WSB University Co-Organizer of a National Conference on Civil Protection and Civil Defence

Civil protection and civil defence are currently among the key issues of national security. WSB University, as a higher education institution educating future experts in the field of security, co-organized the National Scientific Conference “Civil Protection and Civil Defence – Collective Protection Facilities in the National Security System”, which took place on 9 June 2026 in Kraków.

The event was organized by the Małopolska Voivode, Dr Eng. Krzysztof Jan Klęczar, and WSB University, with the participation of the Marshal of the Małopolska Region, Łukasz Smółka, the Provincial Headquarters of the State Fire Service in Kraków, the Pontifical University of John Paul II in Kraków, SKYDDSPRODUKTER I SVERIGE AB, and MS Waryński Development S.A.

The conference brought together representatives of public administration, uniformed services, local government authorities, academia, experts from Poland and Sweden, as well as students of uniformed service classes. Its subject matter focused on one of the most important challenges of contemporary security: preparing the civil protection system, civil defence structures, and collective protection facilities for crisis situations, threats, and wartime operations.

For WSB University, the event provided an important platform for connecting scientific activity with the practice of institutions responsible for public security. Discussions on warning systems, protective construction, shelters, protective facilities, and Swedish experiences had not only an expert dimension but also an educational one, demonstrating the importance of educating specialists prepared to respond to the real challenges of the modern world.

WSB University was represented at the conference by experts associated with the field of security sciences. Guests were welcomed by Prof. Marek Walancik, Director of the Centre for Research and Education of Uniformed Services at WSB University and Chair of the Security Education Section of the Committee on Pedagogical Sciences of the Polish Academy of Sciences. The discussion panel entitled “Collective Protection Facilities: Between Theory and Practice” was moderated by Dr Grzegorz Matuszek, Director of the Centre for Research on Video Monitoring at WSB University.

In the second expert panel, entitled “How Should a Modern System of Shelters and Protective Facilities Be Built and Equipped? Can the Swedish Model Be an Inspiration?”, WSB University was represented by Col. (Ret.) Dr Eng. Zbigniew Kopa. The discussion focused, among other topics, on shelter equipment standards, barriers to the development of protective infrastructure, and the possibilities of applying the experiences of other countries within the Polish civil protection system

The conference was also accompanied by expert and exhibition stands devoted to technologies and equipment for protective structures, the design of protective facilities, their modernization, and the systemic management of civil protection.

WSB University’s involvement in organizing the conference is consistent with the University’s mission of combining education, research, and cooperation with the social and institutional environment. Contemporary security requires interdisciplinary knowledge, responsibility, and practical competencies. For this reason, WSB University continues to develop education in areas related to national security, crisis management, threat response, and modern technologies supporting security.

Effective civil protection begins with cooperation among academia, public administration, emergency services, local governments, and experts. WSB University actively participates in this debate, educating specialists prepared to act where knowledge, responsibility, and rapid response are of critical importance.