KO and left deputies critically evaluated the draft amendment to the law establishing the medal “Mortgage for Polish sciences Sapientia et Veritas” and proposed their amendments. He will go to work in the Parliamentary Committee. Kukiz’15 and PiS announced their support for the project, and by 2050 Poland will abstain from voting.
On Wednesday, MPs discussed the draft amendment to the Higher Education and Science Law and some other laws. The draft was prepared by a group of Law and Justice party deputies. Presents changes to six works. Because of the amendments proposed by the opposition, it will return to the Education, Science and Youth Committee.
Representative Jacek Korzoba (PiS) said on behalf of his club that he is recommending adoption of this project. He pointed out that the solutions meet the aspirations of the scientific community. As a good step in the promotion of science, he indicated the possibility of awarding the “Medal of Merit for Polish Science Sapientia et Veritas” by the President of MEiN.
According to the project, the Minister of Education and Science will be able to award the Medal “For Merit to Polish Science Sapientia et Veritas” (Latin for wisdom and truth) for special merits of higher education and science, including outstanding achievements in the field of scientific, educational or organizational activity.
The medal may be awarded to a natural person, including a person who does not have Polish citizenship, a legal person or an organizational unit without legal personality. It will have three shades – gold, silver and copper. In 2022, funds in the amount of 400,000 PLN are planned for the development of the medal design, production and delivery of 1,750 pieces, ID cards and cases. zloty.
Joanna Fabiciak (KO) drew attention to the rulings that, in the opinion of her party representatives, raise doubts. She emphasized that there was indeed a medal from the National Commission of Education awarded for achievements similar to those identified in the newly proposed case of decoration.
“You must ask yourself: If there is a recognized medal, with such an excellent sponsor as KEN, is it justified to create a new one?” – She asked. Other opposition MPs said that an intensification of the awarding of medals may take place during the election campaign, while the priority should be to increase spending on science, not to create new decorations.
KO introduced an amendment stating that the new medal should be of one grade, and not – as suggested – of three points. Fabisiak added that the scientific community had no information about this medal, because there was no public consultation about it.
It considered that the provisions relating to the central office of the procedures are correct. The proposed amendment provides for the inclusion of the main tasks of the head of the central office of procedures, conducting research and development work, in the list of tasks. The head of GUM will be able to act as an applicant (also in a consortium with other entities) in competitions to implement research projects announced by the National Science Center and the National Research and Development Center.
Katarzyna Kretkovska, on behalf of the Left, critically evaluated the idea of awarding the new decoration. She noted that it will be granted “by a personal decision of Minister Kazarnik.”
Minister Czarnik, his antiquated Catholic nationalistic obsessions guiding him in making decisions, (…) all this threatens that this proudly named medal will be awarded only to those, perhaps, most likely who have qualified to the will by the Minister to a small group of his followers, and will be disqualified All scholars open to the world of race (…) ”- she added.
She announced that the left had submitted an amendment to declassify the work of the National Ethical Committee for Animal Experimentation.
“I think the last thing Polish science and scientists expect are medals from Minister Czarnek, and in addition, given the disastrous financial situation of many institutions and scientists, I think the name is misleading,” said Dariusz Klimczak (KP). In his opinion, it would be more appropriate to “owe Polish science”, because – as he said – this is the reality of many research centers, many scientists who devote themselves to making up for the lack of funding and organization of science.
“With these 1,750 medals you intend to eliminate, the financial and organizational gaps in the Polish science system will not be corrected” – Klimczak noted. “I do not want to be malicious and choose me, but I am curious how many people will refuse to accept this medal, we know that the opinion about the current Minister of Science in the scientific community is not the highest” – he added .
“This is a sad outcome, we are talking about a bill with a lot of threads on it, but this one medal is covering the debate on the rest. This is a standard approach in the case of Law and Justice, offering a bill so multifaceted that things are clear, and there are things to laugh about. on it or show that it is so bad that even good things cannot be supported there, and we must discuss the state of Polish science ”- said Artur Dziampor (Union).
“We also have very mixed feelings about this act,” said Joanna Mucha (Poland 2050). She noted that the provisions are acceptable in law, but they are also “very strange.” “The medals are, of course, the most important proof of action,” she noted. “I have a very strong impression that this medal was created only to authorize those who will strike the Copernican Academy (…), and since they will not be able to show any further achievements, the only achievement is that there will be the medal awarded by the Minister, ”- she said.
And announced that Poland 2050 tends to abstain on this project. “We will ultimately decide when we know the final form of this submission,” she declared.
Stanisław Żuk (Kukiz’15) announced that his constituency would vote in favor of the project.
MEiN Vice President Włodzimierz Bernacki confirmed that the medal will be an honorary decoration, not related to financial rewards. He said it’s important to note mission-packed situations. “It seems to me that if a person combines this or that distinction, this or that with money, let him focus on being active in business (…)” – he added.
He said that he did not want to get angry and refer to the level of Polish science funding before 2015. In this way, he referred to the accusations about the low level of funding for science and universities, which many opposition MPs reprimanded.
The draft proposed, among other things, provisions under which decisions adopted by the National Ethics Committee for Animal Experimentation and the local Ethical Committees for Animal Experimentation in all matters considered by such authorities, including in cases of consent to conduct experiments and in matters relating to refusal to disclose General information, its chairmen must sign, and in their absence – the deputy chairmen of these commissions.
The draft also included provisions regarding the procedures for appealing the procedures for granting the doctor’s degree, the qualified doctor and the title of professor, as well as the initiation of procedures for canceling the procedures for granting the title of professor.
Provisions regarding impact assessment of KNOW were also introduced. The project envisages outsourcing the evaluation of the final report and financial statements of KNOW to an advisory team appointed by the head of MEiN.
It is also planned to extend the implementation period of contracts concluded under the Regional Excellence Initiative program. Funds can be transferred under this program until December 31, 2023.
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