Public policy – four years of development in symbiosis with political science
The discipline "public policy" has emerged in the world from political science and some other areas and disciplines, with which it is affiliated. Since 2011 this discipline has gained in Poland its own identity and individuality in the area of social sciences. Article gives an overview over initiatives undertaken in recent years by interested scientific institutions and leading research teams in the framework of a new discipline. In particular, major initiatives in favour of the development of public policy were noted. Article supports the thesis about the fundamental importance of symbiosis between public policy and political science in the conditions of their separate existence in the structure of science. It constitutes one of the key qualitative determinants of the development of public policy as an academic discipline.
The author presents the current limitations and developmental requirements of higher education against the context, that the higher education institutions in Poland are situated in, due to the systemic transformation taking place in the country. On the ground of the evaluation of the situation, the author presents the general directions of the higher education change, also he proposes actions, that should be undertaken at the individual institutions. Accepting the postulate concerning the necessity of the higher vocational education development, the author formulates the postulate regarding its universality. This signifies, that the vocational courses have to be introduced to the autonomous institutions of higher education as well. In such the context, the unique model of combining the vocational and M.A. degree courses within the same department, described as the flexible Y model, is presented. In the final paragraphs, the postulate to introduce to higher education institutions, so called, rationalization programs of II level, adjusted to the local specifics, was presented. The adjustment and development programs should form the basis of the pro-effectiveness changes continuation in the higher education. The author emphasizes however, that the range of desired transformations is determined by the proper policy of the Ministry of National Education, supported by the budgetary decisions of the Parliament. ; Autor przedstawia aktualne ograniczenia i uwarunkowania rozwojowe szkolnictwa wyższego na tle sytuacji, w jakiej znalazły się szkoły wyższe w Polsce w wyniku trwającego okresu transformacji systemowej w państwie. Wychodząc z oceny tej sytuacji, przedstawia warunki oraz generalne kierunki zmian w szkolnictwie wyższym, a także proponuje posunięcia, które powinny być podejmowane w uczelniach. Przyjmując założenie o konieczności rozwijania wyższego kształcenia zawodowego, autor formułuje postulat jego powszechności. Oznacza to uznanie potrzeby wprowadzenia studiów zawodowych także do szkół autonomicznych. W tym kontekście zaproponowana została oryginalna koncepcja modelu łączenia studiów magisterskich i zawodowych w ramach tego samego wydziału szkoły wyższej (tzw. model elastyczny Y). W końcowej części artykułu sformułowany został postulat wprowadzenia w uczelniach tzw. programów racjonalizacji II poziomu, dostosowanych do lokalnej specyfiki. Takie programy dostosowawcze i rozwojowe powinny stać się podstawą do kontynuowania przemian proefektywnościowych w szkołach wyższych. Autor podkreśla jednak, że skala pożądanych przeobrażeń uwarunkowana jest odpowiednią polityką Ministerstwa Edukacji Narodowej, wspartą decyzjami budżetowymi Sejmu.
Sfera wartości i związane z nimi uwarunkowania polityki to zagadnienia aktualne w naukach społecznych. Autor prezentuje dobre praktyki w zakresie partnerstwa pomiędzy aktorami w procesie kreowania, realizacji i ewaluacji polityki publicznej, podkreślając ich fundamenty aksjologiczne. Ma to zwłaszcza zastosowanie wobec sektora wiedzy jako obszaru szczególnie wrażliwego na gruncie instytucjonalnym ze względu na duże aspiracje zaangażowanych twórców.
Artykuł przedstawia pojęcie sektora wiedzy na tle określeń powiązanych, takich jak: społeczeństwo wiedzy, społeczeństwo informacyjne, gospodarka oparta na wiedzy, zarządzanie wiedzą, a także formułuje pewne zalecenia dotyczące rozwoju tego sektora.
Autor prezentuje strukturę podmiotową sektora wiedzy w ujęciu funkcjonalnym, z podkreśleniem postulatu większej integracji instytucjonalnej w działaniach prorozwojowych.
W artykule prezentowane są normy konstytucyjne, a na ich tle postulowane zasady dialogu społecznego i partnerstwa jako zasady fundamentalne w sektorze wiedzy. Autor analizuje misję państwa, podkreślając znaczenie jego roli jako gwaranta tych reguł.
Artykuł przedstawia instrumentarium polityki publicznej wobec sektora wiedzy, z podkreśleniem znaczenia zasad i dobrych praktyk we współdziałaniu realizatorów polityki publicznej z kreatorami wiedzy jako ich partnerami środowiskowymi.
Sphere of values and related to them determinants of policy making constitute current issues in the social sciences. The author presents good practices in terms of partnerships among actors in the process of creation, implementation and evaluation of public policy, emphasizing their axiological foundations. This is primarily applicable in the knowledge sector which is an area particularly sensitive on the institutional ground because of great aspirations of the creators engaged. The article explains the concept of the knowledge sector using a group of related terms such as knowledge society, information society, knowledge-based economy, knowledge management and formulates a number of recommendations for development of this sector. The author presents the institutional structure of the knowledge sector in functional terms with emphasis on the demand of their greater integration in the pro-development activities. Subsequently, there is a presentation of constitutional norms, based on which the social dialogue and partnership are suggested as fundamental principles in the knowledge sector. The author examines the mission of the state emphasizing the importance of its role as a guarantor of these values and rules. Finally, the article presents the instruments of public policy towards the knowledge sector focusing on the importance of the principles and best practices in cooperation between public policy makers and their social partners – the creators of knowledge.
Objective: This paper aims at looking at the mechanisms of rector's appointment in public higher education institutions in Poland based on the analysis of the legislation binding since 2005 with reference to the latest changes.
Methodology: Legislative analysis of the past and current regulations on the models of rector's election was conducted, including mechanisms of nominating candidates in the Act on Higher education 2005, its amendments in 2011 and the Act on Higher education and Science in 2018. Literature review and empirical analysis of good practices were used.
Findings: The issue of strengthening a rector's position and professionalizing university management in the system of higher education is very important and being widely discussed in terms of governance reforms. Changes, new regulations, reforms depend on how they are implemented on the institutional level in terms of their strategical development and how they are supported and promoted by the executive head. The model of nominating and appointing the rector determines his relationship with the university board, senate and with academic community as well. In public higher education institutions in Poland the competition model is more burdensome than the model of election, it has numerous disadvantages and threats, and wasn't applied by any university. New regulations in Poland make the process of nomination more important than before. In general, there are two main models of nominating candidates: an open procedure (open competition) and a closed one (e.g. searching, headhunting for senior executive staff in HR, in business sphere), each has their own strengths and weaknesses. In case of HEIs, both respect the principles of institutional autonomy, guaranteed to universities by the Polish Constitution and the law. It is an autonomous right of the academic community, of the university itself to define their own framework and nomination procedure. The model of executive search in nominating candidates can become more feasible and effective for professionalizing and improvement of the rector's governance.
Value Added: The model of rector's appointment has a significant impact on the whole university performance. By professionalizing appointment mechanisms at all its stages, universities will improve university governance and introduce new quality of management.
Recommendations: New regulations in higher education create possibilities for introducing into the academic practice the executive search as a mechanism for nominating candidates for a rector's position in Polish universities.
