On Monday, 24 March 2025, Borys Budka, Member of the European Parliament and Chairman of the European Parliament’s Committee on Industry, Research and Energy, visited the University of Silesia in Katowice, his alma mater. During the meeting at the Scientific Information Centre and Academic Library (CINiBA), he talked to representatives of the academic community, among other things, about the possibility of Polish universities applying for European funds.
‘Together with MEPs from countries that have joined the European Union since 2004, we are trying to convince our colleagues from other EU countries that strong funding for the development of science and research in our countries is essential,’ said the MEP. ‘The position of Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, who is speaking out about the need to increase funding for science, is a positive sign. The role of the Polish government and the Ministry of Funds is also very important. The national administration should support universities in preparing relevant applications’.
The participants of the meeting pointed out various options for obtaining funds, including through the Widening package of the Horizon Europe programme and within the framework of cooperation in European University alliances. The issue of so-called predatory journals (journals in which publications are posted without expert evaluation or are evaluated based on very low standards) and fake scientific research was also discussed. Topics such as the development of regional research centres (including in the context of the transformation of Silesia) and the challenges of educating the younger generation in the face of such threats as disinformation and mobile device addiction have emerged. Attention was also drawn to the worrying results of the latest Eurobarometer report, according to which, among other things, 64% of Poles surveyed believe that they do not need science in their daily lives.
The scientists who gathered in Katowice also took part in two panel discussions:
Discussion panel 1: ‘Unreliable publication practices – causes, mechanisms and effects’
Moderator: Prof. Roman Cieślak (SWPS University, Chair of the Commission for Communication and Social Responsibility of the Conference of Rectors of Academic Schools in Poland)
- Katarzyna Mizia-Stec, MD, PhD, (Medical University of Silesia in Katowice)
- Agnieszka Turska-Kawa, PhD, DLitt, Associate Professor (University of Silesia in Katowice)
- Eng Krzysztof Zaremba (Warsaw University of Technology)
- Krzysztof Jóźwiak (National Science Centre)
- Piotr Kieraciński (Forum Akademickie)
Discussion panel 2: ‘Counteracting – university practices, good examples, challenges’
Moderator: Prof. Michał Daszykowski (University of Silesia in Katowice)
- Aleksandra Cisłak-Wójcik, PhD, DLitt (Uniwersytet SWPS)
- Eng. Celina Olszak (University of Economics in Katowice)
- Eng. Marek Pawełczyk (Silesian University of Technology)
- Ryszard Koziołek (University of Silesia in Katowice)
- Barbara Marcinkowska, PhD, DSc, Assoc. Prof. (Maria Grzegorzewska University)
