Warsaw has once again became the center of talks about the latest technologies, their impact on our lives, and the role women play here.
More then 10,000 participants from 73 countries, of which over 7,500 were offline; almost 4,000 grants enabling students of technical faculties to participate free of charge in Summit; 500 speakers giving speeches, presentations, workshops, mentoring sessions, role models sessions; 500 mentoring sessions; 100 partners – companies, universities and institutions; 80 technology and career workshops developing soft skills; 250 scholarship holders from the East; 26 additional events; the first climate-positive event in history – this is the shortest summary of Perspektywy Women in Tech Summit 2022, which took place on 7-8 June in Warsaw.
Perspektywy Women in Tech Summit 2022 are two super-intensive days filled with substantive content. The event was addressed to students, women at the threshold of their careers, professionals, scientists, activists, leaders, startups, and all women interested in technology and looking for inspiration, the latest knowledge, and willing to join the changes taking place in the modern world.
– It is a great honor for me to be among you for the fourth time – said Bianka Siwińska, CEO of the Perspektywy Educational Foundation and the originator of the largest European conference for women in technology, Perspektywy Women in Tech Summit, during the opening ceremony.
The event, organized since 2018 in Warsaw (exceptionally online in 2020), gathered over 10,000 participants from 100 countries. As noted by Bianka Siwińska, the conference attracts everyone close to the desire to change the world.
– In Perspektywy, we believe in women, in the power of science and technology, and above all in the fact that the world in its present shape – without empathy, based on brutal aggression and using people and our planet – must radically change – said Bianka Siwińska. – That is why we need as many beautiful and sensitive minds as possible, as many wise women as possible, who will take responsibility for changing the world because we are the hope and future of the world.
Distinguished guests attended the opening of the conference. Rafał Trzaskowski, Mayor of Warsaw, noted:
– It is wonderful that thanks to the Perspectives, all those who want to discuss the most important challenges facing the world have gathered in our city again. I must admit that in Warsaw we missed this meeting very much. Today, after the pandemic, we know that without technology, we cannot cope with the problems that lie ahead, so I feel proud that the discussion on the planet’s future is taking place in Warsaw. Bianka, Perspektywy, thank you for what you are doing.
Those gathered in front of the main stage at the EXPO XXI Center were also welcomed by Justyna Orłowska, Plenipotentiary of the Prime Minister for GovTech, who declared:
– I am grateful to Perspektywy for organizing this event, which allows women from different backgrounds, countries, and experiences to fight for their passions, talents, and competencies, and makes them aware that these are not things that should be abandoned.
Daniel Lawton, Deputy Head of Mission of the US Embassy in Poland, for whom the Grand Opening Conference was the first official speech in Poland, declared that all employees of the American embassy in Poland wholeheartedly support pro-equality and pro-democracy initiatives.
– Our future depends on such events as Perspektywy Women in Tech Summit. The chance for change, to prevent a climate catastrophe, and to make the world better is in you: young people, open minds. More: you, women, drive our development.
The last speaker was the former president of Kyrgyzstan, Roza Otunbayeva. She recalled the eastern saying, “a younger sister always follows the older one; it learns from her.”
– However, Perspektywy teaches us that we have common goals and dreams and can achieve a lot together. And it is young women who will help the world take a new path.
The conference was inaugurated with a speech by representatives of Eastern Europe and Central Asia countries. Young girls – students and university representatives – from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Ukraine, spoke on the stage about their dreams and goals. The declaration of the desire to live in a world free from violence, war, inequality, and oppression was the motto of all these statements. In the last speech, Irena Darwaj, a Ukrainian woman, caused the biggest applause when she said:
– Thank you, Poland, Europe, for your support. We all need to do more together so that the future we want of a life of peace may come true. For this, we need more women in technology and places where important decisions are made.
Positive atmosphere
Perspektywy Summit had the ambition to become the first climate-positive event in Poland.
– Perspektywy Women in Tech Summit is a meeting of committed, wise and responsible women in technology – and this obliges. We know that a lot depends on us. The fight for the planet is now the most crucial issue. It is our responsibility to act. So we are committing – to make Summit a susceptible event regarding its impact on the climate, said Bianka Siwińska. – We will count, reduce and more than compensate for greenhouse gas emissions related to the implementation of the event – and will remain a protected, biodiverse forest in the buffer zone of the Biebrza National Park. The emissions will therefore be more than sustainable. We want to go a step further – not only being zero-emission but also positively impacting the climate. It is a huge challenge! The Main Partner of the idea of the Climate Positive Summit in Orange, supporting the City of Warsaw and Plan Be Eco.
The conference at a glance
Summit is two super-intensive days of talks about the latest technology shifts and our shared future in this context. A program of three scenes, a series of 100 specialist workshops, a mentoring zone, and a job fair (Career Expo) brings together companies and institutions that particularly care about employing women. Numerous additional events accompanied it – a series of over a dozen evening meetings in companies (Tech Warsaw Welcomes), a scientific seminar for female researchers and researchers in the field of computer science, and the Great Celebration of Women in TECH & IT – a lively evening event with the awarding of the TOP10 Women in Artificial Intelligence titles. The most important topics of this year’s conference were: metaverse, artificial intelligence in its newest and most practical versions, blockchain, cybersecurity, pro-climate technologies, deep tech, 5G, and the cloud.
Event gallery: -> LINK
More: https://womenintechsummit.pl
