On the afternoon of November 19, 2024, the independent lecture "European Competitiveness in Turbulent Times: Focus on Innovation" organized by the Institute for International and Area Studies (IIAS), Tsinghua University was held online. The lecture was given by Marzenna Anna Weresa, Professor at the Institute of World Economy, Warsaw School of Economics. It attracted the participation of doctoral students from the IIAS, students and faculty members from Peking University, the University of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, and the Central University for Nationalities.

After a brief literature review, the speaker proceeds detailed presentation in turn with a quantitative study of competitiveness from 1943-2022, global competitiveness as a multifaceted phenomenon, dimensions of competitiveness under traditional and modern approaches, opportunities for innovation and growth, innovation in the EU, the US, and China in comparison to other global competitors, an inventory of the EU's digital technological development and sustainable development of Europe in times of upheaval.

In the course of the presentation, the speaker combined a large amount of data and examples to analyze in-depth the new direction of competitiveness research, the distribution of global innovations as well as the comparison between the innovation capacity of Europe, the US, and China. She pointed out that the key to enhancing competitiveness in today's turbulent times lies in relying on the synergistic development of digital innovation, green innovation, and social innovation.

During the interactive session, the speaker patiently answered many questions raised by the participants, including "How to understand relational capital," "Why EU countries imposed tariffs on Chinese electric cars," and others. The lecture ended with a lively discussion and was successfully concluded in a warm discussion atmosphere.

Marzenna Anna Weresa, Professor at the Institute of World Economy of the Warsaw School of Economics and former Dean of the School of World Economy of the Warsaw School of Economics, has served as an expert in several research groups of the European Commission, and her research topics have been funded by various organizations, including the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Polish Science Foundation. Her research interests cover corporate innovation and competitiveness, foreign direct investment, and external trade issues in EU countries, etc. Her main publications include “The Determinants of Innovative Capacity in the Medical Sector in Central Europe and Across the European Union”, “Evaluating the Impact of Public Financial Support on innovation activities of European Union Enterprises: Additionality Approach” and others.