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Mobility in higher education
Poland

Poland

12.Mobility and internationalisation

12.2Mobility in higher education

Last update: 7 October 2025
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Student mobility

Polish students and doctoral students participate in mobility mainly through the EU Erasmus+ Programme, but Polish and/or international students may also undertake a study period or follow a full degree programme within the framework of:

  • projects co-funded by the EU and the national budget,

  • multilateral programmes,

  • bilateral programmes and

  • national programmes.

Information about the recognition of study periods and practical placements or internships and qualifications is provided at the end of this section. 

EU Erasmus+ Programme

Erasmus+ (2021-2027) is administered in Poland by the Foundation for the Development of the Education System. Students and doctoral students can carry out a period of study and / or a traineeship (2-12 months for students; 5-30 days or 2-12 months, respectively, for doctoral students) abroad as part of Mobility projects. Each project can combine such a physical mobility period with virtual mobility. 

Students and doctoral students, together with teachers, can also participate in short intensive programmes for 3 ECTS credits, in a blended (physical and virtual) mobility format, with a period of physical mobility lasting 5 to 30 days. Intensive programmes should use innovative teaching and learning methods and provide added value compared to the curriculum at the home institution. 

Programmes / projects co-funded by the EU and the national budget

The Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange administers two programmes, PROM and EU4Belarus, which are co-financed by the EU and the national budget. 

  • Program PROM (Ferry): short-term academic exchanges 

The Programme, co-financed by the European Funds for Social Development (2021-2027) and the national budget, awards grants to Polish higher education institutions (HEIs) for the mobility of Polish and international students and doctoral students (and academic staff; see below) aimed at developing their knowledge and skills. Grants can be used for, for example, the participation in a conference, summer or winter school, short training course or an internship, or a visit to collect material for a doctoral thesis. Mobility periods can last between 5 and 30 days and can be carried out as physical, virtual or blended mobility. 

  • Programme “EU4Belarus”

The Programme is co-funded as part of the EU Programme “Support for Advanced Learning and Training – EU4Belarus-SALT”, established in response to the political crisis after the 2020 presidential election in Belarus. It awards scholarships to Belarussian students enrolled in higher education institutions in Poland, the Czech Republic, Lithuania and Latvia, and to young people from Belarus for taking degree programmes in these countries.

Multilateral programmes

  • Central European Exchange Programme for University Studies, CEEPUS

CEEPUS is the first multilateral cooperation programme in the field of education in Central Europe, established by a multilateral agreement. Poland has participated in the Programme since 1994. The Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange is the contact point for the Programme in Poland. The other participating countries are Albania, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia and Slovenia. 

Mobility takes places mainly as part of institutional cooperation. The Programme offers short-term scholarships to students and doctoral students (and academic staff; see below) from the participating countries for a period of study (3-10 months) and stays abroad shorter than 3 months to prepare a Master’s degree or doctoral thesis or participate in a summer school or an intensive course.

  • International Visegrad Fund

The International Visegrad Fund was created in 2000 by the governments of the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland and Hungary (V4 countries). Each of the four countries provides an equal financial contribution to the Fund, and additional funding can come from other governments or government organisations. The Fund aims to strengthen cooperation among the V4 countries and between the V4 Region and other countries, in particular, in the Western Balkans (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia) and the Eastern Partnership Region (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine). The unit administering the Fund is situated in Bratislava, Slovakia. 

The Fund awards scholarships to students and doctoral students from V4, Eastern Partnership and Western Balkan countries for a study period at the Master’s level or a post-Master research period (up to 2 semesters) in one of the participating countries. Doctoral students from the V4 countries can also apply for a scholarship for a study or research period at a higher education institution in Taiwan (1-10 months). (See also Visegrad fellowships for mobility of academic staff below.) 

Bilateral programmes / initiatives

Academic exchanges as part of bilateral agreements

Poland has signed bilateral cooperation agreements with around 100 countries in all regions of the world (for a list of the countries, see Chapter 12.7 ‘Bilateral Agreements and Worldwide Cooperation’). As part of the agreements, the Government of Poland and / or the partner country offer(s) scholarships to academic staff and students, with the duration and conditions of mobility agreed with each partner country. Details about the agreements are available on the website of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education (in Polish only) and in the Internet Treaty Database of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 

Mobility takes place within the Zawacka Programme, which is administered by the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange. The Programme offers scholarships for outward and inward mobility of students for a full degree programme or a study period. In the academic year 2025/2026, scholarships are available for student exchanges with countries in Europe (Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Greece, Hungary, Moldova, North Macedonia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland and Ukraine), Africa (Egypt, Tunisia), North America (Mexico) and Asia (China, Japan, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Taiwan, Vietnam). 

Bilateral scholarship programmes

  • Fulbright Programme

As part of the Fulbright Programme, the Polish-US Fulbright Commission offers scholarships to Polish and U.S. students and doctoral students (and to academic staff; see below) which are funded by the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education and the U.S. State Department. 

Polish students and doctoral students can apply for the following types of awards: 

  • Graduate Student Award: the first year of a Master’s degree or doctoral programme ending with a graduate diploma of an U.S. higher education institution (HEI), with the possibility of a renewal for a second year; 

  • Graduate Student Award LLM in International Human Rights: a one-year Master programme ending with a diploma awarded by the University of Notre Dame; 

  • Junior Research Award: a research project to be carried out at an U.S. higher education institution for 4 to 10 months as part the preparation of a doctoral thesis at a Polish HEI or another research institution.

The U.S. Student Program offers awards for 9-10 months to U.S. students (and first-cycle graduates) who do not hold yet a doctoral degree to conduct a research project at a Polish HEI or another research institution. 

National programmes / initiatives

As part of its statutory responsibilities, the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange administers a number of programmes for Polish doctoral students and international students or other foreigners interested to study in Poland (in addition to the programmes listed above and funded from various other sources).

Programmes for Polish doctoral students

  • M. Bekker Programme

The Programme supports the development of research competence of Polish doctoral students (and academic staff; see below) in all scientific disciplines. Doctoral students can receive grants for stays of 3 to 24 months to undertake a part of their doctoral education at international research or academic institutions across the world (currently, except in Russia, in connection with the war against Ukraine).

  • Prof. F. Walczak Programme

The Programme aims to enhance the capacity of Polish research and healthcare institutions. It awards grants to doctoral students (and researchers) in medical, pharmaceutical and health sciences to conduct research, for 1 to 6 months, at international institutions across the world (currently, except in Russia, in connection with the war against Ukraine).

  • PRELUDIUM BIS Programme

The Programme offers opportunities to Polish doctoral students representing all scientific disciplines to gain research experience and establish research collaboration during stays at research and academic institutions in Europe and beyond. Stays are related to their participation in research projects which are funded through the National Science Centre’s Programme “PRELUDIUM BIS”. During such stays, which can last 3 to 6 months, doctoral students can undertake a part of their doctoral education or conduct research. 

Programmes for international students

  • Programme ‘Poland My First Choice’

The Programme awards scholarships to foreign nationals who are following or have completed a first-cycle programme to take a full second-cycle programme in any field of study at a Polish HEI supervised by the Minister of Science and Higher Education. Applications can be submitted by candidates from EU Member States, Iceland, Lichtenstein, Norway, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, and Canada, the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Uruguay, Israel, Republic of Korea, Japan and Singapore, and by China’s citizens who are Hong Kong, Macau or Taiwan residents.

  • Gen. Anders Programme

The Programme is targeted at young people of Polish origin and individuals holding the so-called Card of the Pole from various regions of the world. Scholarship holders can take a full first-, second- or long-cycle programme at Polish HEIs supervised by the Ministers of Science and Higher Education, Health, and Culture and National Heritage.

  • S. Banach Scholarship Programme

The Programme has been designed jointly by the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as part of Poland’s development aid. It aims to support socio-economic development of developing countries by enhancing knowledge and upgrading qualifications of their citizens. Scholarship holders can follow a full second-cycle programme in Polish or English at public HEIs which are supervised by the Minister of Science and Higher Education. The Programme is open students in the final year of a first-cycle programme or first-cycle graduates from the following regions and countries: 

  • Europe and the South Caucasus: Albania, Armenia, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Ukraine;

  • Africa: Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Tanzania, Tunisia and Zambia;

  • North and South America: Argentina, Brazil, Columbia, Mexico, Peru and Venezuela; 

  • Central and Eastern Asia and the Middle East: Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, the Philippines, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Iran, Yemen, Jordania, Kazakhstan, Liban, Nepal, Palestine, Uzbekistan, Vietnam and Yemen;

  • Oceania: Papua-Nowa Guinea.

 

  • Polonista (Polish Language Programme)

The Programme aims to promote the Polish language and Polish language and culture studies in the world. It offers scholarships to international students to undertake a study period or follow a full first- or second-cycle programme, or a part of doctoral education at Polish HEIs or other research institutions. Students or doctoral students can attend lectures and classes, conduct research or collect material for their degree thesis. 

Recognition of study or practical training periods and qualifications

The recognition of study and practical training periods and qualifications is facilitated by the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) and the Polish Qualifications Framework (PQF). 

Higher education institutions (HEIs) use ECTS on a mandatory basis in accordance with the Act of 20 July 2018, The Law on Higher Education and Science, as subsequently amended (ustawa z dnia 20 lipca 2018 r. – Prawo o szkolnictwie wyższym i nauce, z późn. zm.) and the Regulation of the Minister of Science and Higher Education of 27 September 2018 on degree programmes, as subsequently amended (rozporządzenie Ministra Nauki i Szkolnictwa Wyższego z dnia 27 września 2018 r. w sprawie studiów, z późn. zm.). ECTS credits measure the average student workload required to achieve learning outcomes. One ECTS credit is equivalent to 25-30 hours of student workload, covering classes organised by an HEI and individual work of the student related to classes. The legislation sets the minimum number of ECTS credits that is necessary to complete a degree programme at a given level and obtain a diploma/degree. 

The 8-level PQF describes qualifications awarded in the country as referenced to the 8-level European Qualifications Framework. Qualifications are defined in terms of learning outcomes including knowledge, skills and social competences. Together with the Integrated Qualifications Register, the PQF is part of the Integrated Qualifications System, which was put in place in 2016, in accordance with the Act of 22 December 2015 on the Integrated Qualifications System, as subsequently amended (ustawa o Zintegrowanym Systemie Kwalifikacji z dnia 22 grudnia 2015 r., z późn. zm.). 

Pursuant to the Law on Higher Education and Science, at the request of a graduate, an HEI issues, together with a diploma, a Diploma Supplement, based on the Europass template, in English or other foreign language of instruction. The Supplement provides information about higher education in Poland, and the level, content and status of the programme completed by the degree holder. 

Recognition of study or practical training periods

Periods of study or traineeships completed within the Erasmus+ Programme are recognised on the basis of a learning agreement between the student and the sending and receiving HEIs, based on the principles of ECTS. 

In the programmes (co-)financed by other EU funds, multilateral programmes (CEEPUS, International Visegrad Fund), bilateral programmes (for example, preparation of a doctoral thesis in the Fullbright Programme) and nationally funded programmes, a study period or a part of doctoral education completed abroad is recognised in accordance with the rules agreed between sending and receiving institutions. For the Zawacka Programme (exchanges within bilateral intergovernmental agreements), an agreement lays down general arrangements for the recognition of study periods, and specific mechanisms can be agreed between sending and receiving institutions. 

Recognition of qualifications

Recognition of qualifications is regulated in accordance with EU legislation and the Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications concerning Higher Education in the European Region (Lisbon Convention), which was ratified in December 2003 and entered into force in Poland in 2004.

Like in other European countries, different regulations are in place in Poland for academic recognition (for individuals wishing to continue or begin studying or use an academic degree) and professional recognition (for individuals wishing to take up employment or practise a profession).

Academic recognition

Recognition is governed by the following legislative acts:

and

For information about the recognition of secondary education qualifications which provide access to first- and long-cycle programmes, see Chapter 12.1 ‘Mobility in early childhood and school education’. 

A degree awarded in any country entitles its holder to continue studies in a second-cycle programme or a non-degree postgraduate programme, provides access to doctoral education or grants the right to initiate the process leading to the award of a doctoral degree if it grants the corresponding right to take a second-cycle programme or apply for a doctoral degree in the country within the higher education system of which the awarding institution operates. 

No additional confirmation or validation is required to provide access to second-cycle programmes in Poland for holders of diplomas which: 

  • were awarded by recognised HEIs in the members states of the European Union (EU), the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) – signatories of the European Economic Area (EEA) or the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) (see below); or

  • were recognised as equivalent to the corresponding Polish diplomas on the basis of an international agreement or through the recognition process (see below). 

For other diplomas, the legislation requires, as of 1 July 2025, that the Director of the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange issue a written statement confirming that a diploma entitles its holder to apply for admission to a second-cycle programme.

Diplomas/degrees awarded by recognised HEIs in the EU, EFTA– EEA or OECD countries confirm in Poland the completion of a higher education programme at the level corresponding to the one at which their holders completed a programme within the higher education system in the awarding country. A diploma/degree awarded in one of these countries upon completion of:  

  • a 3-year programme or a first-cycle programme lasting at least 3 years confirms in Poland that its holder has completed a first-cycle programme;

  • a second-cycle programme confirms in Poland that its holder has completed a second-cycle programme;

  • a long-cycle programme lasting at least 4 years confirms in Poland that its holder has a completed a second-cycle programme if it is considered as corresponding to a second-cycle programme in the awarding country. 

A first-, second- and long-cycle diploma and degree may be recognised as equivalent to a corresponding Polish diploma/degree based on an international agreement or – in the absence of such an agreement – through the recognition process referred to as the nostrification (nostryfikacja).

A doctoral degree awarded by a recognised institution operating in a member state of the EU, EFTA-EEA or the OECD, or by the European University Institute is equivalent to the corresponding degree awarded in Poland. Otherwise, a doctoral degree may be recognised as equivalent to a Polish one based on an international agreement, and in the absence of such an agreement, through the recognition process. 

The recognition process identifies a Polish qualification corresponding to a foreign qualification. For first-, second- and long-cycle degrees / diplomas, the process is conducted by HEIs which have the A+, A or B+ research category (one of the three highest ratings awarded as an outcome of an external evaluation of the quality of research) in the discipline concerned. For doctoral degrees, it is conducted by HEIs and research institutions which have the A+ or A research category in the discipline concerned.

For details about academic recognition, see the website of the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange, which is the Polish ENIC-NARIC Centre.

Professional recognition

Recognition procedures vary depending on whether a given profession is regulated in Poland.

For non-regulated professions, pursuant to the Code of Labour of 26 June 1974, as subsequently amended (ustawa – Kodeks Pracy z 26 czerwca 1974 r., z późn. zm.), the employer takes a decision to recognise a foreign professional qualification. The employer may require confirmation of the equivalence of a foreign qualification (see Academic recognition above).

In Poland, regulated professions include so-called sectoral professions (doctor, dentist, pharmacist, nurse, midwife, veterinary surgeon and architect) and professions such as schoolteacher, psychologist and lawyer. A full list of the professions that are regulated in Poland is available in the EU Regulated Professions Database. 

Qualifications in regulated professions obtained in EU member states, member states of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) – signatories of the European Economic Area (EEA) agreement, and Switzerland are recognised in Poland in accordance with the Act of 22 December 2015 on the rules for the recognition of professional qualifications acquired in Member States of the European Union, as subsequently amended (ustawa z 22 grudnia 2015 r. o zasadach uznawania kwalifikacji zawodowych nabytych w państwach członkowskich Unii Europejskiej, z późn. zm.), and Acts of Parliament on the sectoral professions and the provision of services by foreign lawyers. The legislation is based on EU directives 2005/36/EC and 2013/55/EU.

Since, in accordance with the national standards, higher education programmes for the sectoral professions are based on EU legislation, a qualification may be automatically recognised if its holder submits proof of qualification (a diploma or certificate) to the competent Polish body.

Qualifications in professions such as schoolteacher are recognised under the so-called general recognition system within the EU. The competent body assesses a given qualification in terms of the level of education / study and professional status / rights to practise a given profession which it confers on the holder in the state where it was awarded. Where the scope of education or the professional activity varies significantly between the home and host countries, the holder may be required to undertake an adaptation placement or take an aptitude test. Recognition of qualifications for legal and other regulated professions is governed by separate regulations.

For qualifications obtained in other countries, holders should first apply for the academic recognition of a qualification (see above), and, subsequently, for an authorisation to practise a given profession in accordance with the legislation applicable to this profession.

For further information about professional recognition, see the website of the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange. Details about the regulated professions and the recognition of qualifications in these professions are also available on the Government’s Business in Poland website (Information-and-services website for entrepreneurs) and in the EU Regulated Professions database. 

Academic staff mobility

Strategic context

Mobility of Polish academic staff to European countries is an integral part of international cooperation supporting the development of the European Higher Education Area. 

As indicated on the introductory page of this chapter, work is underway to develop a national strategy for the internationalisation of higher education and science. It is coordinated by the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange in cooperation with the Ministry of Science and Higher Education. 

Currently, skills development and support for skills development of teaching and management staff in the entire formal education sector are among the priority areas of intervention in ‘The Integrated Skills Strategy 2030’  (Zintegrowana Strategia Umiejętności 2030), adopted by the Government in 2020. The lines of action in these areas include the promotion of international staff mobility; the development of planning and management skills for international projects; and the promotion of international good practice in teaching.

Leave and salary arrangements for mobility periods

If a mobility period is a mission undertaken at the request of the superior and as part of professional duties, staff receive their salary and have their social security contributions paid (Act of 26 June 1974, the Labour Code, as subsequently amended / ustawa Kodeks pracy z dnia 26 czerwca 1974 r., z późn. zm.).

Pursuant to the Law on Higher Education of 20 July 2018, as subsequently amended (ustawa z dnia 20 lipca 2018 r. – Prawo o szkolnictwie wyższym i nauce, z późn. zm.), the rector of a higher education institution (HEI) may grant to academic staff paid leave to undertake a period of learning / training or a research or teaching internship or participate in a conference abroad, or participate in joint research conducted with a foreign institution under a research cooperation agreement. Academic staff are also entitled to paid research leave (up to 3 months) to prepare a doctoral dissertation or to conduct research (up to 1 year in total during 7 years of employment in a given HEI for those holding a doctoral degree), and such activities can also be carried out abroad. During paid leave, teachers receive a salary and have their social contributions paid. 

Pursuant tothe Labour Code, non-academic staff can take unpaid leave, with its duration agreed with the employer, for a mobility period. 

Beyond the entitlements granted by the national legislation, HEIs set out their own conditions for international mobility in their internal regulations. 

Recognition of achievements or performance abroad

The mobility programmes described below do not set up any mechanisms for the recognition of performance or achievement abroad for academic or non-academic staff by their home higher education institutions (HEIs). No such mechanisms are established by the national legislation or recommendations either; HEIs may adopt their own arrangements in this area. 

However, pursuant to the Act of 20 July 2018, The Law on Higher Education and Science, as subsequently amended (ustawą z dnia 20 lipca 2018 r. – Prawo o szkolnictwie wyższym i nauce, z późn. zm.), HEIs are required to conduct a periodic performance appraisal of academic staff as part of internal quality assurance. Performance appraisal criteria are defined by each HEI. (See Approaches and methods of quality assurance – Internal Quality Assurance in Chapter 10.2 ‘Quality assurance in higher education’). Many HEIs take into consideration international experience, including mobility and participation in transnational projects, in periodic appraisal of academic staff and in the assessment of their achievements for career progression.

As part of external programme evaluation, which is regularly conducted by the Polish Accreditation Committee (see Approaches and methods of quality assurance in Chapter 10.2), the standard on the internationalisation of education addresses the skills of staff for teaching classes in a foreign language, support for international mobility of teachers, and the development of courses delivered in a foreign language.

Data on mobility

HEIs provide data on staff mobility in their annual reports for the Ministry of Science and Higher Education. The Foundation for the Development of the Education System compiles statistics (data available in Polish) and produces various analytical reports on the implementation of the programmes which it manages. Individual HEIs prepare various reports describing outcomes or impacts of programmes on their own. 

Programmes / projects supporting mobility

Like for students, the EU Erasmus+ Programme is currently the main programme in terms of the number of outgoing and incoming teachers, but Polish and foreign academic staff can also participate in mobility within the framework of:

  • projects co-funded by the EU and the national budget;

  • multilateral programmes;

  • bilateral programmes; and

  • national programmes and projects.

Non-academic staff can undertake a mobility period only within the Erasmus+ Programme.

EU Erasmus+ Programme

Erasmus+ (2021-2027) is administered in Poland by the Foundation for the Development of the Education System. Higher education staff can carry out a teaching assignment or a training period, or participate in an intensive programme abroad as part of Mobility projects (2-60 days). A grant contributes towards travel and subsistence costs, and covers a course fee where applicable. 

Programmes / projects co-funded by the EU and the national budget

  • PROM (Ferry) Programme

The Programme is co-financed by the European Funds for Social Development (2021-2027) and the national budget, and is administered by the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange. It awards grants to Polish HEIs for outward and inward mobility of academic staff (and students and doctoral students; see above) aimed at acquiring or developing competences. Activities can include participation in a conference, a summer or winter school or a short course, the development of an international grant proposal, the teaching of classes, or the collection of material for a research paper. Mobility periods can last between 5 and 30 days and can be undertaken as physical, virtual or blended mobility. A grant covers a scholarship and travel and subsistence costs during the stay abroad. 

Multilateral programmes

  • Central European Exchange Programme for University Studies (CEEPUS)

CEEPUS is the first multilateral cooperation programme in the field of education in Central Europe, established by a multilateral agreement. Poland has participated in the Programme since 1994. The Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange is the contact point for the Programme in Poland. The other participating countries are Albania, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia and Slovenia. 

In addition to supporting the mobility of students and doctoral students (see above), the programme awards short-term mobility grants to academic staff for teaching assignments (a minimum of 1 week; a maximum of 10 stays per academic year) and participation in summer schools and intensive courses, mainly as part of inter-institutional cooperation networks. A grant is used to cover subsistence and insurance costs, and travel costs are covered by the home HEI of a mobility participant. 

  • International Visegrad Fund

The International Visegrad Fund was created in 2000 by the governments of the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland and Hungary (V4 countries). Each of the four countries provides an equal financial contribution to the Fund, and additional funding can come from other governments or government organisations. The Fund aims to strengthen cooperation among the V4 countries and between the V4 Region and other countries, in particular, in the Western Balkans (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia) and the Eastern Partnership region (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine). The unit administering the Fund is situated in Bratislava, Slovakia. 

In addition to scholarships for students (see above), the Fund offers fellowships to academic and research staff from V4 countries and the Western Balkans and Ukraine for short stays (2 to 10 weeks) in a participating country to hold lectures or seminars, conduct or participate in a research project, or collect material in public libraries or archives. Fellowships can be used to cover travel and subsistence costs during the stay abroad. 

Bilateral programmes / initiatives

Academic exchanges as part of bilateral agreements

Poland has signed bilateral cooperation agreements with around 100 countries in all regions of the world (for a list of the countries, see Chapter 12.7 ‘Bilateral Agreements and Worldwide Cooperation’). As part of the agreements, the Government of Poland and / or the partner country offer(s) scholarships to academic staff and students, with the duration and conditions of mobility agreed with each partner country. Details about the agreements are available on the website of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education (in Polish only) and in the Internet Treaty Database of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 

Mobility takes place within the Zawacka Programme, which is administered by the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange. The Programme offers mobility grants to academic staff from a partner country, for example, to teach classes at a receiving institution, undertake a research internship, participate in a summer school of the language or other types of teaching or research activity. In the academic year 2025/2026, grants are available for mobility from European countries (Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Greece, Hungary, Moldova, North Macedonia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland and Ukraine), and countries in Africa (Egypt, Tunisia), North America (Mexico) and Asia (China, Japan, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Taiwan, Vietnam). 

  • Fullbright Programme

Under the Fulbright Programme, the Polish-US Fulbright Commission offers grants to Polish and U.S. academic staff (and students and doctoral students; see above) which are funded by the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education and the U.S. State Department. 

Polish academic staff can apply for the following types of awards related to their teaching activity (in addition to awards for research activities): 

  • Scholar-in-Residence Award (3-10 months): a grant to, for example, teach classes to students and run lectures to academic staff and the local community, and to co-develop new curricula; 

  • Fullbright Senior Award (3-10 months): a grant to carry out a research-and-teaching project at a host institution; 

  • Slavic Award (4 months): a grant to teach classes on the Polish culture, history and economy at one of the two U.S. higher education institutions collaborating with the Fullbright Commission. 

As part of the Fullbright US Scholar Program, U.S. academic staff (and other persons holding a doctoral degree) can apply for a grant for a period of 3 to 10 months, for example, to carry out a teaching project agreed with a host institution and the Fullbright Commission. 

Fullbright grants include a travel allowance, a stipend for living expenses and allowances, including a relocation and settling-in allowance and a research, book and conference allowance. 

National programmes / initiatives

As part of its statutory responsibilities, the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange currently administers the Prof. Walczak Programme, which includes a so-called educational path (in addition to programmes offering grants for research mobility only).

  • Prof. Walczak Programme 

The Programme aims to enhance the capacity of Polish research and healthcare institutions by supporting mobility of staff (and doctoral students; see above) representing medical, pharmaceutical and health sciences. Grants are awarded for 1 to 6 months. Grant-holders choosing the educational path can, for example, familiarise themselves with teaching models and curricula at a host institution and collect material for the development of a teaching programme. A grant includes a scholarship and travel and subsistence allowances. 

See also the information about the programmes for doctoral students in the section on student mobility.