Scientists fear creeping political influence over Polish academy

A series of planned reforms of the Polish Academy of Sciences (PAN) shows a “lack of trust” and risks undue political influence over the body, its leaders have warned.

A draft law proposed earlier this month by the country's Ministry of Science and Education cited issues including a “defectiveness of management processes” and a lack of efficiency for the changes, which include the transfer of its supervision from the prime minister to the minister of science, as well as a revised organisational structure.

Mirosława Ostrowska, PAN’s vice-president, told Times Higher Education that the amendment would result in the “full, even excessive subordination of scientific institutions to the ministry, far beyond the necessary administrative oversight,” adding that the proposed changes “clearly indicate a lack of knowledge about the functioning of our institution.”

“The entry into force of such a law will not only disorganise the Polish Academy of Sciences and prevent a healthy relationship between the corporation and the scientific institutes, but will also make it vulnerable to the political influence of changing political authorities,” Professor Ostrowska added.

Jerzy Duszyński, a former PAN president and adviser to its current president, Marek Konarzewski, said that the proposal showed a “lack of trust in the Academy’s authorities and staff”.

“Their activities will be subjected to constant scrutiny, to continuous oversight, and frequent reports and audits will be required,” Professor Duszyński said. “There will not be much time left for substantive activities.”

Both professors also said the academy was experiencing issues with funding. In January, national pay rises came into force, with the salaries of academic teaching staff increasing by 30 per cent, but the salaries of non-teaching staff – including those at PAN research institutes – increasing by only 20 per cent.

Marcin Pałys, chair of Poland’s Central Council of Science and Higher Education, said the pay rises only “partially compensated for inflation”, noting that “Poland still has one of the lowest public spendings in the European Union on science and higher education.”

“This causes an outflux of young talents, either to the business sector or abroad, and a growing generation gap in academia,” he said.

While objecting to the reforms of the established academy, scientists have welcomed plans to close the rival Copernican Academy, which was established in 2022 under the previous science minister, Przemysław Czarnek of the populist Law and Justice party.

“The establishment of the Copernican Academy was perceived by many as yet another attempt to distribute money, positions and prestige to those loyal to the ruling party,” said Marta Wróblewska, a higher education scholar at SWPS University.

In a draft bill, the Ministry of Science and Education said the Copernican Academy was largely assigned “duplicated” tasks already performed by other entities, while its grant-awarding policy “does not correspond to best practices”. Criticising the institution’s inefficiency, the bill said its activities “contribute to the dispersion” of available resources, ultimately recommending that it be “liquidated”.

emily.dixon@timeshighereducation.com