Dialogue with academic stakeholders in designing the vision and reforms of higher education in Poland (2013-2015)

Abstract

What is particularly interesting in the relations between the state and stakeholders is the reception of the currently designed and implemented reform, which groups support it, and which groups are against, and – in the event of objections – where the bone of contention lies. Referring to the Polish reforms of higher education, this paper focuses on the discrepancies betweenthe values upheld by the internal stakeholders (i.e. part of the Academia staff members) and those preferred by external stakeholders (i.e. the state). The paper concentrates mainly on the standpoints and activities of academic stakeholders who oppose the line of the Polish higher education reforms forced by the Ministry and/or who proposed their own vision of changes in higher education and science in the years 2013-2015, i.e. the Conference of Rectors of Academic Schools in Poland, the Citizens of Academia and the Polish Humanities Crisis Committee. The reference to the reactions of the Ministry to such actions leads to conclusions concerning the character of the social dialogue between the academic stakeholders and the Ministry, and the level of participation of the Academia in the process of reforming higher education in Poland.