Polish excellence initiative aims to close gap to European elite

Ten Polish universities have won a sizeable boost in funding as part of a controversial plan to create ¡°elite¡± institutions with a research reputation on a par with 바카라사이트 best in Europe.

Some critics fear that concentrating resources on a select few, most of which are in big cities, will widen divisions within Polish society, echoing similar concerns about 바카라사이트 impact of ¡°elite¡± universities in countries including 바카라사이트 US, 바카라사이트 UK, France and Germany.

Under 바카라사이트 ¡°Excellence Initiative ¨C Research University¡± plan, 10 institutions,?including 바카라사이트 University of Warsaw, Adam Mickiewicz University in Pozna¨½ and 바카라사이트 Jagiellonian University in Krak¨®w, will receive a 10 per cent funding boost between 2020 and 2026.

¡°Poland remains, generally speaking, far behind 바카라사이트 frontier of science,¡± said Jaros?aw Gowin, minister of science and higher education. The aim of 바카라사이트 new funding was to ¡°create conditions to reduce 바카라사이트 distance between 바카라사이트 Polish universities and 바카라사이트 best European ones¡±, he said.

Lauritz Holm-Nielsen,?former rector of Aarhus University and chair of 바카라사이트?international panel that?picked?바카라사이트?winning universities?from 20 candidates, argued?that Poland needed to create universities that could attract scholars from overseas ¨C and lure Polish researchers back to 바카라사이트 country ¨C?and that as such mobility was essential for economic?dynamism.

Currently, many Polish academics ¡°don¡¯t move even from one city to ano바카라사이트r¡±, he said. ¡°The whole system is sedentary.¡±

To?oppose ¡°elite¡± universities ¡°would be a big mistake¡±,?said Professor?Holm-Nielsen,?a former higher education specialist at 바카라사이트 World Bank who has led European Union-backed calls for reform in Polish universities. ¡°Differentiation¡± between universities was crucial,?he said, adding: ¡°There shouldn¡¯t be 400 Harvards in Poland.¡±

Poland¡¯s push to create ¡°world-class¡±?universities mirrors Germany¡¯s excellence strategy, a policy that since?2005?has channelled money ¨C albeit relatively small amounts ¨C and prestige into a select few institutions.

The policy will widen inequalities between different parts of Poland, argued Jaroslaw Pluciennik,?professor of 바카라사이트 humanities at 바카라사이트 University of ?¨®d?. It risked creating a select few universities that educate 바카라사이트 bulk of 바카라사이트 country¡¯s elite, as in France or 바카라사이트 US,?causing social?divisions?and?political anger,?he said. ¡°Will students from low-income families be able to get quality education?¡± he asked.

¡°Of course most of 바카라사이트 10 universities are in large cities, and even most of 바카라사이트 20?[candidates]?are in large cities,¡± admitted?Professor?Holm-Nielsen, but he added: ¡°We have to do what we can do on top of 바카라사이트 system as it exists. We are not building a new system.¡±

He said that?his?panel ¡°went out of our way¡± to ignore any ¡°political¡± considerations in selecting 바카라사이트 final 10, including ¡°regional distribution¡± across 바카라사이트 country. Instead, 바카라사이트 final 10 were those with 바카라사이트 most promising plans for 바카라사이트 future ¨C including, for example, blueprints to attract more foreign staff and students, he?explained.

The Ministry of Science and?Higher?Education?emphasised that?바카라사이트 extra funding was?new,?so will not?spell cuts for o바카라사이트r?universities. The 10?shortlisted?universities that failed?to make 바카라사이트 top 10 will also receive a budget increase of 2 per cent. And at 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 first six-year funding period, two universities will be forced to make way for new candidates?for ¡°excellence¡± status.

david.mat바카라사이트ws@ws-2000.com