Prof. Gertruda Uścińska on the Scientific Committee of the 2026 Łódź Gerontology Days
The seventh edition of the conference in Łódź
On 10–11 June 2026, the Faculty of Economics and Sociology of the University of Łódź hosted the seventh edition of the “Łódź Gerontology Days” conference. Prof. Gertruda Uścińska, Rector of the Nicolaus Copernicus Superior School, attended the event as a member of its Scientific Committee.
The conference is organised by the Department of Demography of the University of Łódź and has been running for years as a regular meeting point for researchers and practitioners working on demographic ageing and its consequences for public policy, the labour market and care systems. This year’s programme included plenary and thematic sessions on social security, the silver economy, older workers’ employment, and quality of life in later age. The agenda also featured a medical workshop on emergency care for older patients and an analytical workshop on data visualisation in Tableau.
Prof. Uścińska’s participation
Research background and conference themes
Prof. Uścińska’s presence on the Scientific Committee follows directly from her academic and professional record. As Chair of the Committee on Labour and Social Policy Studies of the Polish Academy of Sciences, she specialises in social security law and the coordination of social insurance systems across countries. Between 2016 and 2024 she headed the Social Insurance Institution (ZUS), where she co-authored the legal framework of Poland’s COVID-19 economic shield and the support measures introduced for Ukrainian refugees in 2022–2023. That experience connects directly to the conference’s focus on social security systems and the institutional responses to an ageing population.
Conference programme
Employers and an ageing workforce
One of the conference’s sessions was a panel discussion titled “Employers facing the ageing process — challenges and good practices”, moderated by Dr Michał Sobczak of the Łódź Special Economic Zone. Participants included Prof. Bogusława Urbaniak of the University of Łódź and the PAN Committee on Labour and Social Policy Studies, alongside HR directors and senior managers from the private sector. The panel examined how companies are adjusting their practices toward older employees, where progress has been made, and where gaps in communication and training remain.
Science and practice
The Łódź Gerontology Days bring together academic research and the day-to-day work of social policy practitioners and local government representatives. Rector Uścińska’s membership of the Scientific Committee is part of SGMK’s broader effort to build networks with institutions studying the demographic challenges facing contemporary societies.
