Bilateral agreements

Poland has signed agreements on bilateral cooperation in the field of higher education and science with nearly 100 countries in all regions of the world (see below). Cooperation involves exchanges of students, academic staff and experts and various activities aimed at sharing information, experience and good practices.

• Africa: Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, Republic of South Africa, Sudan, Tunisia;

• Australia and New Zealand;

• Asia and Middle East: Armenia, Azerbaijan. Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, Philippines, Georgia, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Iran, Israel, Japan, Qatar, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Malesia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, North Korea, Oman, Palestine, Thailand, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan. Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Vietnam and United Arab Emirates;

• Europe: Albania, Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Holy See, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Kosovo, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, North Macedonia, Romania, Russia, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine and United Kingdom;

• North America: Canada, Mexico and the United States of America;

• South America: Argentine, Brazil, Chile, Columbia and Peru.   

Information about bilateral agreements is available on the following websites:

• Ministry of Science and Higher Education (a list of partner countries by region) (the website available in Polish only)

• Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange (Zawacka Programme: student and student exchanges under bilateral agreements)

• Internet Treaty Database of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (details about agreements)

Cooperation and participation in worldwide programmes and organisations

In addition to the cooperation based on its EU membership, Poland pursues a policy of cooperation in the field of education and training within the framework of various international organisations.

Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)

Poland has been a full OECD member since 1996. In the field of education and training, it has participated in the following main international surveys coordinated by the OECD:

• Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA): a survey which measures and analyses pupil performance in reading, mathematics and science, conducted among pupils who reached the age of 15 in the year preceding the survey. 

• Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC):  a survey which measures adults’ proficiency in three areas: literacy, numeracy, problem solving and use of information and communication technologies. 

• Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS). a survey conducted among school teachers and heads, which covers issues such as employment terms and conditions, performance appraisal, professional development opportunities, school management, and teaching practices. 

OECD surveys are conducted in Poland by the Educational Research Institute.  

See also International statistics on education below.

International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA)

Poland participates in the following main international studies coordinated by the IEA:

• Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS): a study which assesses skills in reading as a literary experience and reading to acquire and use information, conducted in Poland among pupils of Grade IV of the primary school; 

• Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS): a study which measures educational achievement, including knowledge and reasoning, in mathematics and science, conducted in Poland among pupils of Grade IV of the primary school (and, as from 2027, also pupils in Grade VIII of the primary school). 

• International Civic and Citizenship Education Study (ICCS): a survey investigating how young people are prepared for civic participation in a democratic society, which covers knowledge and understanding of civic education issues and civic attitudes and engagement. It is conducted in Poland among pupils of Grade VIII of the primary school, and primary school teachers and school heads. 

• International Computer and Information Literacy Study (ICILS): a study which measures computer and information literacy (the ability to use computers to investigate, create and communicate in order to participate effectively at home, school and the workplace and in the community, and assesses so-called computational thinking. The study was conducted in Poland among pupils of Grade II of lower secondary schools existing earlier, and will involve pupils in Grade VIII of the primary school in 2028. 

IEA studies are conducted in Poland by the Educational Research Institute. 

Council of Europe (CoE)

Poland joined the Council of Europe in 1991 and has 12 seats in its Parliamentary Assembly. The Lisbon Convention (Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications concerning Higher Education in the European Region), drafted by the CoE and UNESCO, was ratified by Poland in December 2003 and came into force in 2004. Poland has its representatives in the Governing Board of the  European Centre for Modern Languages and in the Education Policy Advisors Network (EPAN) and the Platform on Ethics, Transparency and Integrity in Education (ETINED) of the CoE. 

United Nations Organisation for Education, Science and Culture (UNESCO)

UNESCO was established in 1945 and Poland was one of its 44 founding members. The main aim of UNESCO is to maintain peace and security in the world through cooperation in the fields of education, science and culture.  As part of the UN Sustainable Development Agenda 2030, UNESCO coordinates activities related to Sustainable Development Goal no. 4: ‘to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.’

Like commissions in other member states, the Polish National Commission for UNESCO acts as a liaison between the UN and Polish government agencies and non-governmental organisations, coordinates its activities in the country and carries out promotion and information activities (conferences, seminars and workshops). Currently, the Commission carries out three UNESCO programmes in the field of education:

• Education for All: various activities supporting the implementation of the UN agenda for universal and equal access to education;

• Associated Schools: a network of nursery schools and schools undertaking activities to support the achievement of the UNESCO aims and the Sustainable Development Agenda 2030. There are 103 associated nursery schools and schools in Poland. 

• University Twinning and Networking / UNITWIN / UNESCO Chairs: 11 chairs operating in Polish higher education institutions. The UNESCO Chairs are engaged in innovative education and research responding to contemporary challenges; contribute to the development of education, science and culture policies; undertake various activities promoting UNESCO values in society; and, in broader terms, support the implementation of the Sustainable Development Agenda 2030.

International statistics on education

The Central Statistical Office, in cooperation with the Ministry of National Education and the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, collects national data on education for the following three main international organisations: UNESCO, OECD and Eurostat. Statistics and other information are used, for example, in Eurostat publications and in ‘Education at a Glance’, a publication regularly produced by the OECD (last edition: 2024).

Poland also participates in the OECD INES (Indicators of Education Systems) Programme for the collection of comparable data on education systems in the participating countries. Such data is used by the OECD in, for example, its publication ‘Education at a Glance’.