The Polish Academic Profession: What We Know, What We Do Not Know, and What We Would Like to Know – from a European Comparative Perspective

Abstract

Academic attitudes (and beliefs) and academic behaviors are explored: how Polish academics work, what they think (about their work)? Four major comparative themes are discussed: (1) Internationalization in research and research productivity (Polish “internationalists” vs. Polish “locals”), (2) University governance (a powerful Ivory Tower university model prevailing in Poland; Polishe universiites as a professorially coordinated “republic of scholars”). (3) The Polish research elite (highly productive academics: who they are, how they work?, and (4) Intergenerational patterns of academic work – Polish academics under 40 - What we know, what we do not know, and what we would like to know – about each theme. Within each theme – the data are examined in the context of 10 Western European comparator countries: Austria, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Switzerland, and the UK.