University discussions on quality
We want to use the experience of other universities to improve our own pro-quality, scientific and personnel policies. This was the aim of, among others, a meeting with prof. Paweł Strzelecki, dean of the Faculty of Mathematics, Informatics and Mechanics at the University of Warsaw.
On Monday, 3 April, at the UWr Chair of Jewish Studies, prof Paweł Strzelecki spoke about ‘Pro-quality personnel and scientific policy – experiences at the UW’. The meeting was moderated by prof. Tomasz Jurdziński, Dean of the Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science. The guest was welcomed by prof. Jan Sobczyk.
The meeting, which took the form of a discussion, was attended by dozens of representatives from all university faculties. – Particular attention was paid to key issues concerning the conduct of high-quality scientific research, including the support system for those applying for research funds, incentive measures at the faculty and university level, and the need for mutual understanding between the humanities and the sciences, reports prof. dr hab. Dariusz Buraczewski of the UWr Institute of Mathematics, one of the meeting’s participants.
A total of 12 prestigious ERC grants are and have been implemented at the Faculty of MIMUW.
Prof Strzelecki emphasised that the successes are the result of conducting top-quality research and a very high work ethos. In the 1920s, the Polish School of Mathematics was established and quickly reached the highest world level. Over the past 25-30 years, a similar path has been followed by Polish computer science, not only in Warsaw, but also in Wrocław, thanks to prof. L. Pacholski, and in Kraków.
Significantly, the research was conducted outright, against the common system (successive evaluations did not take into account the conference output of computer scientists), but it was recognised, as evidenced by successive ERC grants.
– However, administrative support is extremely important. At the Faculty of MIMUW, a special 7-8-person unit has been set up in the administration to support researchers in applying for both domestic and foreign grants – explained prof. Strzelecki.
Pro-quality tools were another point of discussion. Prof. Strzelecki pointed out that, as dean, he has full control over his faculty’s budget and, within this framework, he can control the level of salaries to a certain extent. He also provided details of the incentive system operating at the MIMUW Faculty. IDUB funds within the research university, are directed at the University of Warsaw largely to support the scientific activity of a large number of employees.
– Each university has its own unique solutions and structures, and some of them cannot be transferred to our ground one-to-one,’ says prof. Artur Błażejewski, vice-rector for research at UWr, a participant in the meeting. – But it is worth drawing on the experience of others, and we will use certain ideas.
The last part of the meeting was devoted to a discussion on the great diversity of the university. Prof. Strzelecki emphasised the need for discussions between different communities. Referring to G. H . Hardy (an eminent mathematician from the 1st half of the 20th century); among other things, intellectual curiosity and the desire to know the truth are key in science; professional pride dictating the search for momentous topics.
Further meetings with similar overtones are already being planned, i.e. discussions on what a modern university should look like and how to manage it effectively, how to achieve a high level of scientific research and how to educate our students.
The first guest was Mrs Rector B. Kaniewska (UAM): https://uwr.edu.pl/en/women-in-science-women-at-university/
