“Science is essentially universal and its development requires international cooperation. This entails a twofold task. On the one hand, our country needs to be a strong, autonomous centre for the development of research, its financing and implementation, intending, in addition to those practical goals, to avoid the status and image of a scientific periphery. On the other hand, we must conduct extensive foreign cooperation in both the sciences and the humanities”, wrote Polish President Andrzej Duda in a message to the academic community on the occasion of the inauguration of the 2022/2023 academic year.

The President recalled that the various activities aimed at internationalising Polish science have recently included the establishment of several new institutions, such as the Łukasiewicz Research Network and the National Academic Exchange Agency.

Andrzej Duda also pointed out that the 550th anniversary of the birth of Nicolaus Copernicus would be a special occasion to expand and intensify such activity.

The newly established Copernican Academy and the first World Copernican Congress planned for February 2023, with its inauguration in Toruń should contribute to the promotion of Polish science in the world.

He also noted that Poland, as a country striving for development, prosperity and security, needs its own modern science to help meet its many challenges.

„Polish academic institutions have been operating under new conditions since 2018, defined by the Law on Higher Education and Science”, stated President Andrzej Duda and assured that he would continue to listen carefully to the opinions of the academic community on these regulations.

He also encouraged the National Development Council to discuss “several years’ experience and difficult issues” related to the new law on higher education.

Adrian Andrzejewski