On March 6, 2025, the University of Rzeszów hosted a seminar entitled “The Activities of Consumer Protection Institutions in the European Union in Practice. Migrants from Ukraine as Consumers.” The event was organized as part of a project funded by the Minister of Science and Higher Education under the Regional Initiative of Excellence program: “Migrants from Ukraine in the Podkarpackie Voivodeship. Socio-Economic Implications.”

The seminar was chaired by Associate Professor Mira Malczyńska-Biały an expert in consumer safety, consumer protection, and consumer policy in both the European Union and Poland.

The event featured distinguished speakers representing European, national, and regional consumer protection institutions and non-governmental organizations.

Among the speakers were:

• Mykyta Sobko, a consumer policy specialist at the European Consumer Organisation (BEUC), based in Brussels, which represents 44 national consumer organizations from 31 European countries.
• Paweł Rokosz, Head of the Department for Alternative Dispute Resolution at the Office of the Financial Ombudsman.
• Jakub Czarnota, Director of the Regional Trade Inspection Authority in Rzeszów, a government administration body operating under the supervision of the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection (UOKiK).

The seminar attracted a diverse audience, including academics, consumer protection professionals, and students specializing in internal security, international relations, political science, sociology, cultural studies, economics, and law.

The high level of interest in the event highlights the growing significance of consumer protection and safety issues. It also reinforces the role of the University of Rzeszów as a unique research center in Poland dedicated to exploring these critical topics.

Financed by the Minister of Science under the "Regional Initiative of Excellence" program for the years 2024–2027, project no. RID/SP/0011/2024/1, with a total funding amount of 17,172,501.00 PLN.