Personal Data Protection Law Institute was inaugurated

The Personal Data Protection Law Institute at the University of Economics and Human Sciences in Warsaw, whose Scientific Council includes 17 specialists from all over Poland, is one of the Polish supervisory authority's initiatives related to the 5th anniversary of the GDPR. On 22 May 2023, the inauguration ceremony of the Institute took place, the appointments were handed over to the Management Board and the Scientific Council of the Institute.

The Institute was established in cooperation with and under the patronage of the Personal Data Protection Office, which is why its governing bodies include experts from the Polish supervisory authority. The Institute's Scientific Council, in turn, is made up of prominent scientists and lawyers from all over Poland, to whom Jakub Groszkowski, Vice-President of the Polish supervisory authority and honorary President of the Institute, presented their appointments. 

Five years of the GDPR have prompted the Office to create a scientific and advisory initiative on data protection. The intention of the creators is for it to be the main centre in Poland dealing with data protection bringing together in the Scientific Council or Working Groups of the Institute the best specialists in the field.

 Jakub Groszkowski, thanking Professor Konrad Janowski, PhD, Rector of the University of Economics and Human Sciences in Warsaw for the opportunity to establish the Personal Data Protection Law Institute, emphasised the modern character of the University, which is of great importance for the Institute.

 - We often talk today about modern technologies, and the challenges for humanity in this context, so where can we address modern technology issues if not at a modern university? - pointed out Jakub Groszkowski during the ceremonial inauguration of the Institute.

 - It is an excellent place for us, as data protection practitioners, together with academics from all over Poland to conduct research, organise conferences, workshops, he added.

 Professor Konrad Janowski, Rector of the University of Economics and Human Sciences in Warsaw, also referred to the topic of modern technology, which is becoming increasingly based on artificial intelligence. He compared the development of artificial intelligence with the development of the internet, to which we have become accustomed and which we have learned to use.

 - We also need to learn how to use artificial intelligence and how to adapt to it. Numerous issues around this topic are likely to be the subject of work undertaken by the Institute, as it is no longer possible to escape from it - he pointed out.

 The Institute's established Scientific Council, together with invited guests, also discussed the challenges of data protection in the context of 5 years of application of the GDPR.

 The first activities of the Personal Data Protection Law Institute will be the cooperation on and patronage over the preparation of the report 'Knowledge on personal data protection security in Poland' and the educational initiative for students 'Summer Academy of GDPR Leaders', in which participants will learn aspects of personal data protection and privacy, not only in theory, but also in practice,. The first Working Teams were also inaugurated.