Specific prerequisites for the conferment of the degree of habilitated doctor

Abstract

In 2018, there was a reform of higher education in Poland. One of the effects of this reform was the modification of the requirements for awarding the degree of habilitated doctor (doktor habilitowany). The article aims to answer the question of what specific conditions must be met in order to obtain a postdoctoral degree under the current law. The article fills a gap in the science of law, since no comprehensive study has been devoted to this topic. The author presents conclusions based on an analysis of the legal status, and of the views expressed in the science of law and in judicial decisions. Consideration is also given to the purposes of the reform related to habilitation, and those included in the justification to the draft Act on Higher Education and Science, as well as the clarification of the requirements indicated by the Council for Scientific Excellence – the assembly and public administration body supervising the awarding of habilitation in Poland. In the analyses, the author used the dogmatic-legal method, the hermeneutic method, and the argumentative method. In the conclusion, the specific prerequisites that must be met in order to obtain a postdoctoral degree under the current law are indicated, namely: possession of a doctoral degree in science, possession of a scientific or artistic achievement that represents a significant contribution to the development of a specific discipline, and the demonstration of significant scientific or artistic activity carried out in more than one university, scientific institution or cultural institution, especially outside of Poland. In addition to the specific prerequisites, it is necessary to bear in mind the need to meet the general prerequisites, which are beyond the scope of this study.