Academe in transition: Transformations in the Polish academic profession

The period since 1989 has been an extremely dynamic one in Polish highereducation. New opportunities have opened up for the academic community,along with new challenges. Suddenly, the academic profession has arrivedat a stage that combines far-reaching autonomy with rather uncertainindividual career prospects. In recent years, a number of new laws havebeen proposed that were intended to change the whole structure ofrecruitment, promotions, remuneration, working conditions, andappointments of academic faculty. All this has occurred admidst thestrains and tensions resulting from changes in the broader society. Thesudden passage from the more or less elite higher education system tomass higher education with a strong and dynamic private sector hastransformed the situation of the academic community beyond allrecognition. The transition has resulted in a new set of values andchanges in position, tasks, and roles for academe in society. Today,the future of the Polish academic profession remains undetermined. Thepositive changes were accompanied by the chronic underfunding of publichigher education. Polish academics have learned to accommodatethemselves to the permanent state of uncertainty in which they areforced to operate. The present paper analyzes the current situation fromthe perspective of global changes affecting the academic profession.