We expect a level playing field

What is the situation of private universities in Poland?

It is convenient that you used that phrase. It does not exist in legal terminology in Poland. The university education system is divided into public and non-public schools. There is no mention of “private” universities. In addition, the term seems to have a negative undertone as it suggests that these universities are someone’s private property. As a matter of fact, every non-public higher education institution is established as a result of a decision of the minister responsible for higher education at the request of an individual or a legal entity, foundation or association who are not owners, but merely founders. There is no financial flow between the founder and the relevant university which is an independent legal entity. I would also like to remind that the higher education system in Poland has been subject to constant changes since 1990. There have been four reforms, with the last one taking place in 2018.

This reorganisation shows how significantly the higher education system has been changing. Non-public higher education institutions play an extremely important role in this context, with their students accounting for approximately 30% of all students every year. Since the first non-public university was founded in 1991, the total number of their graduates has exceeded 2 million so far. In addition, this year marks the 30th anniversary of non-public universities in Poland.

What role should private universities play in the discussion on changes to the higher education system, including, for example, the consulting role?

The Act of 2005 established the Conference of Rectors of Professional Schools in Poland, which brings together rectors of non-public HEIs. Its task is to participate in and give its opinion on legislation concerning changes in education. This means that our voice and our demands do reach the politicians, but they are not always listened to.

And what demands do you consider to be the most important at the moment?

We have a demand that has been very well known to politicians since 2009 and that Prime Minister Donald Tusk promised to fulfil. It stems directly from the Constitution of the Republic of Poland, from the principle of equality. The idea is to bring public and non-public universities on an equal footing in terms of funding from the State budget. Currently, only public universities benefit from subsidies from budgetary funds for statutory activities related to investments. Non-public universities do not receive such funding. To put it simply, they need to earn the money to be able to operate.

I would also add that in 2013 the Polish Constitutional Tribunal ruled that the principle of financial equality between these two types of entities, which by the way are both equal within the single higher education system, is not being implemented, and indicated that it should be enforced. This has still not happened. So this is the demand that we are looking forward to the most.

What should be the place of non-public universities in the higher education system?

In my view, there should be no division at all between the public and non-public universities. There should be a uniform system of higher education, a level playing field, with no preferential treatment for universities, and therefore equal funding.