Scientists at universities, especially when pursuing a PhD, earn little, which is why there is a generation gap at universities. This is especially visible in IT due to the large disproportions in salaries between universities and industry – notes the director of the IDEAS Research Institute, Prof. Piotr Sankowski.
The Institute is a research and development center operating in the field of artificial intelligence, whose mission is to support the development of this technology in Poland by creating a platform connecting the academic and business communities. Its research teams are currently being built.
A guest of PAP Studio, asked about the amounts that IT specialists earn at the institute, replied: we try not to pay rates that are competitive on the market, because people actually earn more in private companies, but for the position of a doctoral student we offer rates of approximately PLN 12,000. gross, and during postdoc (postdoctoral, postdoc is the period of research work after defending the doctorate – PAP) approx. PLN 15,000. gross.
These are much higher amounts than those received by young scientists at universities. – Here (at universities – PAP) it is indeed very poor. Professor – we can still agree that he earns quite reasonably, about PLN 10,000. gross. However, (…) doctoral studies are very poorly paid, i.e. by the first ones for two years, a doctoral student earns less than the minimum wage – noted prof. in a Wednesday interview at the PAP Studio. Sankowski, who is also an employee of the Institute of Computer Science at the Faculty of Mathematics, Computer Science and Mechanics of the University of Warsaw.
He also pointed out that with such a low salary it is difficult to think about starting a family or having a normal life in a big city.
– Therefore, few people actually choose a scientific career. We are already observing an increasing generation gap at universities, because fewer and fewer young people (…) choose an academic career. There are fewer and fewer academic teachers who can actually conduct classes. So this is something that has to change, he emphasized.
He noted that this is especially visible in IT: – These very high salaries in the industry make young people in IT even less willing to choose a scientific career, because the disproportion in salaries is huge, probably about 10 times.
Lack of investment in science pushes young scientists out of the country
The consequences of this state of affairs may be serious. – If people do not choose a scientific career in the field of artificial intelligence, this technology will not be developed in our country. (…) We will depend on technologies supplied from abroad, from the United States or perhaps from China – he warned.
According to the director of the IDEAS Research Institute, this is an unfavorable situation because we have many talented IT specialists in Poland, often winners of international olympiads and competitions.
– We have outstanding young IT specialists. (…) We educate them very well. Unfortunately, most of them either do not choose a scientific career or leave Poland – he lamented.
In the draft budget for 2026, just over 1% was allocated to higher education and science. GDP. – Financing from the state budget for science is decreasing. (…) It is alarmingly low, approaching 1%. GDP. And it has actually been falling for 20 years, since the beginning of this century – commented Prof. Sankowski.
Low wages, no prospects
This small budget, as the IT specialist emphasized, is not sufficient to maintain research infrastructure or to raise the salaries of young scientists, “because in many institutions in Poland this doctor earns little more than the minimum salary.”
– In the Polish Academy of Sciences institutes, it is probably PLN 18 more than the minimum salary – said the director of the IDEAS Research Institute.
He decided that if we wanted For Poland to evolve as a driving force of the economy, we should rely on scientific research and innovative products. This will not be possible without investing in science. – It seems to me that there is a lack of political will – he said.
He also pointed out that the attitude of scientists is slowly changing. So far, they have not complained or gone on strike and have always accepted negative changes in the science budget.
– However, now they are actually talking about it loudly, (…) the importance of science, the importance of financing scientific research for the Polish economy – he emphasized.
Monika Blandyna Lewkowicz (PAP)
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