THE NEXT TERM OF OFFICE BEGINS
On April 8, 2024, at the seat of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw (PKiN), Prof. Dr. Małgorzata Zaleska, Vice-Chairwoman of the Board of Trustees of the Division I of the Polish Academy of Sciences (PAN), made nominations for members of the Committee to be elected for the 2024-2028 term.
The meeting began with the presentation of nominations for Prof. Dr. Zenon Wisniewski (UMK in Torun), who was elected Honorary Chairman of the Committee on Labour and Social Policy of the Polish Academy of Sciences.
In a secret vote, the participants elected the President of the SCoPiPS of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Prof. Gertruda Uścińska, Ph.D. (University of Warsaw), for the second consecutive time.
As a result of the voting the deputies of the Chairman were also elected: Prof. Mirosław Grewiński (Korczak University) and Prof. Wiesław Koczur (University of Economics in Katowice).
Prof. Anna Organiściak-Krzykowska, Prof. Aleksy Pocztowski (Cracow University of Economics) and Prof. Agata Zagórowska (University of Opole) were elected members of the Presidium of the Committee.
The Plenary Session also elected specialists to complete the composition of the Committee. They are Prof. Jacek Męcina (Warsaw University) and Prof. Cecylia Sadowska-Snarska (Lomza Academy).
We would like to congratulate all members of KNoPiPS.
We wish them fruitful work for the environment they represent.
Historical background
The Presidium of the Polish Academy of Sciences established the Committee of Labour and Social Policy Issues in 1974 by its resolution No 10/74 of 9 July 1974.
Since 1999 Committee’s name is Committee of Labour and Social Policy Studies.
The Committee was presided by eminent scientists:
professor Alojzy Melich (1974-1989),
professor Antoni Rajkiewicz (1990-1995). Since 1996 – Honorary Chairman,
professor Jan Danecki (1996-1998),
professor Stanisława Borkowska (1999-2006),
professor Józef Orczyk (2007-2014),
professor Zenon Wiśniewski (2016-2019).
They all played and play an outstanding role in scientific and practical activity of the Committee.
Since 2020 the Committee of Labour and Social Policy Studies is presided by professor Gertruda Uścińska.
Activity of the Committee
Since the very beginning the Committee focuses on such goals as developing labour and social policy studies, in particular strengthening their theoretical and methodological rudiments, encouraging new lines of research contributing to the advancement of science and to the development of national social and economic policies, promoting the growth of research base and stimulating new ideas in relevant areas.
The Committee’s statutory tasks include:
1) analysing important issues in relevant or related research disciplines and organisation of debates, discussions and scientific conferences;
2) dissemination of the results of debates, discussions and scientific conferences referred to in paragraph 1;
3) status and needs assessment for relevant or related research disciplines and for research bodies, on their own initiative or at the request of the Academy organs;
4) providing opinions, assessments and forecasts in the field of relevant or related research disciplines;
5) cooperation with organs and research units of the Academy in assisting young persons’ scientific career development;
6) participation in implementation and dissemination of scientific activity results;
7) ensuring adequate polish contribution to the development of science worldwide, including by international cooperation initiatives;
8) joint elaboration of multidisciplinary scientific studies with other research committees, on their own initiative or at the request of the Academy organs;
9) scientific publications review.
The Committee co-organises regular scientific conferences on labour market and insurance transitions, current challenges of labour policy, family policy and demographic policy and their links to economic and political developments and to the evolution of organisational and managerial issues in the field of science and higher education. The status of the Committee’s relevant research disciplines (labour and social policy) is being assessed on regular basis. Measures have been implemented to assess higher education quality in the field of labour and social policy.
The Committee has for years offered its specialist support to academic journals: “Polityka Społeczna” and “Zarządzanie Zasobami Ludzkimi” (previously “Humanizacja Pracy”). Moreover, the Committee initiated the annual for theoretical considerations “Polityka społeczna. Studia i dyskusje” (the annual is no longer linked to the Committee and bears a different title).
Among various forms of the Committee’s work advisory activity plays a special role – providing opinions and maintaining direct contacts with national authorities representatives, presence of the Committee members in various teams working on instruments of national economic and social policy. Numerous meetings with government representatives and with the Ombudsman (concerning i.a. broad lines of the pension system reform, programmes aimed at counteracting unemployment, contemporary social policy issues in evolving socioeconomic environment) are only one example of this activity. Conclusions of plenary debates and scientific conferences of the Committee provide useful information for the Sejm, the Senate, government bodies, local authorities, employers' organisations and workers' organizations. These entities were provided with the Committee’s opinions on such topics as: demographic developments and their implications for national social and economic policy, employees’ participation in corporate management, right to equitable remuneration, draft social insurance reform, guaranteed benefits plan, promoting employment and combatting unemployment programmes, national employment strategy and others.
In order to integrate the scientific community the Committee initiated actions aimed at creating Polish Society of Social Policy (Polskie Towarzystwo Polityki Społecznej) with which it currently co-operates within numerous statutory tasks.
Under an agreement signed in 2016 between the Polish Science Academy and the Polish Social Insurance Institution the Committee closely co-operates with the Polish Social Insurance Institution in projects aimed at promotion of science, including social insurance studies. Polish Social Insurance Institution also assists the Committee in its statutory tasks accomplishment.
The Committee has two active units: Regional Social Research Section and Youth Section.
Promotion of the Committee’s relevant research disciplines is being achieved by annual best thesis and manual contest in the field of labour, social policy and human resources management.
From 1999 to 2016 the Committee awarded and since 2016 the Committee recommends candidates for Wacław Szubert Medal currently awarded by the President of the Polish Academy of Sciences in acknowledgement of outstanding scientific achievement or professional accomplishment in the areas covered by the Committee.
During current term (2020-23) …
… the Committee will continue existing directions of its activity:
- keeping the platform for information exchange and scientific debate,
- integrating scientific community and organising common research projects
- disseminating scientific achievement in the field of labour, social policy and human resources management,
- disseminating opinions prepared by the Committee members on subjects within the Committee’s scope of interest,
- delivering ad hoc opinions on draft legislation in the field of employment and social policy
- cooperating with other scientific committees, universities, the Ministry of Family and Social Policy, government bodies, the Parliament, local authorities et non-government organisations.
In accordance with current work schedule, the Committee’s scope of activity will be extended to include adequate areas of the EU activities (covered by the European Commission and the European Parliament).