Better staff at better universities-this is the key goal of the government's latest reforms planned for Poland's higher education system. The reforms aim to change the country's traditional academic career models and improve the way in which schools are organized.

The reform proposal, drafted by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, has caused heated debate and much controversy in the academic community. Doubts primarily concern the government's plan concerning scientific degrees.

Under the new system, the most talented students would be able to start their Ph.D. studies directly after obtaining a B.A. degree (licencjat) and would receive special grants for that. Experts from the Ministry of Science and Higher Education say it is necessary to abolish the degree of senior Ph.D. (doktor habilitowany) and replace it with a certificate granting a Ph.D. degree holder the status of an independent researcher with the right to supervise Ph.D. students. A doctor with such a certificate would be able to receive the title of professor from the president of Poland at the request of the Central Commission for Degrees and Titles, which would no longer be meeting behind closed doors.

Doctorates and salaries

Ministry experts have come up with an idea to grant two types of Ph.D. degrees, professional and academic. They say this would make it possible to draw a distinction between people who want to use Ph.D. studies to broaden their knowledge and those who intend to pursue an academic career. However, for the time being, the ministry has only called for a debate on doctoral degrees.

The salary system for academic staff would be reformed, and funds for academic research would be distributed through competitions.

Professors who receive their titles from the president would be able to receive an additional pension from a special fund after retiring, provided they stop working and teaching at a university.

The ministry wants to encourage academic staff to show greater mobility by introducing obligatory doctoral and post-doctoral internships at schools other than their own. These would include internships in companies and institutions abroad. Positions at schools would be filled for specified periods of time, with recruitment taking place through competitions.

Flagship colleges

The government wants the schools to be better managed and financed, and it also wants to encourage them to work with companies and foreign partners. One of the key goals is to select "flagship" schools and departments-the best of the best in their field. These would be granted Leading National Academic Center status and receive a range of as-yet-unspecified privileges. Colleges providing top-quality research and instruction would be able to apply for this status. Smaller and less efficient schools would receive support if they decided to merge with similar schools. The government also wants to encourage private schools to merge.

The ministry is seeking to change the organizational structure of some schools. Selected schools would be supervised by the ministry itself. At the moment, medical universities, for example, are supervised by the Health Ministry, and art colleges are overseen by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage.

The ministry also plans new rules for state-run schools that confer B.A. degrees. The ministry would no longer supervise these schools, transferring that privilege to province governments. However, the ministry would continue to oversee these schools' curricula.

A similar system is currently at work in elementary and secondary schools in Poland. They are run by local governments, but the teaching process is supervised by government-controlled provincial education authorities (kuratoria).

Better school management

The ministry wants to increase the use of information technology systems in schools to upgrade management and administration. Plans include the introduction of digital student IDs and bank scholarship cards for students receiving financial assistance, along with the launch of public databases for research results and academic magazines. The best-managed and most active schools would be eligible for an annual award from the prime minister.

The government also wants to sort out property issues concerning universities. A register of school properties would be established, and audits would be carried out to examine how these properties are managed. Money for schools would be allocated according to new rules depending on the field of study. The ministry would change the criteria for determining the costs of instruction. For example, training a literature expert is less expensive than teaching a chemist who must carry out lab experiments using expensive materials and equipment. The ministry would take these differences into account while distributing money to schools. Ministry experts say the current fund allocation system does not reflect the actual instruction costs and should be modified.

The most efficient school departments-those that carry out the most research and offer top-quality instruction-would receive more money than other departments. Some of the funds would be generated through programs in which colleges would work with companies. The government wants to encourage businesses to launch such partnerships by offering tax exemptions. Additional funds obtained from European Union coffers would be used to finance selected courses in order to better meet the job market's demand for graduates in certain fields. Students would receive performance-related scholarships that would depend on how well they do in college. Scholarships would be granted through competitions. Students of private schools would also be able to count on government support.

The ministry also wants to increase the availability of loans for students. Anyone holding a student ID would be eligible for such a loan. After graduating and taking up a job with an appropriate level of income, they would be able to pay the loan back. A special fund would be created to subsidize those loans and to pay off bad loans.

Open and competitive

The ministry says it is necessary to relax visa procedures for foreign students and teachers. Foreign students would find it easier to obtain work permits in Poland, while Polish scientists and teachers would find it easier to work abroad and take part in academic and teaching programs in the country.

The academic community would establish closer ties with companies and foreign research institutions. Polish scientists would also become more competitive internationally. The reform plan calls for a consistent increase in government spending on science. One of the first steps would involve the establishment of a Council for the Development of Science and Innovation at the Prime Minister's Office. The council, which would be headed by the prime minister and include other ministers and experts, would prepare short- and medium-term strategies for the development of the science sector.

The development of basic research in various fields and international cooperation would be coordinated by a National Science Center. It would hold competitions for research grants and sign agreements on international research programs. The center would be founded along similar principles as the existing National Center for Research and Development, which coordinates research programs in applied sciences.

The National Science Center and the National Center for Research and Development would distribute most of the money for research projects. The ministry would focus on financing the development of research infrastructure and evaluating the work of research institutions, including school departments, Polish Academy of Sciences institutes, and government-run R&D centers. The ministry would grant funds depending on the results of independent audits.

The ministry plans to reduce subsidies for the "statutory activities" of research centers, meaning funds designed to cover their day-to-day expenses and maintain their research capacity. Only the best research centers would receive such subsidies, while the least efficient R&D centers would be transformed into companies.

Money for research and jobs at research institutions would be distributed through competitions. The winners would be selected on the basis of their research results rather than academic degrees or titles. Competition judges would include external experts as well as international experts in case of the highest positions. Competitions and job offers would be publicly announced, including announcements on a special website.

Researchers working at R&D centers would be employed on a temporary basis to encourage competition. This would not apply to those holding the title of professor, who would be able to apply for a work contract for an indefinite period of time.

Supporting innovation

The ministry wants to subsidize research projects that offer the best prospects for practical application, such as market research and procedures linked with patents and certification. The ministry plans to grant legal support to such projects. Companies that decide to work with research centers would be eligible for tax exemptions.

The ministry's experts have also proposed changes in the organizational structure of the Polish Academy of Sciences (PAN). They want to reduce the number of PAN departments and committees and downsize administration staff. The work of PAN committees and institutes would be audited regularly to make sure they focus on advanced research projects.

Under the reform plan, PAN institute directors would be selected through open international competitions, and the institutes would be grouped into several networks depending on the research field. Each network would be provided with an international "steering committee" that would organize competitions for institute directors and coordinate periodic audits at the institutes. The ministry wants the networks to support the institutes in applying for research grants from EU funds. All the research groups at PAN institutes would be audited periodically and would be able to recruit new staff depending on the results of the audit.

Marcin Rybicki