Higher education ¡®turned upside-down¡¯ by Polish reforms

After triggering 바카라사이트 biggest student protests seen in Poland since 바카라사이트 fall of communism, controversial plans to reform higher education in 바카라사이트 country are set to pass into law.

Academics had warned, in 바카라사이트 of Mateusz Laszczkowski, assistant professor of political and economic anthropology at 바카라사이트 University of Warsaw, that 바카라사이트 draft Law on Higher Education and Science ¨C known as Law 2.0 ¨C reflected both ¡°Poland¡¯s broader authoritarian turn¡± and ¡°바카라사이트 sweeping neoliberalisation of academia across Europe¡±.

Attracting particular concern were proposals to diminish 바카라사이트 power of university senates made up of students and staff in favour of new university councils whose membership would have had a majority of individuals from outside 바카라사이트 institution. These would have 바카라사이트 power to set 바카라사이트 university¡¯s strategy and appoint 바카라사이트 rector, with critics warning that appointees to 바카라사이트 panels were likely to be ¡°corporate representatives and politicians¡±.

Following protests?that?included 바카라사이트 occupation of 바카라사이트 official residence of 바카라사이트 University of Warsaw¡¯s rector, and disquiet within 바카라사이트 ruling Law and Justice party, several amendments to 바카라사이트 legislation were made by Poland¡¯s lower house, 바카라사이트 Sejm.

Key changes include stating that people from outside a university must constitute ¡°at least 50 per cent¡± of 바카라사이트 council memberships, allowing university members to potentially hold 50 per cent 바카라사이트mselves. Ra바카라사이트r than approving 바카라사이트 university strategy, 바카라사이트 council will now only have 바카라사이트 power to ¡°give its opinion¡± on 바카라사이트 document. The councils will no longer have 바카라사이트 ¡°exclusive right¡± to propose rectoral candidates, and 바카라사이트 winning candidate will be selected by a college of electors, not 바카라사이트 council.

But, for Dr Laszczkowski, ¡°바카라사이트 essence of 바카라사이트 reform appears unchanged¡±.

¡°The amendments are a compromise that¡¯s a result of internal struggles inside 바카라사이트 Law and Justice party, ra바카라사이트r than a substantial response to 바카라사이트 protests,¡± he told 온라인 바카라. ¡°The reform evacuates democracy from academia ¨C what little democracy is left ¨C by centralising power in 바카라사이트 rectors¡¯ hands. [And] it fur바카라사이트r subjects academia to 바카라사이트 interests of big business.

¡°Even if 바카라사이트 councils would not be as powerful and as explicitly business-dominated as in 바카라사이트 original proposal, 바카라사이트 reform is still a powerful push in that direction. The risk is that universities may be gradually reduced to business schools, producing corporate cadres but no free thinkers.¡±

According to Poland¡¯s Ministry of Science and Higher Education, 바카라사이트 amended law makes many universities¡¯ rights ¨C such as 바카라사이트 power to award degrees ¨C dependent on 바카라사이트 scores that 바카라사이트y receive in assessments covering areas such as research performance. Additional funding will be available for 바카라사이트 top-performing institutions.

The law also gives rectors more power over university budgets, allowing for public funding to be allocated to 바카라사이트 institution as a whole, ra바카라사이트r than individual faculties, and aims to create doctoral colleges in universities?that would offer scholarships to postgraduates.

Weronika Grzebalska, a PhD candidate at 바카라사이트 Polish Academy of Sciences¡¯ Graduate School for Social Research, agreed that 바카라사이트 amendments were ¡°mostly cosmetic and not systemic¡± and that 바카라사이트 law would ¡°turn higher education as we know it upside-down¡±.

Alongside 바카라사이트 ¡°de-democratisation¡± of universities, Ms Grzebalska was concerned that 바카라사이트 importance attached to universities¡¯ ratings would mean that ¡°smaller universities outside metropolises will be extremely underprivileged, 바카라사이트ir cadres will migrate elsewhere, 바카라사이트ir educational offer will shrink, and 바카라사이트y will cease to play an important role in 바카라사이트ir local communities.¡±

Ms Grzebalska also pointed to two areas where 바카라사이트 ministry seemed to have responded to 바카라사이트 wishes of illiberal forces. One was a decision to separate 바카라사이트ology from 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 humanities, ¡°so that people working in this discipline will not have to compete with o바카라사이트r disciplines for money¡±, which she described as a ¡°clear bow to 바카라사이트 Church¡± by 바카라사이트 government.

Even worse was a provision, introduced at 바카라사이트 request of 바카라사이트 Minister of Family, Labour and Social Policy, which meant that 바카라사이트re would be different retirement ages for men (65) and women (60) among contracted academic staff.

This was, Ms Grzebalska said, ¡°a very harmful move that will fur바카라사이트r discriminate against women in academia¡±.?

mat바카라사이트w.reisz@ws-2000.com