SUMMER SCHOOL
SUMMER SCHOOL
On May 22-26, 2023, the Faculty of Management Engineering of the Poznań University of Technology together with the Faculty of Management and Marketing of Igor Sikorsky KPI organized “Summer School – 2023”. The event was held online in English, the theme of LSH-2023 was “Sustainability in logistics and supply chain management”. The goal is to deepen students’ knowledge of the subject, as well as to integrate students into the international environment. The participants of LSH-2023 were students from different countries, namely: Poland, Ukraine, Georgia, China, Vietnam, Cambodia and Lebanon. For 5 days, students were able to take part in a series of interactive and practical classes conducted by representatives of the Faculty of Management Engineering of the Poznań University of Technology and employees of the Faculty of Management and Marketing of Igor Sikorsky KPI.
Day 1. Opening of the “Summer School – 2023”, sustainable solutions and green warehouses
On the first day, the “Summer School – 2023” was opened by the main coordinator of the event – Irena Pavlyshyn and the coordinator from Igor Sikorsky KPI – Maryna Pichugin. During the opening of the School, the participants had the opportunity to get to know each other by participating in the game “Icebreaker”.
After the opening of the School, the participants worked on the first classes entitled “Are you ready for sustainable solutions? Readiness assessment and development methods” conducted by Dr. hab. Eng. Agnieszka Stakhoviak. The lecture concerned the assessment of readiness for sustainable solutions (in the field of sustainable development). The concept and goals of sustainable development were introduced to the students. During the presentation, the concept of readiness and the methodology of assessing readiness in various areas and aspects were also discussed. The participants were invited to discuss the topic – How to increase the readiness of organizations for sustainable development? Students identified different areas of activity at the strategic and operational levels, and then the results of the discussion were analyzed and summarized.
The second lecture was conducted by Dr. Eng. Izabela Kudelska, on the topic “How much green is in “green warehouses”?”. During the meeting, the basic concepts and issues related to warehouse management were introduced to the students. The purpose of the classes was also to expand knowledge in the field of sustainable storage. On the basis of examples developed by the teacher, the students identified solutions that are implemented in warehouses in order to reduce the negative impact of the warehouse on the surrounding natural environment. The participants of the Summer School 2023 could solve a quiz after the classes, which was a summary of the knowledge acquired during the meeting.
Day 2. Marketing and optimization for an ecological future
On the next day of the Summer School, students participated in a session on “Marketing Efficiency in Managing Sustainable Development of Supply Chains”. The lecture was conducted by Doctor of Economics, Prof. Lyudmila Shulgina, who aimed to draw the attention of those present to the need to move from declarations to practical actions. In the introductory part of the lecture, the theoretical provisions of the key categories of the chosen topic were considered, e.g. on the dynamics of the development of supply chains taking into account the use of renewable energy sources and the essence of the latest concept of effective marketing proposed to solve the problem of environmental pollution. The next part of the lecture was devoted to the scheme of the sustainable development program, which strengthens the responsibility of supply chains for the impact on the environment. Classes were held in an interactive mode, in which students took an active part in discussing problematic issues.
The next lesson is from Dr. Angelica Libertovska. Topic “Optimization of logistics tasks using Solver Add-in for a greener future”. The first part was a presentation that outlined the discussed issues on a theoretical basis, issues in the field of linear programming. The most important advantages of optimization were also presented, with a special emphasis on its impact on logistics processes, both at the micro and macro levels. In addition, the problem of solving a closed transport problem is formulated, the problem is presented in the form of a linear programming problem, and the method of solving it using the Solver tool, which is an addition to MS Excel, is presented. In the second part of the seminar, the participants were divided into 4 groups and then completed two tasks. In the first, it was necessary to build an optimization model based on the given example. The second task was to explain the phrase “optimization in logistics”, taking into account that the recipient is the youngest social group, that is, children 🙂
Day 3. Transport and logistics sustainability and new product development
The third day of the School covered additional topics, broadening and deepening the students’ knowledge with new questions and new skills in the field of sustainable development. The first lesson of the day was conducted by the Doctor of Economic Sciences, Assoc. Kateryna Kopishinska on the topic “Sustainable logistics and transport: challenges and prospects”. During the class, the key areas of development of sustainable (green) logistics, as well as the impact of logistics and transport activities on the environment were introduced to the students. On the example of the DHL company, directions for changing the internal policy of the transport and logistics company with the aim of achieving sustainable development are proposed. Innovative digital technologies that contribute to the achievement of the set goals were also presented, as well as the key areas of development of sustainable logistics, taking into account the development of Industry 4.0, were determined. The students were asked to answer questions about the main challenges of sustainable logistics, to describe the features of the development of sustainable logistics and transport in the future, and to justify their own choice of a cluster of logistics startups for the implementation of an innovative idea.
The second lesson of the third day was entitled “6R rules for the development of a new environmentally safe and innovative product” by Dr. Ioanna Oleshkiv-Shlyapka. Students got acquainted with the concept of 6R in the field of product design. Examples of such products were considered, during the creation of which individual elements of 6R were replaced. The cases concerned such companies as IKEA, Coca-Cola, Adidas, Veja, etc. Other students in groups tried to propose changes to selected existing products to apply the 6R elements and the SCAMPER method to develop a new eco-friendly product.
Day 4. Ethics in supply chain management and responsibility of human resources
On the fourth day of the Summer School, students took part in a class entitled “Ethics and sustainability in supply chain management”, conducted by Dr. Anna Kuharuk and Doctor of Economics, Associate Professor Nataliya Skorobogatova. In the theoretical part of the course, ethical issues in supply chain management were considered. The audience was presented with the main approaches to defining key concepts, the content of the principles of responsible supply chain management, examples of thematic international documents and company materials on issues of ensuring ethics in supply chain management. In order to consolidate theoretical material, the students performed some tasks in working groups on the analysis of corporate documents of several enterprises. The second part of the session was devoted to issues of sustainable development in supply chain management. In particular, the essence and principles of sustainable development in supply chains, their importance in the transformation of enterprises, methods of creating a sustainable supply chain and examples of sustainable management of supply chains by international enterprises were presented. During the second practical part, the students determined the factors influencing the design of the supply chain of a multinational corporation.
The second lesson was conducted by Dr. Eng. Magdalena Grachyk-Kukharska. Topic: “Responsibility of personnel in the logistics system of waste management, taking into account the circular economy”. During the course, the students got to know such concepts as: waste management, waste management system, circular economy, human resources and competencies needed in logistics now and in the future. On the basis of the acquired knowledge, the students’ task was to develop a list of professional and social competencies necessary for the management of the logistic waste management system, taking into account the circular economy. The purpose of the classes was to expand knowledge in the field of waste management logistics, taking into account sustainable development and the requirements for competencies related to management in this field.
Day 5. TOC in the supply chain, green logistics and completion of the “Summer School – 2023”
The last day of the School began with a lecture by Professor of Economic Sciences, Assoc. Marina Shkrobot on “Applying the Theory of Constraints to Improve Sustainable Supply Chains: Challenges and Opportunities”. The first part dealt with the theoretical foundations of the Theory of Constraints (TOC) with a detailed discussion of the thought process. It presented basic steps and a set of tools to create a thinking process that participants could apply in individual groups. In addition, the methodology of building the current tree of reality and the main components of the process of its construction were discussed. The students in working groups then had the opportunity to develop a Theory of Constraints toolkit using a specific example. The second part was devoted to the theory of constraints as a tool for conflict resolution and improving the efficiency of a sustainable supply chain. Students had the opportunity to discuss how to implement the theory of constraints to improve the sustainable supply chain, particularly based on the results of international companies from different sectors of the economy.
The last lesson “Ecology of enterprise development based on the concept of green logistics” was conducted by Dr. Taras Kotsko, The lecture was devoted to the issue of the formation and the implementation of the greening policy as one of the important directions of the transition to the model of sustainable development and an effective tool for the formation of competitive advantages of the modern enterprise. During the course, the meaning of the term “greening”, considered its components and characterized its features from the point of view of different hierarchical levels, was presented to students.
After the last lecture, it is time to conclude the “Summer School – 2023”. The coordinator of the event, Maryna Pichugina, encouraged the participants to share their thoughts about the work during the 2023 LSH-2023, and the students were also encouraged by the main coordinator of the event, Dr. Eng. Irena Pavlyshyn to constantly expand her knowledge, develop skills and maintain mutual contacts and relationships. Invited expert Dr inż. Halyna Ryzhkova from Alfred Nobel University announced the 5 most active participants who received certificates with honours. After the end of the Summer School 2023, all participants received certificates confirming their participation in the international event.
We are glad that the 4th edition of the “Summer School” at the Faculty of Management Engineering of the Poznań University of Technology
in cooperation with the Faculty of Management and Marketing of Igor Sikorsky KPI united many cultures and became not only an opportunity to expand knowledge, but also a platform for joint discussion and interaction!