The Minister of Science and Higher Education, Dariusz Wieczorek, presented, during a plenary meeting of the 7th-term Polish Accreditation Committee, nomination acts for members of the Polish Accreditation Committee appointed for the term 2024-2027. The University of Gdańsk will be represented in the PAC by prof. dr hab. Jolanta Kumirska from the Faculty of Chemistry (Science and Life Sciences Team) and prof. dr hab. Grzegorz Węgrzyn (PAC Advisory Council).
The Polish Accreditation Committee (PAC) is an independent institution working to ensure and improve the quality of education by referring to the best models valid in the European and global educational space and supporting public and non-public universities in improving the quality of education. These activities are aimed at ensuring a high position for graduates of Polish higher education institutions in the domestic and international labour market, as well as increasing the competitiveness of Polish universities as European institutions.
On December 28, 2023, the Minister of Science, Dariusz Wieczorek, appointed the composition of the Polish Accreditation Committee for the term 2024-2027. The members of the Committee were appointed from among the candidates proposed by universities, the General Council for Science and Higher Education, rectors' conferences, the PAC praesidium, the Parliament of Students of the Republic of Poland, national scientific associations and employers' organisations. In this body, the Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Chemistry prof. dr hab. Jolanta Kumirska represents chemical sciences and is a member of the Team of sciences and natural sciences.
‘I perceive the appointment as a member of the Polish Accreditation Committee as a significant distinction and, at the same time, a great obligation. Taking care of the quality of education is extremely close to my heart and is an important area of my professional activity,' emphasises prof. Jolanta Kumirska. ‘Being appointed a member of the Polish Accreditation Committee is another important stage in my professional career. It opens up new horizons and allows me to look at issues of the quality of education from an even broader perspective. This is a new and important challenge for me, one that I will try to meet in full. Caring about the quality of education is not only about the Faculty and the home University. Since 2016, I have been a subject matter expert of the Polish Accreditation Committee in the science and life sciences team (formerly science) in the discipline of chemical sciences. Since then, I have been involved in 16 accreditations of first- and/or second-cycle studies in faculties that have been fully or partially assigned to the discipline of chemical sciences.’
The PAC's concern is to ensure that its opinions, assessments, and recommendations do not limit autonomous initiatives of HEIs promoting innovativeness of the didactic process and high-quality culture of education, but in cooperation and dialogue with all stakeholders of the education process, help to undertake such effective initiatives. Its work is guided by the principles of integrity, impartiality and transparency. The PAC is composed of 100 members and the President of the Students' Parliament of the Republic of Poland.
Prof. Jolanta Kumirska on her experience in this area: ‘I served as Deputy Director of the UG Institute of Environmental and Human Health for Teaching (term 2012 - 2016). In 2016, I took up the position of Vice-Dean for Student Affairs (2016 - 2020) and then Vice-Dean for Student Affairs and Education of the UG Faculty of Chemistry (term 2020 - 2024). In 2014, we received a positive assessment from the Polish Accreditation Committee for the course of Environmental Protection (first and second degree); in 2015, we received an outstanding institutional assessment from the Polish Accreditation Committee, covering all the courses we were teaching at the time. In 2018, as part of the 3rd edition of the All-Poland Programme for the Accreditation of Study Areas 'Studies with a Future', we were awarded the 'Studies with a Future' certificate for first-cycle studies in Chemical Business. We are also committed to obtaining European accreditation. In 2014, the European Chemistry Thematic Network Association (ECTN) awarded a certificate of educational quality for the Chemistry major in the Chemistry Eurobachelor and Chemistry Euromaster degrees. In 2019, we received funding from the Ministry of Science and Higher Education (MNiSW) under the 'Foreign Accreditation' programme and started renewing and extending it to new fields of study. In January 2022, we received the decision to renew and obtain ECTN Certificates for the following fields of study: Eurobachelor Certification for the Chemistry major (renewed); Eurobachelor Certification for the Chemical Business major (new); Euromaster Certification for the Chemistry major (renewed); Chemistry Doctorate Eurolabel Certification for the Chemistry and Biochemistry Full-time Doctoral Programmes at the Faculty of Chemistry (new). Graduates commencing their studies between October 1, 2019, and September 31, 2026, are entitled to use the Bachelor of Science (BSc in Chemistry) / Engineer (Engineer in Chemical Business) / Master of Science (MSc in Chemistry) / Doctor of Chemistry (PhD in Chemistry) professional title approved by both the University of Gdańsk and the Association of the European Chemistry Thematic Network.’
We would like to add that a PAC's Advisory Council member is prof. dr hab. Grzegorz Węgrzyn from the Faculty of Biology, President of the Gdańsk Branch of the PAS and Deputy Chairman of the Council for Scientific Excellence. The Consultative Council of the Polish Accreditation Committee fulfils consultative and advisory functions concerning the strategic directions of the Committee's development.
Photographic coverage of the event - on the PAC website at: https://pka.edu.pl/2024/01/15/inauguracyjne-posiedzenie-plenarne-polskiej-komisji-akredytacyjnej-na-lata-2024-2027/.
