GoWeast! Join Others at the Research-Oriented Meeting
The first edition of the “GoWeast!” program took place between February 26 and March 5, 2025. This program is a joint initiative of the SGH Warsaw School of Economics and the Berlin School of Economics and Law (HWR). Its primary goal is to merge small groups of Polish and German students, mix them, divide them into even smaller research teams, and guide them through the process of delivering a scholarly presentation and article on topics of mutual interest.
This year, six students from SGH and eight students from HWR were invited to participate, based on their applications submitted during the recruitment process. (Remember to follow the Dean’s Office websites in the autumn if you wish to apply next year!) Students with diverse academic backgrounds and skills formed three quasi-interdisciplinary teams. Over three days in Berlin and another three days in Warsaw, these teams participated in short workshops designed to provide the necessary background on both the study topic (the tourism-tax nexus) and methodological and software issues. These workshops were conducted by the scientific organizers: Prof. Wojciech Stiller from HWR, and Profs. Michał Bernardelli and Bartosz Witkowski from SGH. Each professor supervised a research group, each employing a slightly different methodological approach and dataset to address the question: Does raising taxes slow down the tourism industry?
Students worked intensely. On the first day at HWR, the group spent nearly ten hours on their projects. This was crucial, as the second day included a visit to the newly built Polish Embassy in Berlin, where a presentation of preliminary results had been scheduled. The research seminar, delivered by Prof. Stiller and the student groups, was attended by a diverse audience, including consultants, tax advisors, Berlin city tax policy officers, and embassy staff. The audience’s interest, reflected in their questions, matched the warm and welcoming atmosphere of the embassy. The student findings on the tax-tourism nexus were non-trivial and methodologically rigorous, generating genuine interest.
After “going West,” the group “went East” to Warsaw. There, the program concluded with additional workshops, final amendments to the research presentations, and the presentation of final results. The event also included a farewell gathering, attended by the Vice Rector for Teaching and Student Affairs, Prof. Krzysztof Kozłowski. His support was crucial to the program’s success. Participants are now expected to deliver research articles, which are anticipated to hold potential for publication.
Many individuals worked hard to make this initiative possible, and we are deeply grateful to them. The program was financed by SGH and DAAD, and the funds were well-spent. Students gained the opportunity to work in small groups under close supervision by experienced scholars, asking methodological questions and receiving immediate feedback. Additionally, they presented their results to two demanding audiences. Witnessing the students' enthusiasm for research was one of the greatest rewards for the academic staff. We look forward to continuing this initiative in the coming years.
Interestingly, the idea for GoWeast! originated in Alicante, where two Polish professors met a German professor during International Week, an annual event led initially by Felipe Ruiz Moreno and more recently by Toni Fuster Olivares. This event offers academics from various universities the chance to collaborate—proof that such encounters can lead to remarkable initiatives like GoWeast!
Professor Bartosz Witkowski,
Rector’s Representative of the SGH Doctoral School
director of the Institute of Econometrics, Collegium of Economic Analysis, SGH Warsaw School of Economics
