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EACEA National Policies Platform:Eurydice
Mobility in higher education

Poland

13.Mobility and internationalisation

13.2Mobility in higher education

Last update: 22 June 2022
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Student mobility

Students participate in mobility mainly within the framework of the EU Erasmus+ Programme, but Polish and international students may also undertake a study period or follow a full degree programme within the framework of:

  • projects co-funded by the EU and the national budget;
  • multilateral programmes;
  • bilateral programmes; and
  • national programmes.

Within the EU programmes, recognition of a study period or practical placement abroad is based on an agreement between the student and the home and host higher education institutions (HEIs), and on the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS). In other programmes, the sending and receiving HEIs agree arrangements for recognition. Qualifications (diplomas and degrees) obtained abroad are recognised in accordance with the national legislation; for details, see the final section in this chapter.

EU Programmes

The Erasmus+ Programme (2014-2020; 2021-2027), administered by the Foundation for the Development of the Education System (a new English-language website under construction), offers mobility opportunities to students and doctoral candidates mainly as part of Action 1 (Learning mobility) projects. First-cycle / Bachelor’s degree and second- and long-cycle / Master’s degree students can undertake a period of study (2 to 12 months) at a HEI abroad or a traineeship (2 to 12 months) at a company or another organisation abroad, or combine a study period with a traineeship period. Both types of mobility periods are also available to doctoral candidates (5 to 30 days or 2 to 12 months). Students can also participate in blended intensive programmes which combining physical and virtual mobility.

Additionally, short-term mobility opportunities are available to students and doctoral candidates as part of projects in Action 2 of the Erasmus+ Programme. Mobility in Action 2 is linked to the objectives of a given project. For further details, see Chapter 13.5.2 ‘Other Dimensions of Internationalisation in Higher Education / Partnerships and networks’.

Programmes co-funded by the EU and the national budget

Programme ‘Poland My First Choice’

The Programme is part of the above-mentioned PO WER Programme. Scholarships are awarded to foreign nationals to take a full second-cycle programme in any field of study, at a public or non-public HEI supervised by the Minister of Education and Science which has the A or A+ research category (one of the two highest ratings awarded as an outcome of a quality evaluation of research activity). Applications can be submitted by candidates from EU Member States, Iceland, Lichtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland, and Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Uruguay, Israel, Republic of Korea, Japan and Singapore, and by China’s nationals who are Hong Kong, Macau i Taiwan residents. The programme is operated by the National Agency for Academic Exchange.

For information about projects supported by other EU funds which involve mobility, see the chapter on Partnerships and Networks in Higher Education (13.5.2). 

Multilateral programmes

Central European Exchange Programme for University Studies, CEEPUS

CEEPUS is the first multilateral cooperation programme in the field of education in Central Europe, established by a multilateral agreement. Poland has taken part in the programme since 1994. The National Agency for Academic Exchange is the contact point for the programme in Poland. The other participating countries are Albania, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia and Slovenia. CEEPUS offers short-term scholarships to students and academic staff for mobility within inter-institutional cooperation networks.

International Visegrad Fund

The International Visegrad Fund was created in 2000 by the Prime Ministers of the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland and Hungary (V4 countries). Each of the four countries provides an equal financial contribution to the Fund. The Fund is also supported by governments of other countries, including Canada, Germany, South Korea, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland and the United States. Currently, it aims to strengthen cooperation among the V4 countries and between the V4 Region and other countries, in particular in the Western Balkans and the Eastern Partnership Region. The unit administering the Fund is situated in Bratislava, Slovakia. The Fund awards scholarships to students for a study period, a full Bachelor’s or Master’s degree programme or a post-Master research period. Scholarships are available to students from the V4 countries, and Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Russia, Serbia and Ukraine.

European Economic Area Financial Mechanism: Education Programme

The Education Programme is funded by Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway and administered in Poland by the Foundation for the Development of the Education System (a new English-language website under construction). Under the component ‘Mobility projects in higher education’, students from Poland and the donor countries may undertake a period of study or a practical placement. Within the component ‘Institutional cooperation for the improvement of quality and relevance of education’, students may participate in activities such as seminars, conferences, education events and intensive training which aim to support exchange of experience and good practice.

Bilateral programmes / initiatives

Bilateral agreements

Poland has signed bilateral cooperation agreements covering scholarship-based exchanges with around 100 countries in all regions of the world (for a list of the countries, see Chapter ‘Bilateral Agreements and Worldwide Cooperation’). As part of the agreements, the Government of Poland and / or the partner country offer(s) a number of scholarships to academic staff and students. Mobility arrangements are agreed with each signatory country.

Further details about the agreements are available on the website of the Ministry of Education and Science (in Polish only) and in the Internet Treaty Database (in English and Polish) operated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Regularly updated information about mobility opportunities (in English and Polish) is published on the website of the National Agency for Academic Exchange which manages student and academic staff exchanges as part of bilateral agreements.

 

 

Bilateral scholarship programmes

Fulbright Programme

As part of the Fulbright Programme, the Polish-US Fulbright Commission offers scholarships funded by the Polish Ministry of Education and Science and the U.S. State Department. Scholarships are awarded to Polish and U.S. students to take the first year of a Master’s degree or PhD programme, with an option to extend the period of study for one year, or to carry out a research project related to a doctoral thesis.

Lane Kirkland Scholarship Programme

The Programme is funded by the Polish-American Freedom Foundation, and administered by the Leaders of Change Foundation. Scholarships for two-semester studies at HEIs and internships at public and private institutions in Poland are awarded to young leaders and experts holding a higher education qualification from the following countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan. Studies in Poland are intended to develop knowledge and skills related to the development of democracy, economy and civic society.

National programmes / initiatives

As part of its statutory responsibilities, the National Agency for Academic Exchange (see the introductory section in Chapter 13) manages a number of programmes for Polish doctoral students and international students or other non-Polish nationals (in addition to the exchange programmes based on bilateral agreements, the CEEPUS Programme and the programme ‘Poland My First Choice’ mentioned above).

  • The Iwanowska Programme

The Programme aims to increase international mobility of Polish doctoral students. Scholarships are available to individuals preparing a doctoral dissertation in any area. They are awarded for scientific research or teaching assignments to be undertaken at institutions across the world, and for research projects to be carried out jointly with outstanding international scholars.

  • The Gen. Anders Programme

The Programme is targeted at young people of Polish origin and individuals holding the so-called Card of the Pole from various regions of the world. Scholarship holders can take a full first-, second- or long-cycle programme at Polish HEIs supervised by the Ministers of Education and Science, Health and Culture, National Heritage and Sport.

  • The S. Banach Scholarship Programme

The Programme has been designed jointly by the National Agency for Academic Exchange and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as part of Poland’s development aid, and aims to support socio-economic development of developing countries. It is open to nationals of countries in several regions, including the Eastern Partnership (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine), Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan) and the Western Balkans (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia). Scholarship holders can follow a full second-cycle programme in engineering and technology, science, natural or agricultural sciences at public HEIs which are supervised by the Minister of Education and Science.

Recognition of study or practical training periods and qualifications

Tools facilitating recognition based on European initiatives

The 8-level Polish Qualifications Framework (PQF) describes qualifications awarded in the country as referenced to the EQF. PQF qualifications are defined in terms of learning outcomes including knowledge, skills and social competences. Together with the Integrated Qualifications Register, the PQF is part of the Integrated Qualifications System, which was put in place in July 2016, in accordance with the Act of 22 December 2015 on the Integrated Qualifications System (Ustawa o Zintegrowanym Systemie Kwalifikacji z dnia 22 grudnia 2015 r.). 

Based on the national legislation, the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) was introduced as mandatory for Polish HEIs in 2006. The legislation specifies, among other things, the minimum number of ECTS credits required for the completion of first-, second- and long-cycle programmes and the award of a degree. Since 2004 HEIs have issued a Diploma Supplement based on the corresponding Europass document.

Recognition of qualifications

Recognition of qualifications (diplomas and degrees) is regulated in accordance with EU legislation and international conventions, including the Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications concerning Higher Education in the European Region (Lisbon Convention) which was ratified in December 2003 and entered into force in Poland in 2004.

Like in other European countries, different regulations are in place in Poland for academic recognition (for individuals wishing to continue or begin studying or use an academic degree) and professional recognition (for individuals wishing to take up employment or practise a profession).

Academic recognition

Recognition is governed by the following legislative acts:

 

First-, second- and long-cycle degrees / diplomas and doctoral and post-doctoral degrees may be recognised as equivalent to a corresponding Polish diploma / degree based on an international agreement, and in the absence of an agreement, through a recognition process (nostryfikacja).

Poland has signed bilateral agreements on the recognition of qualifications with:

  • the following countries: Armenia, Austria, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, China, Croatia, Cuba, Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Germany, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Libya, Lithuania, North Macedonia, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, North Korea, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Syria, Tajikistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and Vietnam; and
  • the following countries that have ceased to exist: Czechoslovakia, Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, German Democratic Republic and the Union of Socialist Soviet Republics.

Detailed information about the agreements is available in the Internet Treaty Database managed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The recognition process identifies a Polish qualification corresponding to a foreign qualification. For first-, second- and long-cycle degrees / diplomas, the process is conducted by HEIs which hold an A+, A or B+ research category (one of the three highest ratings awarded as an outcome of an external evaluation of the quality of research) in the discipline concerned. For doctoral and post-doctoral degrees, it is conducted by  HEIs and research institutions which hold an A+ or A research category in the discipline concerned.

Detailed information about academic recognition is available on the website of the National Agency for Academic Exchange

Professional recognition

Recognition procedures vary depending on whether or not a given profession is regulated in Poland.

For non-regulated professions, pursuant to the Code of Labour of 26 June 1974 (Ustawa – Kodeks Pracy z 26 czerwca 1974 r.), a decision to recognise a foreign professional qualification is taken by the employer. The employer may require confirmation of the equivalence of a foreign qualification (see Academic recognition above).

Regulated professions in Poland include the so-called sectoral professions (doctor, dentist, pharmacist, nurse, midwife, veterinary surgeon and architect) and professions such as lawyer and teacher (working in the school education sector). 

Qualifications in regulated professions obtained in EU member states, member states of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) – signatories of the European Economic Area (EEA) agreement, and Switzerland are recognised in Poland in accordance with the Act of 22 December 2015 on the rules for the recognition of professional qualifications acquired in Member States of the European Union (Ustawa z 22 grudnia 2015 r. o zasadach uznawania kwalifikacji zawodowych nabytych w państwach członkowskich Unii Europejskiej), and Acts of Parliament on the sectoral professions and the provision of services by foreign lawyers. The legislation is based on EU directives 2005/36/EC and 2013/55/EU.

Since higher education programmes for the sectoral professions are based on the EU legislation, qualifications may be automatically recognised if the applicant submits supporting documents (a diploma or certificate) to the competent Polish body.

Qualifications in professions such as teacher are recognised under the so-called general recognition system within the EU. The competent body assesses a given qualification in terms of the level of education / study and professional status / rights to practise a given profession which it confers on the holder in the state where it was awarded. Where the scope of education or the profession varies significantly between the home and host countries, the holder may be required to undertake an adaptation placement or take an aptitude test. Recognition of qualifications for legal and other professions is governed by separate regulations.

For qualifications obtained in other countries, holders should first apply for the academic recognition of a qualification (diploma / degree) (see above), and, subsequently, for an authorisation to practise a given profession in accordance with the legislation applicable to a given profession.

A list of professions which are regulated in Poland is available in the EU database of regulated professions. For further details about professional recognition, see the website of the National Agency for Academic Exchange. 

Other useful information

Information on the higher education system, degree programmes and scholarships offered, and practical information about Poland is available in the ‘Ready, Steady, Go Poland’ Portal, operated by the National Agency for Academic Exchange.    

Education of foreigners and support for international students

Foreign nationals may take first-, second- and long-cycle programmes, non-degree postgraduate programmes, specialist programmes, doctoral training programmes and other courses in accordance with the Law on Higher Education and Science of 20 July 2018 (Ustawa z 20 lipca 2018 r. – Prawo o szkolnictwie wyższym i nauce). Students gain admission and follow programmes or courses on the basis of:

  • an international agreement;
  • an agreement concluded between a Polish HEI and a foreign institution;
  • a decision of the competent body; for example, the Minister, the Director of the National Agency for Academic Exchange (for scholarship holders; see the scholarship programmes above), the rector of an HEI or the head of a research institution.

Detailed arrangements are laid down in individual agreements and decisions.

Public HEIs do not charge tuition fees for full-time first-, second or long-cycle programmes, and for doctoral training at doctoral schools. However, they may charge fees from foreigners taking a first-, second or long-cycle programme in the Polish language, and fees for the following education services: part-time first-, second or long-cycle programmes; classes or courses repeated due to unsatisfactory learning achievements; programmes delivered in a foreign language; and classes or courses which are not part of a curriculum. Public HEIs may also charge fees for non-degree postgraduate programmes, specialist programmes or other forms of education and training.

No tuition fees are charged from foreigners taking a full-time programme in the Polish language who:

  • are nationals of EU Member States, EFTA / EEA Member States or Switzerland, or members of their families, residing in Poland;
  • are EU long-term residents or hold a permanent residence permit;
  • hold a temporary residence permit issued in accordance with the rules laid down by the Act on Foreigners of 12 December 2013;
  • have the status of refugee granted in Poland or have been granted temporary or subsidiary protection in Poland;
  • hold a certificate of proficiency in the Polish language as a foreign language at least at the C1 level, issued by the State Committee for Certification of Proficiency in the Polish Language as a Foreign Language;
  • hold a Card of the Pole or an appropriate document confirming Polish origin;
  • are spouses, ascendants or descendants of a Polish national who reside in Poland;
  • stay in Poland as part of short-term research mobility or hold a visa issued for conducting scientific research or development work.

HEIs may waivetuitionfees charged from foreign nationals for a programme delivered in Polish or a foreign language and fees for classes or course repeated due to unsatisfactory learning achievements. Such arrangements are set out in an international agreement or an agreement between HEIs / institutions, a decision of the rector of a HEI, the head of a research institution, the Minister or the Director of the National Agency for Academic Exchange (for scholarship holders; see the scholarship programmes above).

The higher education system offers various types of financial support to foreign nationals. The Minister of Education and Science may award a scholarship to cover, in full or in part, tuition fees and travel, accommodation and subsistence costs. Foreign nationals listed under points 2 to 8 above may receive a student maintenance grant and / or a student credit. All international students are eligible to apply for other types of financial support. These include the Minister’s and the Rector’s scholarship for learning or sporting achievements; a scholarship for people with a disability; an aid payment; a scholarship funded by a local government body; a scholarship for learning or sporting achievements funded by a natural person or a corporate body which is not administered by a state or local-government body.

The legislation does not specify other types of support for international students. However, HEIs have in place various student services such as support in entry formalities (for examples, visa application); practical support (for example, accommodation); Polish language courses; orientation and integration programmes; academic support (for example, an academic teacher-tutor for a group of international students); and daily support by local students as buddies for international students.

Academic staff mobility

Mobility of Polish academic staff to European countries is an integral part of international cooperation supporting the development of the European Higher Education Area. There is no separate internationalisation or mobility strategy for higher education. However, as explained in the introductory section to Chapter 13, skills development and support for skills development of management and teaching staff in the entire formal education sector are among the priority areas of intervention in ‘The Integrated Skills Strategy’ (Zintegrowana Strategia Umiejętności 2030), adopted by the Government in December 2020. The lines of action in these areas include the promotion of international staff mobility; the development of planning and management skills for international projects; and the promotion of international good practice in teaching. Academic staff mobility also features in the Government’s ‘Strategy for Responsible Development (with a 2030 perspective)’ (Strategia na rzecz odpowiedzialnego rozwoju do 2020 r. (z perspektywą do 2030 r.)(summary in English), adopted in 2016, where one of the priorities is to create conditions supporting internationalisation of higher education.

The legislation lays down conditions for granting leave to academic staff. Pursuant to the Law on Higher Education of 20 July 2018 ((Ustawa z dnia 20 lipca 2018 r. – Prawo o szkolnictwie wyższym i nauce), the rector of a higher education institution (HEI) may grant the following types of leave:

  • for academic staff preparing a doctoral dissertation: paid research leave of the maximum duration of 3 months;
  • for academic staff holding at least a doctoral degree: paid research leave of the maximum total duration of one year (which may be split into several periods) during a 7-year period of employment in a given HEI;
  • for all academic staff: paid leave to undertake a period of learning / training or a research or teaching placement / internship or participate in a conference abroad, or participate in joint research conducted with a foreign institution on the basis of a research cooperation agreement.

During paid leave, the HEI pays a full salary and social security contributions for the academic teacher. Periods of paid leave are counted towards periods which determine employee entitlements, including, for example, retirement-related entitlements based on the length of service.

Non-academic staff of a HEI are subject to the generally applicable provisions of the Labour Code of 26 June 1974 (Ustawa – Kodeks Pracy z dnia 26 czerwca 1974 r.). They are entitled to paid training leave for professional development, but the conditions of granting such leave do not refer to mobility: leave of 21 days to prepare for and take the final exam upon completion of a degree programme. In other cases, staff may be granted unpaid leave and its duration is agreed with the employer.

There are no national regulations on the recognition of performance or achievements abroad for academic or non-academic staff. However, HEIs are required by law to conduct a periodic performance appraisal of academic staff, at least every 4 years or at the rector’s request, as part of their internal quality assurance system. Performance appraisal criteria are laid down by each HEI. Many HEIs take into consideration international experience, including mobility and participation in transnational projects, in periodic appraisal of academic staff and in the assessment of their achievements for academic career progression.

The standards for external programme evaluation, conducted on a cyclical basis by the Polish Accreditation Committee, do not refer explicitly to academic staff mobility, However, the standard on teaching staff includes incentives for continuing professional development; the standard on the internationalisation of education addresses conditions for students to achieve learning outcomes related to proficiency in a foreign language, and the inclusion of classes / courses delivered in a foreign language.

For information on the academic recognition of qualifications awarded upon completion of first-, second- and long-cycle programmes, and on the professional recognition of qualifications, see Chapter 13,2,1 ‘Student Mobility”. The recognition of doctoral and post-doctoral degrees (referred to as scientific or research degrees in Poland) is governed by the following legislative acts:

Foreign doctoral and post-doctoral degrees may be recognised as equivalent to Polish ones based on an international agreement or, in the absence of an agreement, through a recognitionprocess (nostryfikacja).

Poland has signed bilateral agreements on the recognition of qualifications with:

  • the following countries: Armenia, Austria, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, China, Croatia, Cuba, Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Germany, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Libya, Lithuania, North Macedonia, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, North Korea, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Syria, Tajikistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and Vietnam; and
  • the following countries that have ceased to exist: Czechoslovakia, Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, German Democratic Republic and the Union of Socialist Soviet Republics.

Detailed information about the agreements is available in the Internet Treaty Database managed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The recognition process identifies a Polish qualification corresponding to a foreign qualification. It is conducted by HEIs and research institutions which hold an A+ or A research category (one of the two highest ratings awarded as an outcome of an external evaluation of research activity) in the discipline concerned.

Further information on the recognition of qualifications is available on the website of the National Agency for Academic Exchange.

HEIs provide dataon staff mobility in their annual reports for the Ministry of Education and Science. The Foundation for the Development of the Education System produces various statistical and / or analytical reports on the implementation of the EU programmes which it manages . However, there are no aggregate or summary studies on the impact of all programmes and initiatives supporting academic or non-academic staff mobility.

Like for students, the EU Erasmus+ Programme is currently the main programme in terms of the number of outgoing and incoming teachers, but Polish and foreign academic staff are also offered mobility opportunities within the framework of:

  • projects co-funded by the EU and the national budget;
  • multilateral programmes;
  • bilateral programmes; and
  • national programmes and projects.

Non-academic staff can undertake a mobility period only within the Erasmus+ Programme and the Education Programme funded by the European Economic Area Financial Mechanism.

 

EU Programmes

The Erasmus+ Programme (2014-2020; 2021-2027), administered in Poland by the Foundation for the Development of the Education System (a new English-language website under construction), offers three types of mobility opportunities to higher education staff as part of Action 1 (Learning mobility) projects. Academic staff can carry out a teaching assignment at a HEI abroad (2 days to 2 months). Both academic and non-academic staff can undertake a training period (job shadowing, a course or another training activity) (2 days to 2 months) at a HEI company or another organisation abroad. Academic staff can also participate, together with students, in blended intensive programmes which combine physical and virtual mobility. 

Additionally, short-term mobility opportunities are available to higher education staff as part of various types of projects in Actions 2 and 3 of the Erasmus+ Programme. Mobility in Action 2 and 3 is linked to the objectives of a given project. For further details, see Chapter 13.5.2 ‘Other Dimensions of Internationalisation in Higher Education / Partnerships and networks’.

Programmes / projects co-funded by the EU and the national budget

Project ‘Masters of Teaching’ (Mistrzowie dydaktyki)

The project (2017-2023) (information in Polish only) is co-funded by the European Social Fund and the Ministry of Education and Science under the above-mentioned Operational Programme Knowledge-Education-Development (PO WER). Funding is available for the development and implementation of a model for tutoring, and study visits and training for Polish staff, as part of collaboration with foreign HEIs which are among the top 100 of the Shanghai Academic Ranking.

For information on EU funded projects which involve mobility, see Chapter 13.5.2, Other Dimensions of Internationalisation / Partnerships and Networks in Higher Education.

Multilateral programmes

Central European Exchange Programme for University Studies (CEEPUS) and International Visegrad Fund: see Chapter 13.2.1.

European Economic Area Financial Mechanism: Education Programme

The Education Programme is funded by Iceland, Lichtenstein and Norway and administered by the Foundation for the Development of the Education System (a new English-language website under construction). Under the component ‘Professional Development of staff’, academic and non-academic staff (and staff working in other formal and non-formal education sectors) can undertake study visits to the donor countries and participate in intensive training courses run by trainers / experts from these countries. The component ‘Mobility in higher education’ offers grants for teaching assignments as part of academic staff exchanges between HEIs in Poland and the donor countries, and for job shadowing visits and participation in seminars, workshops and conferences for both academic and non-academic staff. The component ‘Institutional cooperation for the improvement of quality and relevance of education’ supports mobility related to the development or updating of curricula and the exchange of experience and good practice (for example, seminars, conferences, education events, intensive training).

Bilateral programmes / initiatives

For staff exchanges under bilateral agreements, see Chapter 13.2.1.

Fulbright Programme

The Fulbright Programme (see also Chapter 13.2.1) offers scholarships to Polish and US academic staff. Polish academic staff can carry out teaching assignments and / or research at US higher education or other institutions. Academic staff who specialise in culture and history of Poland and Central and Eastern Europe can be awarded a scholarship for a teaching assignment in an US HEI which collaborates with the Polish-US Fulbright Commission. Researchers representing the STEM areas (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) can apply for a scholarship to carry out a teaching-and-research project (lectures, seminars, workshops; development of a curriculum or teaching materials) or research project at an US higher education or other institution. US academic staff are awarded scholarships for teaching assignments and / or research work at a Polish HEI or research institution.

National programmes / initiatives

Mobility Plus (Mobilność Plus)

Launched in 2012 and managed by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, the Mobility Plus Programme (information in Polish only) offers grants to junior researchers (aged up to 35 years), including PhD students, for research to be conducted at renowned international research institutions.

Programmes administered by the National Agency for Academic Exchange

As part of its statutory responsibilities, the National Agency for Academic Agency (NAWA) (see the introductory section to Chapter 13) administers several programmes targeted mainly at foreign academic staff which involve learning mobility (in addition to the above-mentioned bilateral exchange programmes and the CEEPUS Programme, and national programmes offering scholarships for research rather than learning mobility periods).

  • The Walczak Programme

The Programme, developed jointly by the National Agency and the Ministry of Health, aims to support professional development of Polish academic staff in the areas of cardiology, oncology, allergology and infectious diseases. Applications can be submitted by staff who work at HEIs, research institutes or teaching hospitals, hold at least a doctoral degree or have initiated the process leading to the award of a doctoral degree and conduct research in the Programme’s areas, and who are fluent in English. Grants are awarded for stays at best medical centres in the United States.

  • The NAWA Chair Programme

The Programme aims to improve the quality of research and teaching in Polish HEIs and research institutions by providing grants for the employment of outstanding international scholars from various countries of the world. Incoming scholars contribute to research and teaching activities and support host institutions in preparing applications for prestigious grants. The programme is currently open to humanities, social and theological sciences, and will be extended to cover other disciplines in the coming years.

  • The Ulam Programme

The Programme aims to boost internationalisation of Polish HEIs and research institutions. Grants are awarded for stays of international scholars holding at least a doctoral degree in any discipline to conduct research, undertake a post-doctoral placement, collect materials for research or a research publication and teach classes to students.

See also the information about the programmes for doctoral students in Chapter 13.2.1 ‘Student Mobility’.