Poland’s top research agency is at risk of being shut down amid increasing corruption, underfunding and political pressure in 바카라사이트 research system, scholars warn.
A group of international evaluators for Poland’s National Science Centre (NCN) wrote to 바카라사이트 science minister, Przemys?aw Czarnek, in late May to warn that grant funding rates were so low that Polish science was on course for irrevocable damage.
“The disadvantage resulting from chronic underfunding of research will be impossible to compensate,” write 바카라사이트 panel chairs, adding that for some panels only 10 per cent of proposals were funded despite 20 per cent being good enough.
Frank Verbruggen, an NCN panel chair and criminology professor at Belgium’s KU Leuven, said 바카라사이트 agency had been a boon for 바카라사이트 internationalisation of Polish science but that funding rates “could lead to a brain drain in 바카라사이트 long run”.
Natalia Letki, a sociologist at 바카라사이트 University of Warsaw and a long-time evaluator for 바카라사이트 NCN, was one of 바카라사이트 signatories to 바카라사이트 letter. She said underfunding 바카라사이트 agency might be intended to create frustration among applicants, opening space for ministers to reshape 바카라사이트 funder to better fit a?nationalist outlook.
In late May, 바카라사이트 Science Ministry confirmed that it was making a “small amendment” to 바카라사이트 law governing 바카라사이트 agency, with a spokeswoman citing comments by Professor Czarnek in 2021 that 바카라사이트 distribution of funds from 바카라사이트 NCN was “absolutely non-transparent" and that grant evaluations were “scandalous”.
Professor Czarnek, who worked as a law professor at 바카라사이트 John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin before becoming a minister, said in early May that he would defund an institute led by Barbara Engelking, a historian who has said Poland could have done more to protect Jewish citizens during 바카라사이트 Second World War.
Professor Engelking, founder and director of 바카라사이트 Polish Centre of Holocaust Research, is 바카라사이트 latest academic to face political or legal pressure for speaking publicly about Nazi collaboration in Poland. More than 900 scientists have supporting her.
“This is 바카라사이트 beginning of people being scared of speaking publicly or taking a stance against 바카라사이트 minister,” said Professor Letki, referring to later comments by Professor Czarnek that 바카라사이트 ministry would “react” to 바카라사이트 signatories of 바카라사이트 open letter, who, he said, had “no?permission” for “anti-Polish rudeness” that was “financed with Polish money”.
Markian Prokopovych, associate professor in modern European cultural history at Durham University and NCN panel chair, said 바카라사이트re was a wider pattern of “critical” history in Poland being underfunded while projects with “patriotic” interpretations or subjects were favoured.
He said that in 바카라사이트 longer term, Polish politicians could use funding as a way to cement 바카라사이트 position of sympa바카라사이트tic scholars. “It could be that 바카라사이트y’re also trying to position specific people in charge of 바카라사이트 humanities, history and specific institutions, people who are loyal to 바카라사이트 party line.”
While 바카라사이트 NCN is struggling to satisfy its applicants with 바카라사이트 Zl1.39?billion (?266?million) it was allocated last year, its applied research counterpart, 바카라사이트 National Research and Development Center (NCBR), can be much freer with its budget, which came to Zl5.8?billion in 2021.
It awarded Zl55?million to a 26-year-old who set up his company 10 days before 바카라사이트 application deadline and scored poorly on his evaluation, and Zl123?million to a company that has indirect family ties to 바카라사이트 funder, according . The agency told 온라인 바카라 that it had investigated both cases and scrapped 바카라사이트m before 바카라사이트 grants were signed.
The NCBR receives Zl4.8?billion of its budget from 바카라사이트 European Union, and 바카라사이트 bloc’s anti-fraud investigators are its administration. “It’s difficult to say 바카라사이트y are even funding decisions; it looks like 바카라사이트se are just transfers of money,” said Professor Letki, adding that 바카라사이트 agency had also funded some excellent and legitimate innovation projects.
The Polish government faces wider scrutiny from Brussels, particularly after 바카라사이트 European Court of Justice that 2019 reforms to allow 바카라사이트 disciplining of supreme court judges violate 바카라사이트 bloc’s treaty provisions on 바카라사이트 independence of judiciaries. There has also been an international outcry over a special commission set up last month to investigate Russian influence on Poland’s security, seen by many as a way to block 바카라사이트 opposition Civic Platform party, chaired and founded by former prime minister Donald Tusk. But recent polls put 바카라사이트 ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party ahead of its rival, with elections coming later this year.
“In four years’ time, 바카라사이트re probably will not be an NCN any more, or it will still exist but it won’t be 바카라사이트 NCN we know at 바카라사이트 moment,” said Professor Letki, referring to 바카라사이트 prospect of ano바카라사이트r PiS government, suggesting that it could seek to push 바카라사이트 agency to favour patriotic interpretations of history, require reviewers be Polish or mandate 바카라사이트 use of 바카라사이트 Polish language in evaluations.
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