Report on the panel discussion “The Well-Being of Academic Communities” during the KRASP Plenary Assembly
On November 27, a meeting of the Plenary Assembly of the Conference of Rectors of Polish Academic Schools was held at the AGH University of Science and Technology in Kraków. The rectors discussed key challenges, the well-being of academic communities, and strategies for the development of higher education and science.
Mental health in the academic community is one of the key challenges facing universities today. To address this issue, a panel discussion titled “The Well-Being of Academic Communities” was held during the KRASP Plenary Assembly.
The invited speakers discussed the findings of ongoing research, highlighted the specific circumstances of academic life, and drew attention to the factors that influence the mental health of various groups within the university community. The panel included:
- Prof. Roman Cieślak, President of SWPS University
- Prof. Maciej Żukowski, former rector of the Poznań University of Economics, KRASP representative on the ministerial task force on animal welfare
- Prof. Jacek Męcina, University of Warsaw, project director of “Safe University”
- Prof. Joanna Wójcik, Vice Rector for Student Affairs and Education at Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań
- Anna Nieczaj, M.A., Chair of the National Doctoral Student Council
- Julia Bednarska-Leśniak, President of the Student Parliament of the Republic of Poland
Prof. Jacek Męcina presented the objectives and results to date of the project “The University—A Space Free from Harassment and Discrimination: Initiatives to Support Anti-Harassment Policies and Address Unwanted Conduct at Polish Universities,” which he has been leading since early 2025. The project, commissioned by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, aims to identify best practices in combating bullying, discrimination, and other undesirable phenomena, as well as to conduct in-depth research on the subject.
Meetings of the KRASP Plenary Assembly