The Poland law on Higher Education and science, which underpins the reform known as the Constitution for Science, represents a change of the attitude to education, conducting research and university governance.

Most of the Law's innovations will become effective as from October 1^st, although some first provisions entered into force in August 2018. The law's full implementation is scheduled for  2022.

The Law consolidates basic regulations concerning higher education and science.

How? It merges provisions resulting from several legislative acts such as the Laws on Higher Education, on the Principles of Financing Science, on Student Loans, as well as on Academic Degrees and Title and Degrees and Title in the Arts.

The law's main amendments impact 4 categories:

Higher Education Institution's (HEI) governance

• Extending the autonomy of the HEI and and transferring competences concerning the internal structure to the HEI itself.
• Limiting statutory provisions to the absolute minimum (the Law will regulate only the HEI’s central authorities) - key principles relating to the organisation are to be found in the Statutes, from now on to be treated as the HEI’s constitution.
• Streamlining HEI financing principles - the HEI started receiving one subsidy instead of a number of previous targeted subsidies. Thanks to this HEI will have a greater control and a wider scope of decision-making when it comes to spending.
• Introducing a new body - the HEI council - inspired by the western European solutions. Those councils will be composed of people outside the academic community. Among other things, the council will be competent to give their opinion on the HEI’s strategy.
• Maintaining the democratic nature of electing HEI authorities - the community is responsible for electing the senate and the electoral college; the senate and the electoral college elected by direct voting will - in turn - elect the HEI council and the rector.
• Indicating a new category of “regional” HEIs - HEIs based in smaller academic centres will obtain special support (requiring no competition with HEIs with bigger potential) - in the form of a competition called “Regional Excellence Initiatives”. An algorithm serving as a basis for granting subsidies will be appropriately adapted to such HEIs’ specificity.
• Introducing a new competition - “Excellence Initiatives - Research HEIs” - to identify leading HEIs able to compete with those from abroad.

HEI employees

• Deducting 50% of tax deductibles in favour of academic teachers.
• Increasing researchers’ minimum remuneration by PLN 800 on average - in line with the proposed regulation.
• Introducing a new academic career path – based on teaching, and existing alongside the other ones; research- based and research combined with teaching.
• Increasing employment stability – a second employment contract will have to be concluded for an indefinite period of time; competitions for the post of an academic teacher will be organised only before first employment by a HEI.
• Reducing the importance of habilitation - when employing, the turnover requirement (meaning that the degree of doktor habilitowany is to be attained within a specified period of time) no longer applies. Unlike now, habilitation will no longer be required when employing people as assistant professors.

Scientific activity

• The HEI’s academic activity evaluation is now global and not by faculties.
• Reducing the number of evaluation criteria - preference will be given to publication quality, number of patents, academic activity results and the impact of academic activity on the functioning of society and the economy.
• Combining disciplines and increasing interdisciplinarity . A new discipline list, prepared on the basis of the OECD standards will be adopted. As a matter of example,45 disciplines will be identified instead of today’s 8 areas of knowledge and 102 disciplines.
• Limiting the “publish or perish” trend - when under evaluation, academics will have to indicate not more than 4 best academic achievements from the past 4 years, owing to which not “how many”, but “how good” will be important when publishing. Quality rather than quantity.

Students and doctoral students

• Introducing PhD schools - The Polish model of PhD student education will leave a mass approach in favour of quality. Entities possessing at least a B+ academic category in two disciplines will be allowed to establish PhD schools. Entities authorised to confer PhD degrees will be allowed to do so only during a transitional period. Research interdisciplinarity will be much more valued.
• Guaranteed scholarships - from 2019 onwards, each doctoral student admitted to a PhD school will be granted a scholarship amounting to PLN 2350, which will be increased to PLN 3652 after periodical evaluation.
• Introducing maternity and paternity leave - it will be granted to doctoral students on principles similar to those applicable to persons with employment contracts.
• Raising the quality of student education - introducing numerous quality-oriented solutions relating to the preparation of graduates for entering the labour market, eg.: practical profile programmes will include at least 6-month-long work placements.
• Regularising the system of fees - at the beginning of a programme, the HEI will be obliged to set and disclose any fees and charges to be paid by students during the whole duration of the programme.
• Support to students- parents - the HEI will be obliged to ensure the provision of individualised course of study to pregnant students; during the first year after a baby is born, both the father and mother will be entitled to take time off (previously at the HEI’s discretion).