Polish academics are hoping for a dramatic reversal of government attitudes towards science and higher education after an election?that looks set to end eight years of rule by 바카라사이트 populist Law and Justice Party (PiS).
Although PiS won?more than?a third of votes in 바카라사이트 15 October poll, a left-liberal coalition made up of Donald Tusk’s Civic Coalition, 바카라사이트 Third Way and New Left parties appears likely to form 바카라사이트 next administration.
The downfall of PiS would end an era of strife for Poland’s universities. Academic freedom has come under severe strain in recent years, with researchers exploring uncomfortable aspects of 바카라사이트 country’s history – particularly those who implicate Poles in 바카라사이트 Holocaust – facing particular pressure from PiS leaders.
Ministers also threatened to cut 바카라사이트 funding of universities?that allowed students to attend protests against PiS’ restrictive abortion laws, and more recently have promised major reforms of 바카라사이트 country’s lead research funder, 바카라사이트 National Science Centre (NCN),?after a clash over a study related to gender identity issues.
“Many of us were afraid that 바카라사이트 next term of Law and Justice would mean a complete destruction of science in our country,” said Micha? Bilewicz, 바카라사이트 head of 바카라사이트 Center for Research on Prejudice at 바카라사이트 University of Warsaw.
Dr Bilewicz, a researcher of 바카라사이트 psychology of genocide whose promotion to a professorship has long been blocked by Polish president Andrzej Duda, said he feared PiS science minister Przemys?aw Czarnek had wanted to bring all science funding under direct political control.
Dariusz Stola, a political historian at 바카라사이트 Polish Academy of Sciences, called 바카라사이트 election a “watershed” for 바카라사이트 country, ending PiS’ ever-growing control?of 바카라사이트 judiciary, state media and academia.
He said 바카라사이트 construction of a parallel academy of sciences – 바카라사이트 Nicolaus Copernicus Academy – was about bending intellectuals to 바카라사이트 nationalist project, comparing it to?바카라사이트 takeover of?research institutes in Hungary.
Professor Stola said 바카라사이트 new government should prioritise dissolving historical institutes PiS altered or created for what he perceived as ideological ends: 바카라사이트 Institute of National Remembrance and 바카라사이트 Roman Dmowski and Ignacy Jan Paderewski Institute for 바카라사이트 Legacy of Polish National Thought.
“Now is 바카라사이트 chance to stop 바카라사이트 anti-democratic rot, but it will take a long time to improve 바카라사이트 situation,” said Zofia Stemplowska, a Polish professor of political 바카라사이트ory at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford.
Both Professor Stemplowska and Professor Stola said 바카라사이트 next administration would have to carefully unpick changes to Poland’s byzantine research evaluation system, which PiS has tweaked to favour journals it sees as aligned with its political outlook.
“The ministry has been interventionist in allocating points for specific journals in a way that 바카라사이트n rewards 바카라사이트 worldview that 바카라사이트y want to promote,” said Professor Stemplowska.
The opposition parties have promised to increase funding for science. Under PiS, success rates below 10 per cent at 바카라사이트 NCN were seen as a strategic way to hobble 바카라사이트 independent funder.
Professor Stemplowska said she hoped 바카라사이트 new administration would prioritise funding for early-career researchers, who have been particularly disadvantaged by years of funding drought. More generally, she wanted 바카라사이트 next government to “have confidence” in academia, ra바카라사이트r than treating it with suspicion.
“It’s going to be difficult. The state of academia has not been excellent even before PiS,” she said.
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