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questions on topics ranging from any area of science to philosophy. Academics who continue to earn recognition are bestowed the title of professor, an honor awarded by Poland's president. Stojek, a university professor since 1991, was named a titled professor this year.
Doctors of habilitation and university professors often lead laboratories of scientists, which include the U.S. equivalent of assistant and associate professors plus graduate students. Many scientists stay in one laboratory and university for most of their careers (2).
Money, money, money Talk to any Polish academic long enough, and the conversation will invariably come around to money. Poland has moved quickly to a market economy and, although there are signs that the strategy is working, the price has been severe cuts in government support. In 1980, government research funding amounted to 1.6% of the gross domestic product; this year's budget comes to only 0.54%.
In addition, academic salaries throughout Poland are notoriously low, says Stojek. Many graduate students and even faculty members hold down second positions or tutor to supplement their sala
ries. Stojek and other professors pay their Ph.D. students as much as an extra 50% to keep them focused on research. His funding must also pay for laboratory space, telephones, paper and other necessities, and research supplies.
To distribute these limited funds effectively, in 1991 the Polish government established the state committee for scientific research (Komitet Badah Naukowych, KBN) (3). One of KBN's first duties was to grade research departments throughout Poland on an "A" through "D" basis using the total citation index numbers. Departments judged "A" receive the largest funding; "D" departments receive nothing. The University of Warsaw's chemistry department received an "A+" grade a dis-tinction ffiven to only otie other chemistry institution belonging to the Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw
Within the University of Warsaw chemistry department, the research funds coming directly from KBN are distributed among laboratories in proportion to their "scientific standing" as determined by their total publication impact factor. (In addition, pay increases for laboratory heads are a function of their scientific output and the quality of teaching of the members of their laboratory.)
Despite the "At-" rating, funding is low— especially for a department with world-class ambitions. "In terms of papers, the university ranks with the recognized universities of the world, but in terms of money coming in, we are far below," says Stojek. .From a very good paper I would like to write an excellent paper for example, an accelerated article in Analytical Chemistry. I can nse these papers are not cheap papers in terms of money spent You need some extra technical innovation. You need some extra support"
There are expensive, state-of-the-art instruments in Poland, says Stojek. Instruments are also accessible in western laboratories. However, Stojek adds, "The most important thing is what is in your own lab, not just what you can get from a two-hour examination in another laboratory. I know that to produce reliable data, you need to spend a lot of time to learn the technique."
The funding problems also affect teaching. University education is free in Poland, yet the funding is inadequate, say Warsaw chemists. For example, Hulanicki says that most of the Polish-language analytical textbooks are now 15 years old. For the 70 students in his third-year analytical lecture, he uses primarily photocopied materials; that way Hulanicki can discuss contemporary topics such as process analysis, enzyme applications, and continuous flow.
Because government funding for education is limited, departments cannot afford to provide high-quality education to all those wishing to study, say the Polish chemists. Therefore, some departments have opened paid "evening" classes, and these "evening" students have the right to attend regular classes. The chemistry department has not done this yet However, Stojek says that as of three years ago the numbers of chemistry students began rising significantly. The department accepted 200 freshmen last year and from a student body of more than 41000 chemistry can now claim 548 students
Some much-needed support is now coming from the European Union (EU), which has funded a number of east-west research initiatives. One key program is TEMPUS, a cooperative program for higher education between the EU and eastern Europe that began in 1990 and
Saving a tradition For 40 years, Chemia Analityczna was one of only two analytical chemistry journals in eastern Europe. Published by the Polish Academy of Sciences Committee on Analytical Chemistry, the journal contained articles written primarily in Polish. For many analytical chemists in communist countries, the journal was a lifeline. Adam Hulanicki the current editor-in-chief recalls meeting an analytical chemist from the People's Republic of China who learned Polish because Chemia Analityczna the only analytical journal he received
With the collapse of communism, many of its former readers can no longer afford the subscription charge. The editors of Chemia Analityczna hope to make up the shortfall with a new readership. Since 1992, all the arti
cles have been published in English with Polish summaries. The journal appears bimonthly and is refereed with an estimated 30% rejection rate. Al
though many of the articles still come from Poland there are submissions from around the world including the United States.
There are emotional ties to the journal, says Hulanicki. For years it was the source from which Polish scientists learned about peer review. "It's a stepping stone to publishing in western journals," he says. Hulanicki is actively pursuing western subscribers. For more information, contact Hulanicki at [email protected].
424 A Analytical Chemistry News & Features, July 1, 1996