Petition of the Doctoral Initiative to the Rector of the University of Warsaw

His Magnificence

The Rector of the University of Warsaw

Prof. Dr. habil. Alojzy Z. Nowak

Dear Rector Nowak,

We are students at the Doctoral Schools of the University of Warsaw. We address you as members of the University of Warsaw community and the Doctoral Initiative operating within the Workplace Commission of a nationwide trade union, Inicjatywa Pracownicza. We are writing this open letter to you with a demand for improvement of the financial and social conditions of doctoral students at our university.

By applying to the Doctoral Schools, we have chosen to dedicate our professional careers to academia, particularly to the University of Warsaw. However, our social and economic situation forces us into difficult choices, often leading to abandonment of this path.

Doctoral candidates at the University of Warsaw – a leading university in Poland – receive scholarships of 2667.70 PLN gross, and after the mid-term evaluation, 4109.70 PLN gross. Both of these amounts are lower than the minimum wage, which as of 2024 will amount to 4240.00 PLN gross (4300.00 PLN gross from July). The purpose of doctoral scholarships is to enable engagement in research work. As repeatedly communicated by the Doctoral Student Self-Government Board and confirmed by increasing number of press reports on the dire economic situation of doctoral candidates, the current scholarships do not allow for a acceptable standard of living or full dedication to academic work. This has a negative impact on the quality of research and also affects the recruitment interest in the Doctoral Schools. Additionally, we want to point out that rectors of other Polish universities (University of Lodz, Poznan University of Life Sciences) have increased the amount of doctoral scholarships at their institutions.

Negotiations between the Doctoral Student Self-Government Board and His Magnificence the Rector regarding the increase of doctoral student scholarships have been ongoing for many years without expected results. Partial solutions in the form of a one-time bonus awarded to only some for academic achievements are unsatisfactory. The total amount of the bonus at 2300.00 PLN gross (approximately 191 PLN gross per month) still does not contribute to a real improvement in the financial situation of doctoral students. We express our disappointment with such a solution and the amount of the bonus, especially considering the aforementioned increases in doctoral scholarships at other universities.

We demand an increase in the doctoral student scholarship for all individuals studying in the Doctoral Schools of the University of Warsaw to 4300.00 PLN gross before the mid-term evaluation and 6600.00 PLN gross after the mid-term evaluation. In this way, the scholarship before the mid-term evaluation will reach the level of the minimum wage (as of July 2024), securing the basic financial needs of doctoral students; the scholarship after the mid-term evaluation will be increased proportionally to the raise before the evaluation.

We also advocate for the establishment of a scholarship fund for completing doctoral theses for those extending their education in the Doctoral Schools. These individuals remain affiliated with the University of Warsaw, and their achievements contribute to its reputation. However, they cannot count on financial support from the university. The small number of doctoral candidates who submit their dissertations within the prescribed four years, as stipulated by the law, indicates that this time is insufficient for preparing a thesis, especially in the face of unforeseen circumstances such as the COVID-19 pandemic or the war in Ukraine. The current lack of funding for doctoral students in the fifth year forces them to split their time between academic and earning activities, resulting in further prolongation of the thesis completion period.

Furthermore, we expect an improvement in the dire housing situation of doctoral students at the University of Warsaw. The amount of the doctoral scholarship does not allow for renting an apartment in Warsaw, and often not even a room. Meanwhile, there is a shortage of places in dormitories and the conditions in the House of Scientific Worker are alarming. We call for steps to be taken to improve the housing situation of doctoral candidates.

We have chosen the University of Warsaw as the place for our academic work, and we proudly contribute to its research and publications. Therefore, for the good of the university and its future, we request the fulfillment of the above demands. As the Doctoral Initiative and the community of the Doctoral Schools of the University of Warsaw, we are open to discussions on this matter and request immediate action.

Sincerely,

Doctoral Initiative

Workplace Commission of OZZ Inicjatywa Pracownicza at the University of Warsaw