Addis Ababa, 18 September 2026: The Ethiopian Economics Association (EEA), in collaboration with the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Addis Ababa and the Policy Innovation Research Center (PIRC), convened a high-level dialogue on “The Past, Present, and Future of a Successful and Resilient Economy” under the theme “Building Successful and Resilient Economies: Lessons from Poland and Perspectives for Africa.”
Held at the Skylight Hotel in Addis Ababa, the dialogue brought together economists, policymakers, researchers, development practitioners and other stakeholders to exchange perspectives on economic transformation, resilience and policy responses to emerging economic and climate-related challenges.
The programme opened with welcoming remarks by H.E. Ms. Ilona Korchut, Head of Mission of the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Addis Ababa, and Dr. Abebe Ambachew, followed by opening remarks from Prof. Tassew Woldehanna, President of the Ethiopian Economics Association.
A key highlight of the event was a special lecture by Prof. Marcin PiÄ…tkowski of Kozminski University in Warsaw entitled “How Poland Became a Global Growth Champion and How to Sustain It in the Future – Lessons for Developing and Emerging Economies.” The lecture provided an opportunity to reflect on Poland’s economic transformation and consider lessons that may be relevant to developing and emerging economies.
The lecture was followed by the first panel discussion, featuring Prof. Marcin PiÄ…tkowski, Prof. Abebe Shimeles and Mr. Ali Zafar, and moderated by Dr. Abule Mehare. The discussion explored economic transformation, institutional and policy considerations, and the relevance of international development experiences to African economies.
The second part of the dialogue focused on climate-related economic risks. Dr. Solomon Zena presented “Dry Spells, Hard Bells: El Niño and Ethiopian (African) Agriculture,” examining the implications of El Niño for Ethiopian and African agriculture and the wider economy.
The presentation was followed by a second panel discussion, also moderated by Dr. Abule Mehare, with Prof. Marcin PiÄ…tkowski, Prof. Abebe Shimeles, Mr. Ali Zafar, Dr. Yetsedaw Emagne and Dr. Solomon Zena. The panel connected the themes of economic transformation and resilience, with discussions around climate-related shocks, agricultural vulnerability, social protection, fiscal preparedness and timely policy responses.
The dialogue highlighted the importance of combining international experience, research evidence and policy dialogue in addressing the challenges of sustained economic transformation and resilience. It also provided a valuable platform for strengthening collaboration and knowledge exchange between Ethiopian and international institutions.
The event concluded with closing remarks by Prof. Mengistu Ketema.
EEA extends its appreciation to the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Addis Ababa and the Policy Innovation Research Center, as well as all distinguished speakers, panelists and participants, for their contributions to this timely and substantive dialogue.
