Plans included in the government draft strategy for internationalisation of higher education providethat in the next decade all 4th student at Polish universities is to come from abroad, especially those outside the European Union and OECD. The draft strategy besides involves expanding the number of abroad scientists up to 5 times. This is how the Polish elite is to be replaced in respective decades.
The Tusk government wants Polish universities to become an incubator of the immigrant elites of “new Poland”. specified goals are presented by supporters of mass immigration as an component of “opening Poland to the world” and an chance to improve academic position in global competition for talent. However, their implementation raises serious social, economical and cultural concerns.
Firstly, there is simply a hazard that mass attracting students from countries with much lower quality indicators of education and importantly different cultural standards will lead to de facto "import" social and educational problems, alternatively of strengthening Polish human capital. In practice, Polish universities, especially private universities, increasingly perceive abroad students as a profitable section of the educational marketplace – which leads to aggressive recruitment without adequate quality supervision.
Secondly, this strategy can break the academic cohesion of Polish higher education. The increasing percent of foreigners among students means not only more classes in English, but besides the request to adapt the full teaching strategy to foreign-language needs, which can yet marginalize Polish academic language and native culture of teaching. This phenomenon, although presented as "internationalisation", in practice may weaken the unique character of Polish universities and teaching standards.
Thirdly, there is simply a real hazard that the increase in the number of abroad students will mask serious demographic and financial problems of Polish universities. The demographic structure of Poland indicates a decrease in the number of young people of academic age, which threatens the stableness of conventional survey programmes. However, alternatively of ongoing and sensible systemic reforms, the decisions of universities and authorities are solved by mass attracting foreigners, which is only a short-term "fix" of backing gaps.
Fourth, despite the mass introduction of students from the 3rd planet countries to Polish universities, the technological level of these units stands inactive and even deteriorates. The best Polish universities are far behind the first 100 planet rankings.
In addition, there are legitimate concerns that students from outside the EU or OECD, mainly guided by economical motivations, do not necessarily prosecute educational objectives, but treat Polish studies as a pass to the labour marketplace or subsequent migrations, as part of household reunification. The problems are already partially apparent: cases of visa abuse and the usage of universities as entry points for further migration or illegal work have been reported, which forced the government to seal the student visa system.
Nor can it be overlooked that the expanding presence of abroad students confronts universities with integration and social challenges, which the Polish educational and administrative strategy is not yet ready to handle effectively. deficiency of experience in the integration of a multicultural community can lead to tension, isolation and marginalization of the indigenous academic community.
Finally, the problem is not only about the academic sphere: the policy of "saturating" universities with abroad students is part of a broader trend of liberalisation of migration, which requires a much deeper assessment in the context of the Polish labour marketplace and social system. With a multi-kulti vision, the Warsaw authorities treat higher education as 1 of the tools for mass immigration, although it should only stay the guardian of the quality of education and the place of training of future Polish leaders from the Polish Nation.
OUR COMMENTS: Polish universities should place more emphasis on the quality of education and real benefits for Polish citizens from educated graduates, alternatively of short-term backing models based on the influx of abroad students. But if it were just about finance, it would be a tiny problem. Unfortunately, universities have become hawks, serving to destruct the state from the inside, by promoting a harmful racial and cultural mix, the effects of which we see all day on the streets of France, large Britain and Sweden.
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