Professor Władysław Baka Award is presented annually for the best bachelor's thesis defended at the Faculty of Economic Sciences at the University of Warsaw, funded by the donation from the Professor Władysław Baka's wife.

Professor Władysław Baka (1936-2021) was associated throughout his professional life with the Faculty of Political Economy, which later became the Faculty of Economic Sciences at the University of Warsaw. He frequently emphasized that the University of Warsaw was the most important place for him, a place with which he identified and to which he kept returning. Professor Baka was a beloved and respected lecturer.

Professor Baka graduated from the Faculty of Political Economy at the University of Warsaw in 1958, and then began his academic career at the same Faculty. In 1966, he defended his doctoral dissertation, supervised by Professor Czesław Bobrowski, and in 1971, he obtained his habilitation degree. In 1977, he received the title of Professor of economic sciences.

In the 1980s, when Professor Baka became involved in the process of reforming the Polish economic system, he developed an interest in the issues of central banking and monetary policy. From 1981 to 1985, he served as the government plenipotentiary for economic reform, and from 1985 to 1988 and again in 1989-1990, he served as the President of the National Bank of Poland. He was the creator of the banking system of the Third Republic of Poland. He also served as the Governor of Poland in the World Bank. Thanks to the efforts of Professor Baka and Zdzisław Sadowski, Poland returned to international financial institutions.

Professor Baka was actively involved in building the modern banking system, including the implementation of deposit protection schemes for clients. He also served as the Chairman of the Banking Guarantee Fund Council and was the recipient of the nationwide "Ten Most Outstanding Polish Bankers of the Decade of Reforms 1989-1999" award.

about competition

The Competition is organised by the Faculty of Economic Sciences of the University of Warsaw in cooperation with the Frederic Skarbek Foundation for Employees and Graduates of the Faculty of Economic Sciences of the University of Warsaw. The organisational side of the competition is handled by the Students' Office of the Faculty of Economic Sciences at the University of Warsaw.

The purpose of the competition is:

• to promote high quality theses prepared by undergraduate students pursuing undergraduate studies at the Faculty of Economic Sciences, both in Polish and English, and thus to promote the undertaking of second-cycle studies;
• to promote undergraduate theses dealing in particular with problems of economic policy in the broadest sense;
• to commemorate the figure of Prof. Władysław Baka, a long-time professor at the Faculty of Economic Sciences.

Who can participate in the competition?
The Competition is open to authors of undergraduate theses defended at the Faculty of Economic Sciences of the University of Warsaw in the academic year preceding the year in which the Competition takes place.

Principles for selecting winners

The prize is awarded by the Selection Commitee appointed by the Faculty Council (the Commitee for the Professor Władysław Baka Prize).

Detailed information can be found in the competition rules.

awards

The award winners receive diplomas and cash prizes. The Competition Commitee may award:

• the main prize of 5000 PLN, and
• no more than two distinctions of 2000 PLN each.

The Jury may decide not to grant the main prize and/or distinctions.