Cooperation with OECD. New opportunities for students Presentation of the report on Poland
On 25 October 2024, SGH Rector Piotr Wachowiak and OECD Deputy Secretary General Yoshiki Takeushi signed a cooperation agreement between the SGH Warsaw School of Economics and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development in Paris. SGH was thus the first university in Poland to join the group of such excellent OECD partner schools as Sciences Po in Paris and Bocconi University in Milan.
The OECD is an intergovernmental organisation grouping thirty six countries. Its activities are primarily aimed at promoting sustainable growth policies and raising living standards in the member states and working together for sustainable development in third countries in accordance with the principle of non-discrimination and international commitments. It provides a platform where member state governments can tackle the challenges of globalisation together and exchange experiences related to new phenomena such as ageing populations, digital economy and climate change.
A closer cooperation with the OECD will not only facilitate access to the latest analyses and reports prepared by this organisation for employees and students at our University, but above all will allow them to actively participate in their development as experts and thus influence the shaping of modern economic, financial and social policies at the global level. It should be emphasised that the agreement results from the activities carried out by the SGH staff of the International Centre (CWM) as part of the project “SGH_Expert_Network: building the capacity of the SGH Warsaw School of Economics in the field of internationalisation based on a network of experts”, financed by the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange (NAWA) under the programme “Welcome to Poland”. Thanks are also due to the staff of the Permanent Representation of the Republic of Poland to the OECD, in particular to Ewa Kubeł, Deputy Permanent Representative and Joanna Smenda-Martyka, who contributed significantly to the signing of this agreement.
The main objective of the agreement is to enable SGH students and graduates to complete paid internships and build a career path in this organisation. The OECD runs several internship programmes such as the Young Associate Programme for undergraduate students and the OECD Internship Programme. The agreement applies primarily to the latter programme, as students of partner universities are treated as a priority when considering applications for internships. In addition, our University will be able to pre-select fifteen candidates according to the criteria specified by the OECD.
The OECD Internship Programme is an opportunity to complete an internship with this organisation. The programme is primarily aimed at master’s and doctoral students, however, applications from undergraduate students are also considered. Internships last from one to six months, with the possibility of extending to twelve months in total. The condition is that you have citizenship of one of the OECD member states and are fluent in English. French is not required, though welcome, as it lets you to fully enjoy staying in Paris. Interns receive financial support in the cost of living.
And what are the benefits of an internship at the OECD for a student? First of all, it allows students to improve their analytical skills in an international environment. Interns will support policy analysts, attend meetings and seminars, and even conduct independent research. Its less obvious goal is also to show the possibility of building a career in an international organisation, which is not always the first choice of our graduates, who usually associate their professional future with work for large corporations or in banking.
The first preselection of candidates conducted by the CWM ended in March 2025. The next one is planned for autumn.
The relations established thanks to the agreement also resulted in visits of guests to the headquarters of our University. On 5 December 2024, we had the pleasure of hosting Ambassador Ewa Kubeł and Martin Wassermann, Talent Management analyst at the OECD, at SGH. They met the research staff and students. The meeting was organised as part of the aforementioned project “SGH_Expert_Network: building the capacity of the SGH Warsaw School of Economics in the field of internationalisation based on a network of experts”, it focused on issues related to scientific and research cooperation, on joint projects and conferences, but it also familiarised SGH students with career development paths and internships – the latter not only in the OECD itself, but also in the Permanent Representation of the Republic of Poland.
An important and very prestigious event was the presentation of the latest OECD Economic Survey of Poland 2025, which took place on 4 February 2025 at our University. The OECD Economic Report for Poland is published every two years. Its aim is a multifaceted assessment of the state of our country’s economy, analysis of basic growth indicators, the financial system, the labour market, wage dynamics, and the state of the SME sector. It is a highly valued and objective source of information that also includes recommendations for the future. The report was first announced at the headquarters of the Ministry of Development and Technology, from where the OECD representatives came to our University to present it to a wider audience, including students. The meeting at SGH began with the presentation of the main findings of the report by co-author of the report, Zuzana Smidova. This year’s report focused on topics related to sustainable development, green economy and health sector. The presentation was accompanied by an expert panel entitled “OECD Economic Survey of Poland 2025 – towards recovery and sustainable growth”, moderated by Dr. Eliza Przeździecka, Professor at SGH, participated by Deputy Minister of Health Katarzyna Kacperczyk, OECD Chief Economist Alvaro Pereira and his advisor Tomasz Koźluk, as well as SGH researchers Dr. Piotr Maszczyk and Dr. Maciej Cygler. This year’s OECD Economic Survey of Poland was the 18th report on the state of our economy prepared by the OECD.
A closer cooperation with the OECD means not only the prestige of being among the best economic universities in the world that are partners of this organisation but above all measurable benefits for our community: easier access to internship programmes for students and graduates and easier access to the latest publications, reports and analyses for our employees. In April, CWM will also organise study visits for members of the SGH_Expert_Network network in this organisation, which will certainly result in a number of joint research projects.
Doctor AGNIESZKA KÜHNL-KINEL, SGH International Centre
