The Polish Benchmark Paper

Ryszard Naskręcki

History of tertiary educationin Poland

• After regaining independence in 1919, Poland had five universities (Cracow, Lvov, Poznan, Warsaw, and Vilnius), two technical universities (Lvov, Warsaw) and the Academy of Veterinary and Medicine in Lvov, the Central School of Agriculture in Warsaw, and the Mining Academy in Cracow.

• All these institutions had the status of State universities, with extensive autonomy and self-government powers.

• There were also private tertiary education institutions: the Catholic University of Lublin, the Academy of Fine Arts in Cracow and the High School of Commerce.

• In 1938 it was together 47,700 students in Poland.

Tertiary education under socialist regime (1945-1989)

• The number of TEIs grew from 54 (1946) to 97 (1989), and the number of tertiary students grew from 86,500 to 378,000 respectively.

• After 1975, a record-breaking year when the number of students reached 468,100, including 283,200 full-time students.

• Only long-cycle programmes, open to holders of the secondary school leaving certificate, which last between 9 and 12 semesters and lead directly to the Master’s degree (magister).

Today's numbers

• At present (2005), Poland has 130 public HEIs and 315 non-public HEIs, with a total number of 1,900,000 students, including 1,300,000 at public HEIs and 600,000 at non-public HEIs

• The total number of foreign students was only 8,829

• The total number of doctoral students was 33,040

Field of study vs. number of students*

• Management and marketing– 46 440 students• Pedagogy – 41 913 students • Computer science – 27 386 students• Law – 24 979 students• Mathematics – 14 532 students• Biology – 11 783 students• Chemistry – 9 408 students• Biotechnology – 7 712 students• Psychology – 7 001 students • Physics – 7 490 students• Technical Physics – 4 340 students• Astronomy – 494 students

* ful-time programmes (daily)

Definitions

• Tertiary (higher) education institution (TEI/HEI): a school providing degree programmes, established in accordance with the procedure laid down in the 2005 LoHE.– Public tertiary (higher) education institution

(established by the State)– Non-public tertiary (higher) education institution

(established by a natural person or a corporate body)

• University-type tertiary (higher) education institution (at least one organizational unit (Faculty) is authorized to confer the doctoral degree).

• Non-university tertiary (higher) education institution.

Category of HEIs

• Universities• Technical universities• Pedagogical universities• Economic universities• Agricultural universities• Medical universities• Academies of physical education• Artistic high schools• Maritime and military higher schools• State higher vocational schools

The numbers of students enrolled in individual types of HEIs

November 2005

– Universities: 563,100– Technical universities: 331,100– Agricultural universities/academies: 107,700– Academies/universities of economics: 407,800– Teacher education universities/academies: 111,800– Medical universities/academies: 48,800– Physical education academies: 28,200– HEIs for art studies: 15,400– Theological HEIs: 10,400 – Other HEIs: 79,500 – Non-university HEIs: 224,700

International aspects of tertiary education

• At present, there are two main co-existing types of student mobility: – completing a full degree programme in another country or – completing a period of study in one country and continuing

studies in another country.

• After 1990, the first type of mobility is still common, but the second type is rapidly developing.

• In the academic year 2003/2004, over 8,100 students were enrolled in full degree programmes, including mainly students from Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania, Russia, as well as the USA, Canada and Germany.

Non-nationals in tertiary education institutions in Poland „Full degree programmes”

• Total – 8 106 (students in 2003/2004)• Belarus - 1171 • Lithuania – 543• Norway – 451• Ukraine – 880• USA – 545• Germany – 182• Canada – 152• …..• France – 32• Laos – 30

Student and staff mobility in the framework

of the SOCRATES-Erasmus Programme

Academic year

Number of outward

student flows

Number of inward

student flows

Number of outward/inward academic staff

flows

1998/99 1426 220 -

1999/00 2813 466 -

2000/01 3691 614 678/488

2001/02 4322 750 800/573

2002/03 5419 996 947/749

2003/04 6278 1459 1394/1026

2004/05 8390 2332 1741/1440

2005/06 9974 > 4000 -

Most Polish students go to study in Germany, France, Spain, Italy and UK and students coming to study in Poland are mostly form Germany, France and Spain.

CONCLUSIONThe main features characterizing the past period of transformations are as follows:

– High rate of growth in the number of students in degree programs 4.7 times increase in the number of Bachelor’s and Master’s degree students and 12 times increase in the number of doctoral students);

– Conflict between the quantitative development trend and the need to maintain quality standards;

– Growing difficulties in the financing of public TEIs which have led to partial commercialization of educational services provided (the introduction of tuition fees for some forms of study);

– Development of the sector of non-public TEIs offering additional supply of places in first cycle programs (tuition fees are charged) in response to the growing demand.

Governmental and academic institutions - national level

• Ministry of Science and Higher Education• General Council for Higher Education,• State Accreditation Committee • Conference of Rectors of Academic Schools in

Poland (CRASP),• University Accreditation Commission• Forum of Deans (Physics Faculties)

– 10 years of activity,– not formal, – opinions, criticism, studies, proposals of changes– growing influence

New system

New ACT of 27 July 2005 „Law on Higher Education” and relevant implementing regulations to the Act, which are a legal basis in particular for:– the establishment of a three-cycle structure on a

compulsory basis in all higher education institutions;

– the issue of the Diploma Supplement;

– the introduction of a credit transfer and accumulation system;

– the provision of joint study programmes and the award of corresponding (double or joint) diplomas;

– the provision of degree programmes in macro-fields of study and interdisciplinary programmes;

Implementation of the Bologna Declaration

• The process of introducing two-cycle programmes began in Poland in the mid-1990s.

• Two-cycle programmes must be introduced (from 2007) in 100 of all 106 fields of study.

• In the remaining 6 fields (law, psychology, pharmacy, medicine and dentistry, medicine, veterinary medicine), only long-cycle Master’s programmes may be offered.

First-cycle

The first level includes first-cycle programmes which are open for holders of the secondary school leaving certificate, and lead to the Bachelor’s degree (licencjat), lasting between 6 and 8 semesters (for licencjat) or between 7 and 8 semesters (for inżynier), depending on the field of study.

Second-cycle

• long-cycle programmes, open to holders of the secondary school leaving certificate, which last between 9 and 12 semesters and lead to the Master’s degree (magister),

• open to those who hold at least the Bachelor’s degree, lasting for 3 or 4 semesters, and leading to the Master’s degree (magister). The total duration of the first-cycle followed by second-cycle programmes or of long-cycle programmes may not be shorter than 9 semesters.

Structure of the study

1st cycleField of study

Specialization 1 Specjalization 2 Specjalization 3

field of study: a distinct area of study; student declaration

during 1st year of study.

Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań

Fields of study (> 50):administration, acoustics, archaeology, astronomy, biology, biotechnology, chemistry, artistic education in the field of musical art, artistic education in the field of fine arts, ethnology, philology (languages: Croatian, Serbian, Bulgarian, Danish, German, Korean, Lithuanian, Norwegian, Russian, Hungarian, Vietnamese, Thai, Japanese, Chinese, Turkish, English, Spanish, French, Italian, Arabic), Russian-Ukrainian philology, New Greek philology, Classical philology, Slavonic philology, applied linguistics, linguistics and scientific information, European social communication, ethnolinguistics, Polish philology, philosophy, physics, geography, geology, spatial economics, history, history of art, computer science, cultural studies, mathematics, musicology, protection of goods of culture, environmental protection, pedagogy, special education, political science, law, psychology, sociology, international relations, theology, tourism and recreation, management and marketing.

Field of study

• Degree programmes in a HEI shall be provided within fields of study;

• a student shall be enrolled on a degree programme in a specific field of study not later than after the end of the first academic year,

The minister responsible for higher education shall specify by regulation:– the names of fields of study, including the

names of fields of study for degree programmes while having regard to the existing fields of study and demands of the labour market;

– the degree programme requirements for each field and level of study, including educational profiles of graduates, framework curriculum contents, duration of degree programmes and practical placements, requirements for each form of study,

The benchmarking of academic standards

• Subject benchmark statements provide a means for the academic community to describe the nature and characteristics of programmes in a specific subject.

• They also represent general expectations about the standards for the award of qualifications at a given level and articulate the attributes and capabilities that those possessing such qualifications should be able to demonstrate.

Subject benchmark statementstime-sharing for 1st level study

General contents

Fundamentalcontents

Field of study contents

Specialized contents

10% 20% 15% 55%

common for all fields of studies

common for the group fields of studies

peculiar to the given field of

study

peculiar to the given

specialization

Subject benchmark statementstime-sharing for 2nd level study

Fundamentalcontents

Field of study contents

Specialized contents

10% 25% 65%

common for the group fields of studies

peculiar to the given field of

study

peculiar to the given

specialization

Field of study: Physics1st cycle

The first cycle of study takes no less than 6 semesters, the number of hours of lectures and classes should not be lower than 2000 (contact hours), while the ECTS score should not be lower than 180.

• Group of general contents (subjects), min. 180 h, 14 ECTS– IT, English, Humanistic contents, Protection of intellectual property

• Group of fundamental contents (subjects), 360 h, 41 ECTS score– Mathematics, 150 h– Physics, 180 h– Astronomy, 30 h

• Group of the field of study contents (subjects), 300 h, 35 ECTS score – Electrodynamics– Fundamentals of quantum physics – Physical Laboratory – Classical and relativistic mechanics – Thermodynamics and statistical physics

• Group of specialization contents (subjects), > 1160 h, 90 ECTS score

Field of study: Physics2nd cycle

The second cycle ends with getting a degree of Master of Science (Magister). The second cycle of study takes no less than 4 semesters, the number of hours of lectures and classes should not be lower than 1000, while the ECTS score should not be lower than 120.

• Group of fundamental contents, 90 h, 10 ECTS score– Physical Laboratory

• Group of the field of study contents, 240 h, 27 ECTS score – Theoretical physics – Physics of condensed matter – Quantum physics

• Group of specialization contents, > 670 h, 83 ECTS score

The most popular specializations

• Experimental Physics

• Theoretical Physics

• Computational Physics

• Physics of materials

• ….

• Teaching of physics

The most promising specializations

• Nanoscience/Nanotechnology

• Molecular Biophysics

• Medical Physics

• Dispensing optics/Optometry

• Acoustic

Future challenges

New fields of study related to Physics:– Acoustic* (only in Poznan)

• Sound Engineering• Prosthetics of hearing

– Biophysics* (only in Poznan and Cracow)

– Technical Physics• Biomedical engineering

– Nanotechnology* (only in Cracow)

Macro-field of study: an area of study combining fields of study which have similar degree programme requirements;

Interdisciplinary programme: a degree programme provided jointly in various fields of study by one or more higher education institutions;

Faculty of PhysicsAdam Mickiewicz University

Facultyof Physics

Instituteof Physics

Instituteof Acoustic

Instituteof Astronomy

Fields of study:Biophysics

Physics

Field of study:Acoustic

Field of study:Astronomy

Doctoral studies

Field of study: Acoustic1st cycle study

Field of study:Acoustic

Specialization:Prostheticsof hearing

Specialization:Sound

engineering

Field of study: Physics1st cycle study

Field of study:Physics

Specialization:General Physics

Specialization:Nanotechnology

Specjalization:Applied

Computer Science

Field of study: Physics2nd cycle study

Field of study:

Physics

Specialization:Theoretical

Physics

Specialization:Nanotechnology

Specjalization:Applied

Computer Science

Specialization:Experimental

Physics

Graduates' numberfull time, long-cycle programmes

• Acoustic – 50• Astronomy – 2• Biophysics/ Dispensing optics/Optometry – 25• Biophysics/ Medical Physics – 25• Physics/Theoretical physics – 3• Physics/ Experimental physics – 10• Physics/ Teaching of physics – 10• Physics/ Nanotechnology – 25• Physics/ Applied Computer Science – 75

Conclusions

• Advantages– Implementation of three-cycle degree system 3+2+4 – much less structural barriers between cycles.– increasing the compatibility and comparability of our higher

education system,– students' better mobility (between fields of study and between

different faculties and universities)– qualifications better suited to the labour market, compulsory

practice– Progress towards the EHEA

• Disadvantages– ???– ???

“The strategy for increasing R&Dexpenditure to achieve the Lisbon Strategy

objectives”the Council of Ministers, March 2004

The Polish priority for research and development activities include four groups of activity: – Info– Techno (Nano)– Bio– and Basics.

Form of study

• Full-time programmes: a form of study in which the curriculum comprises courses requiring direct participation of academic staff and students, with the course load defined in the degree programme requirements for this form of study. Such programmes are free of charge (formerly used term: regular or day-time programmes).

• Part-time programmes: a form of study other than full-time programmes complying with the degree programme requirements defined for this form of study, and specified by the senate of a TEI (HEI). This form of study is paid; it formerly covered evening, extramural and extension programmes.

In the entire period between 1990/91 – 2003/04, the number of students in Poland increased 4.7 times, whereas the number of academic teachers by 42%.

Academic teachers account for 55.9% of all

employees in tertiary education; 55% of all employees in public

TEIs and 60.9% in non-public TEIs.

Demography in Poland

Size of age group 19-24 years