The four-day event took place at the Jagiellonian University in Kraków, Poland, and attracted approximately 200 participants from across the region and beyond. Attendees included researchers, representatives of civil society organizations and social movements, trade union professionals, and artists. The conference aimed to provide a platform for academic and practical dialogue on sustainability transitions, social justice, and degrowth.

In addition to scientific presentations, the conference placed a strong emphasis on participatory and community-based activities. Participants had the opportunity to attend workshops, visual and performing arts programs, and community-building events such as collective gardening and nature walks.

The conference was organized within the framework of the “Bridging Green and Just” project, supported by the International Visegrad Fund. The project brings together the following partner institutions:

• Jagiellonian University (Poland), Faculty of Management and Social Communication – Coordinator
• Masaryk University in Brno (Czech Republic), Department of Environmental Studies
• Technical University of Košice (Slovakia), Department of Regional Science and Management
• University of Szeged (Hungary), Institute of Ecological Economics

Researchers from the Institute of Ecological Economics at the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, University of Szeged, actively contributed to the conference through presentations and professional programs:

• Zoltán Bajmócy, Eva Fraňková, Maciej Grodzicki, Anna Kötelesová and Zofia Łapniewska: Bridging Green and Just in CEE (plenary roundtable discussion)
• Zoltán Bajmócy and Barbara Mihók: Hope, Emotions and Self-Resourcing in Transformative Education for Sustainability: The Case of an Ecological Economics Course for Business Students
• Roland Herke: Compassion as a Practice of Self-Limitation: A Buddhist Economics Intervention
• György Málovics: Universities and Local Sustainability Initiatives – University Community Engagement as an Approach to Support Degrowth Transition

The conference represents an important milestone in strengthening the community of scholars and practitioners working on degrowth and sustainability transitions in Central and Eastern Europe. The event provided a valuable opportunity for knowledge exchange among researchers and practitioners across the region, while also fostering new collaborations aimed at building a socially just and ecologically sustainable future.

Further information about the project is available on the project website.