics, he studied at the University in Louvain-la-Neuve, and he earned his master's degree at the SGH Warsaw School of Economics. Professor at College of Europe and assistant professor at Akademia Leona Koźmińskiego, he is the author of numerous books and articles, and he defended his doctoral dissertation at the University of Warsaw.

Kurtyka is a Distinguished Fellow with the Atlantic Council Global Energy Center in Washington and member of the Board of Europe de Jacques Delors in Brussels. Most recently, he served as the first minister of Poland's Ministry of Climate, responsible with energy and climate, which later expanded to become the Ministry of Climate and Environment. During his tenure starting in 2019, the Polish government adopted its 2040 Energy Policy, opening a new era for the Polish energy transition. He designed the implementation and financing of the energy transition, being the architect of Recovery and Resilience Plan and European funding until 2027 but also launching programs such as "My Water," "Green Public Transport," "Green Cars," and "The City of Tomorrow." He modernized the Polish Nuclear Strategy paving the way for construction of the first nuclear power plant in Poland as well as launched Polish design of a Small Modular Reactor Pola. He oversaw record increases in registration for the development of renewable sources, reaching thousands of megawatts of installed capacity in photovoltaics and one million prosumers.

He launched industrial alliances for hydrogen, photovoltaics, and biogas, and he put forth a framework for the development of offshore wind. He also originated "The Electromobility Development Plan" and guided the creation of the Act on Electromobility and Alternative Fuels, enabling these forms of transport to develop dynamically, including the first large-scale automotive start-up in Poland. In 2018, Kurtyka was appointed as Government Plenipotentiary for the Presidency of COP24—the United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties in Poland. From July 2018, he also held the position of Secretary of State in the Ministry of Environment. In December 2018, he became the COP24 President, which ended with the effective implementation of the Paris Agreement. In 2019, he assumed the role of Ministerial Chair of the International Energy Agency, and in 2021 he was elected as Chairman of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization.

Starting in January 2016, Kurtyka served as the Undersecretary of State in the Ministry of Energy, where he was responsible for the technological development and implementation of innovations in the energy sector, climate and energy policy in the fuel and gas sector, and relations with other countries and international organizations.

Marek Magierowski is the former Polish Deputy Foreign Minister and former ambassador to Israel and the United States. Currently a Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Europe Center, and at the EuroMed Middle East Council. As geopolitical commentator and analyst he regularly contributes to „Wirtualna Polska”, a major Polish news website. 

PhD in Social Sciences, Specialization in SociologyDirector of the Human Rights Centre at Civitas University

Her research and professional work sit at the intersection of geopolitics, business, and human rights. She is a recognized expert in human rights, responsible business conduct, non-financial reporting, and due diligence standards. Her research interests also focus on the impact of climate change and the development of new technologies on human rights.

For over ten years, she has represented Poland in responsible business conduct matters at the government and international level, engaging with the OECD, the EU, and the UN. She leads the work of the Polish National Contact Point for Responsible Business Conduct and represents Poland in the OECD Working Group on Responsible Business Conduct, serving on its Bureau from 2017 to 2025. She advises public institutions and enterprises on navigating geopolitical and regulatory risks in international markets.

She regularly moderates conferences, workshops, and expert panels on responsible business conduct, sustainable development, non-financial reporting, and business and human rights, bridging policy, diplomacy, and corporate practice for audiences across the public and private sectors. She also works as a mediator in civil and commercial disputes.