Academic staff are required to improve continuously their professional skills.

Achievements of academic teachers are assessed as part of a periodic performance appraisal and procedures leading to the award of doctoral and post-doctoral degrees and the professorial title.

All academic teachers may take, though under different conditions, sabbatical leave (see the section “Holidays”).

Academic teachers may be sent abroad for the following purposes:

• conducting research, if they are involved in research in Poland;
• carrying out teaching assignments;
• taking a postgraduate programme, or doctoral programme / studies if they have adequate research achievements and at least one-year work experience in a given specialisation area; undertaking research, artistic or specialist placements; taking a foreign language or another course upgrading their professional skills; and undertaking a practical placement.

In such cases, related costs can be covered by:

• the teacher concerned;
• an institution other than the one sending a teacher abroad;
• the sending institution which awards a grant for subsistence and accommodation costs.

The sending institution may also grant other benefits; in particular, it may reimburse costs of travel, insurance, research materials / resources, and visa charges.