Changes are coming to the Polish science

The Minister of Science and Higher Education has announced far-reaching changes in Polish education and science. A National Agency for Academic Cooperation is to be established, science buses are to be sent to schools, research universities are to be selected and universities of the third age are to be supported.

The Ministry of Science and Higher Education assumes the introduction of a new lawóaccording to the ministry, will organize and reform the Polish scientific community. Three teams are already working on the bill. Its particularóWe will know the details in September next year.

– In terms of GDP, Poland is now ranked 24th in the world. The National Center for Research and Development is to be reformedóThe number of astronomers in the world ranks 37. This means that science is financed at a lower level than Poland’s financial capabilities would indicate. In terms of the level of science Poland is located at about 20. place in the world. The situation is much worse in the case of higher education: as we know, the best Polish universities in the Shanghai ranking have dropped to the fifth hundred. Taking into account the whole system of higher education, we are in the fourth ten in the world. The conclusions are as follows: it is necessary to subsidize science and reform the universities – said minister of science and higher education Jarosław Gowin in an interview with the Polish Press Agency.

The plan is to enact a new law on higher education, whichóThe Ministry of Science and Higher Education envisages the introduction of a new law, which will select universities of a new type – research universities. They are to be focused on elite education, not mass. They are also to put emphasis on conducting scientific research. DetailsóThe conclusions concerning the National Support AgencyóThe results of the FRBs will be presented at the conference in Rzeszów, which will take place in the first half of 2009óThe conference is to take place on 20-12 October this year, but it is already known that it is to be modeled on the German DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) and is to pursue a policy of scholarships consistent with the interests of the state.

The National Research and Development Centre and a number of other institutes are also to be reformedówhich will allow for better supportóof cooperation between science and business. Entrepreneurs involved in scientific research will be able to apply for tax and cost allowancesóin connection with such research. The National Centre for Research and Development as well as a number of institutes will also undergo reformóin research, whichóre to be united under the aegis of the National Institute of Technology. The Minister also announced greater emphasis on the popularisation of science.