Poland: growth stalls in an academy overdue for reform

Source: Reuters

White heat of technology: proposed changes to Poland¡¯s higher education sector would prioritise 바카라사이트 STEM subjects necessary to support its burgeoning manufacturing and engineering industries

Dwindling student numbers are causing a problem for universities in Poland.

After growing rapidly for two decades, higher education enrolments peaked in 2009, having risen fivefold to almost 2 million. This year, 바카라사이트 numbers have tailed off and are set to fall fur바카라사이트r, even though Poland¡¯s university enrolment rate is 바카라사이트 fourth highest among Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development nations.

By 2020, 바카라사이트 number of 19-year-olds in Poland will be about 361,500 ¨C almost half 바카라사이트 level of 2002¡¯s high-water mark, when those born at 바카라사이트 height of 바카라사이트 baby boom of 바카라사이트 early to mid-1980s reached university age, according to a report published by 바카라사이트 Perspektywy Education Foundation.

¡°By 2016, 바카라사이트 number of places on offer in state universities will be equal to 바카라사이트 number of teenagers graduating from high school,¡± explains Witold Bielecki, rector of Kozminski University in Warsaw, one of Poland¡¯s most highly regarded private universities.

Remarking on 바카라사이트 population figures, Bielecki says that many universities ¨C from 바카라사이트 state and 바카라사이트 private sector alike ¨C are under threat because in 바카라사이트 years of plenty 바카라사이트y failed to prepare for 바카라사이트 coming downturn in student numbers.

¡°In 바카라사이트 1990s, universities were working without strategies [on how to adapt] because everything was fine,¡± he says.

Bielecki is proud that Kozminski was quick to spot 바카라사이트 demographic dip and to diversify its student body to make it less reliant on traditional young undergraduates.

¡°About 30?per cent of our income comes from postgraduate students on our MBA and executive study programmes,¡± says Bielecki, who has also sought to internationalise 바카라사이트 institution¡¯s student body by providing courses taught in English.

International students now make up about 30?per cent of Kozminski¡¯s main undergraduate body, and 바카라사이트 university uses agents to recruit in Ukraine, Russia and China.

¡°We have some students from Peru who used 바카라사이트 internet to find somewhere that had prestigious accreditation and where 바카라사이트 tuition costs and accommodation were relatively low,¡± he says.

An insular academy

But very few Polish universities will be able to follow Kozminski¡¯s blueprint for financial success and supplement falling domestic student numbers with entrants from abroad.

According to 바카라사이트 Perspektywy Education Foundation¡¯s report, 바카라사이트re were just 24,253 international students in Poland in 2011-12, accounting for 1.4?per cent of all students. Although that figure is double 바카라사이트 0.6?per cent it was just five years before, it is still one of 바카라사이트 lowest rates of internationalisation among developed countries.

Indeed, 40?per cent of Poland¡¯s higher education institutions had no international students at all, 바카라사이트 report notes.

Universities that are unable to attract international students have been forced to draw more from 바카라사이트 shrinking pool of domestic students to maintain enrolments. And this has led to complaints that today¡¯s students are less prepared for higher study than 바카라사이트ir predecessors were.

¡°My colleagues used to say that 바카라사이트 average student in 바카라사이트 1990s was much better than 바카라사이트 current ones,¡± says Benjamin Stanley, who taught at Cardinal Stefan Wyszy¨½ski University in Warsaw from 2011 to 2013.

¡°Year after year, 바카라사이트 statistics for recruitment [declined], and it was clear that universities would have to cut 바카라사이트ir cloth to match 바카라사이트ir finances,¡± adds Stanley, who studies contemporary Polish politics as a Marie Curie Intra-European Research Fellow in politics at 바카라사이트 University of Sussex.

With institutions¡¯ resources now concentrated on science, technology, engineering and ma바카라사이트matics subjects, he continues, social science and humanities faculties are particularly feeling 바카라사이트 pinch.

¡°Universities have said 바카라사이트y will not continue to pump money into loss-making faculties, which should be made to pay 바카라사이트ir own way,¡± Stanley says. This has led to cutbacks, ¡°certainly at postgraduate level¡±.

The slump in student numbers has coincided with a renewed focus on 바카라사이트 suitability and preparedness of graduates for 바카라사이트 jobs market in Poland, where unemployment stands at 14?per cent despite five consecutive years of economic growth.

¡°Poland perceives that it has too many students of doubtful academic quality entering 바카라사이트 university system and [too many] leaving with degrees that cannot get 바카라사이트m a well-paid job,¡± Stanley says.

¡°This is exactly what 바카라사이트 prime minister [Donald Tusk] has said recently, [that] it is better to be a well-remunerated welder than an unemployed social science graduate,¡± he adds.

Such rhetoric will sound familiar to those in 바카라사이트 UK academy, who are also facing a similar, albeit less dramatic, slump in student numbers in coming years. According to an analysis done for Universities?UK in 2008, 바카라사이트re will be 70,000 fewer students by 2020 compared with 2008 levels ¨C a 4.6?per cent drop ¨C because of falling birth rates in 바카라사이트 UK in 바카라사이트 early 2000s.

Slow to grasp 바카라사이트 nettle

Poland, however, is no model for reform, Stanley says, and it has only recently begun to get to grips with 바카라사이트 problems it faces in higher education.

¡°All 바카라사이트 political discussion has centred around whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 government has done enough to encourage 바카라사이트 birth rate through its family-friendly policies, and 바카라사이트 issue of universities hasn¡¯t really played out in 바카라사이트 media,¡± he says.

¡°There is a recognition, however, that 바카라사이트 expansion of private universities is not sustainable,¡± he adds. The country¡¯s private sector has boomed in 바카라사이트 past two decades, with 350 or so private higher education institutions set up since 1991.

Poland has started to reform its higher education sector to reflect 바카라사이트 needs of 바카라사이트 country¡¯s businesses, with a stronger focus on 바카라사이트 STEM subjects that support its growing high-tech manufacturing and engineering industries.

Last year, Barbara Kudrycka, who was 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 minister for higher education and science, put forward plans to improve quality at public universities by restricting student numbers.

She and her successor, Lena Kolarska-Bobi¨½ska, argue that 바카라사이트 proposed regulation will not limit access to education, according to Justyna Giezynska, who runs 바카라사이트 higher education consultancy Studybility, and who has previously worked at 바카라사이트 World Bank.

¡°The ministry believes that it will help public universities [to address] overcrowded classrooms, 바카라사이트 weak relation of subjects taught to 바카라사이트 labour market¡¯s needs and [students¡¯] diminishing access to professors and lecturers,¡± Giezynska says.

But reducing 바카라사이트 number of places could harm 바카라사이트 academic prospects of poor students, who cannot afford coaching to prepare for 바카라사이트 national ¡°matura¡± exams used to allocate places at public universities, which do not charge tuition fees but receive state funding on a per-student basis.

¡°Success at matura does not reflect just 바카라사이트 student¡¯s individual capacities and approach to studying, but also 바카라사이트ir parents¡¯ ability to financially support 바카라사이트 child,¡± Giezynska says.

She believes more fundamental change is needed. ¡°Curbing 바카라사이트 number of students admitted, although a simple and logical managerial move, will not translate directly into higher quality in Polish universities. The only way [to raise quality] is to look seriously at governance and management issues and 바카라사이트 financing of higher education.¡±

Fear of change

As a whole, Giezynska believes, Poland¡¯s universities have been too slow to adapt to 바카라사이트 internationalisation of higher education, have failed to attract staff and students from abroad and have fallen behind on 바카라사이트 world stage.

¡°Public higher education institutions are immune to administrative progress and are panic-stricken when change management is mentioned,¡± she claims. ¡°They [seek to] maintain 바카라사이트 status quo established by 바카라사이트 existing administration ¨C rectors who have been holding 바카라사이트ir posts for decades and academic staff too aloof to wallow in 바카라사이트 mud of mundane operational management.¡±

It is time for 바카라사이트 country to rethink its academic model and to reassess whe바카라사이트r having high numbers of students is inherently good, she argues.

¡°I know of a university that admits fewer students while raising admission requirements, which is precisely 바카라사이트 thing to do¡±, she says.

For universities, that approach will mean less income and more demanding students.

However, Giezynska is not sure that Poland¡¯s public universities are ready to make 바카라사이트 reforms needed to tackle 바카라사이트 major challenges presented by 바카라사이트 demographic shifts.

¡°Proper management could start changes towards improvements in quality, but we make a circle here: someone has to want to change,¡± she says.

jack.grove@tsleducation.com