Gowin: Cash injection for regional universities is coming

PAP: How much has the draft Constitution for Science, the Law on Higher Education and Science (Law 2.0), changed since the National Congress of Science in September, when it was first presented?

Jarosław Gowin: All the essential elements of the bill remain. We supplemented it with an important offer for medium-sized and small universities, among other things.

PAP: What are the changes that await regional universities?

J.G.: We have significantly rebuilt the Regional Initiatives of Excellence program. This is an important competition that will allow the islands of excellence to develop, and after all, such islands exist at every university. In addition, regional universities will receive over PLN 100 million a year for research. We guarantee that this money will be distributed evenly across all regions. We do not want regions such as Mazowsze - because of Warsaw, or Małopolska - because of Kraków, to hold a distance to the rest of Poland, which will plunge into stagnation. Quite the contrary. This law, guided by the principle of sustainable development, opens up new scientific research opportunities for all Polish regions.

PAP: Does this means that smaller universities will not have to fight the best ones for research funds?

J.G.: No. The best universities that apply for the status of research universities will be excluded from the Regional Initiatives of Excellence competition. An important part of this project is the division of funds between the so-called regional blocks to avoid a situation where, for example, universities in Kielce compete with universities in Kraków or Warsaw. We have divided academic schools in Poland into subgroups of at least three universities. They will apply for research grants in three leading disciplines in a given region. This is a really big financial injection for research.

We have also lowered the scientific category required, for example, from a given university for it to compete in the Regional Initiatives of Excellence program. Only the faculties with the lowest scientific category C will be excluded from the first edition of the competition.

PAP: What changes in the bill did the scientific community win during the consultation?

J.G.: The greatest controversy surrounded the appointment of a new body, the university council. In the final version of the bill we have clarified the competences of university councils. It will be clear that this is not something resembling a supervisory board, but rather a body that will monitor the activities of the university, especially in terms of finances and organization. Therefore, it will be an advisory and supporting body, not a supervisory body in the strict sense.

We are also withdrawing the provision that would give the minister the power to close a major if it did not match the local or regional socio-economic needs. The minister will not have such a power.

PAP: Will there be changes in the salaries of university employees?

J.G.: We are changing the reference indicators for the remuneration of academic staff. Instead of the minimum wage, we will use the average wage in the enterprise sector as a reference. This way, the academic community will become a beneficiary of economic growth that takes place all over Poland.

The bill provides for a certain increase in the salaries of academic staff: the lowest salary of a professor may not be lower than 150% of the average wage in the enterprise sector (according to data from January 2018 it would amount to approx. PLN 7,100 - PAP), and in the case of assistant professors - it may not be lower than 110% average salary (PLN 5,200, respectively - PAP). The above remuneration does not include funds that academic teachers obtain from scientific grants, reviews and other additional work.

PAP: What are the changes that concern PhD students?

J.G.: We have introduced a socially important novelty. We will grant doctoral students a maternity or paternity leave - on the same terms as those that apply to people employed under a contract of employment.

PAP: What about the changes related to part-time studies? The first version of the bill assumed that such studies would be longer than full-time studies.

J.G.: We have abandoned the idea to extend the duration of part-time studies. But we still maintain our concern for the quality of these studies.

PAP: Which changes have appeared in the bill following the comments of other ministries?

J.G.: We preserve the competence of the Ministry of National Defense in the area of supervision over its universities. Those universities will not be required to have university councils. In addition, we have significantly rebuilt the part of the bill that concerns the method of financing. In the new version, we anticipate substitution of grants with subsidies. The difference is that the grant funds are precisely and strictly allocated for specific tasks. A subsidy, on the other hand, gives universities autonomy in the use of these funds. Universities will have greater financial flexibility, allowing them to carry out their tasks more efficiently.

The bill also provides for a growth path for financing science and higher education from budgetary sources up to the level of 1.8 percent GDP in 2025. We account for the possibility that the Ministry of Finance will have a different opinion on this matter, we are certainly facing difficult negotiations. But we are certain of the unanimous support of the scientific community in this matter.

PAP: The current finance minister is Prof. Teresa Czerwińska, former deputy science minister. Do you think that she can be convinced?

J.G.: Minister Teresa Czerwińska - herself a representative of the scientific community - is of course fully aware of the huge funding deficits. On the other hand, she will also represent the interests of the entire state. She will certainly be a demanding partner in negotiations.

PAP: Has the revised bill been already consulted with the Prime Minister and the Law and Justice leader?

J.G.: Yes, we have consulted it with both Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and Jarosław Kaczyński. We have agreed that the would be passed on to the government in its current form. However, a certain package of changes, on which we will agree with the Law and Justice parliamentary club, may be introduced at the stage of parliamentary work.

PAP: When will the bill be sent for the government\'s consideration?

J.G.: We are hoping for the second half of February. Then, along with the bill, we will also present a package of regulations. There will be less than half of them compared to the current number.

PAP: A meeting devoted to the Constitution for Science with coalition deputies and senators was held last week. What were their reactions?

J.G.: We have dispelled many fears, especially those related to the situation of smaller universities. Of course, there are still differences of opinion, also between the deputies themselves. In the case of such a large, system law as the Constitution for Science, such differences of opinion are natural, I would even say positive.

PAP: Are you satisfied with the current shape of the draft Law 2.0?

J.G.: We have clarified the provisions that raised doubts over their interpretation. The package for regional universities - not only academic schools but also the State Higher Vocational Schools - is a big reinforcement. We have also abandoned some of the solutions that were too demanding with regard to the speed of improving scientific quality. I am not very happy with this part of the changes, but I think that they will create a good social climate for the implementation of the law.

PAP - Science in Poland, Ludwika Tomala

Editor: Anna Ślązak

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