Most important problems and challenges faced by Polish universities and academic community – these issues will be raised by scholars at the Congress of Academic Culture in Kraków, initiated by Prof. Piotr Sztompka. The debates will last 3 days.

Lena Kolarska-Bobińska, Minister of Science and Higher Education, stressed that the motto of the Congress, “The Idea of University – Reactivation,” reflects the current state of affairs, due to the fact that it is related to the questions concerning the most important aspects of modern higher education.

The university’s mission today

“Asking about the university’s future is asking about the society’s future. In this period of deep changes, we face a questions about the university’s mission and how to define it anew,” the Minister said. “Poland is the fourth European country in terms of the number of students. It is the result of the transformations after 1989. In the time of an economic and demographic crisis, change of values and technological advancement, we must think about the next transformation of the university.”

General or specialised education?

According to the Minister, another important question is whether the universities should provide general, well-rounded education or specialist training in very narrow fields. She added: “In today’s education, interdisciplinarity, mass teaching and globalisation are crucial. We need to properly react to the university’s transition into the 21st century. Universities are not only about education, but also about serving the society through questions, predictions, information and discussion.”

Between students and professors

The Congress will also address the university’s role in forming opinions and teaching how to discuss and debate different issues. In Minister Kolarska-Bobińska’s view, relations between students and professors should be examined with particular care. “These are very remarkable relations, based on respect for student’s willingness to participate and to be treated as equal,” she said. She also assured the participants that the conclusions of this debate will serve the Ministry to improve the higher education system in the coming years.