SWPS University did not secure funding in the second edition of the "Excellence Initiative – Research University" (IDUB) program. However, an international panel of experts gave a positive recommendation to our institution's 2027–2031 development plan.
High Marks for SWPS University’s Development Plan
An international expert panel rated SWPS University’s 2027–2031 development plan as well-constructed, ambitious, and grounded in a thorough diagnosis of past achievements, awarding it 80 out of 100 points. The evaluation validates the university’s research direction while highlighting areas that require further strengthening.
Key strengths noted by the panel included:
- Alignment between goals, planned activities, and indicators
- Concentration of support on top teams and talent
- Efforts to transition from participating in international projects to leading consortia and work packages
The experts described the methodology for monitoring the plan's implementation as the strongest among all evaluated applications. In their summary, they characterized SWPS University as a “leading research-intensive University” “by any measurable standard” that, as a non-public institution, fulfills public goals.
Three Priority Research Areas
The plan was built around concentrating SWPS University’s research potential in three Priority Research Areas (PRAs):
- Societal Resilience in the Age of Polycrisis
- Individuals, Families and Societies Facing Demographic Changes
- Digital Mental Health & Wellbeing
These areas address some of the most pressing contemporary challenges: geopolitical and social uncertainty, demographic change, and the impact of digitalization and artificial intelligence on mental health and quality of life.
The experts considered their selection deliberate, evidence-based, and closely aligned with SWPS University’s strongest research capabilities. They also emphasized that focusing on three areas enables the University to concentrate people, funding, and strategic attention rather than dispersing its available resources.
Review the full assessment document
Strengths
The experts praised both the proposed plan and SWPS University’s research track record to date, highlighting:
- Quality and international impact of its scientific publications
- Substantial share of internationally co-authored publications
- Success in securing research funding
They emphasized that SWPS University had established a strong research position despite very limited public funding. They particularly valued the fact that the University’s development strategy builds on documented research achievements, as well as its ability to combine research excellence with education that responds to real-world societal needs.
The panel also highly rated the proposed measures linking research and education, including:
- Engaging students in research teams from the master’s thesis stage
- Developing and internationalizing the Doctoral School
- Systematically integrating research findings from the PRAs into study programs.
Measures supporting early-career researchers were also positively assessed, including:
- Mentoring
- Protected research time
- Mechanisms enabling researchers to continue their academic careers after project funding ends.
Critical Observations
The experts’ evaluation included some important critical observations. The experts questioned whether the full ambition of the plan could be achieved with the available funding, while noting that IDUB rules fail to fully reflect the realities of non-public universities. With SWPS University receiving a total public subsidy of PLN 6.5 million in 2025, the statutory 10% increase in funding available to universities awarded IDUB status would amount to approximately PLN 650,000 in the case of SWPS University. At the same time, under the applicable legislation, meeting the eligibility criteria for IDUB excludes a university from applying for funding under the Regional Initiative of Excellence (RID) program, through which SWPS University previously secured PLN 12 million in funding. The panel also highlighted the need to broaden research capacity beyond the relatively small existing teams of excellence.
The positive assessment by the international panel of experts, received in a competition involving Poland’s largest universities, is particularly important to us as confirmation of the quality of our research achievements to date and the soundness of our chosen strategy. Being awarded research university status would have further enhanced our international visibility and facilitated the development of strategic partnerships. However, not receiving this status does not diminish SWPS University’s actual research potential.
The outcome of the competition changes the conditions and potential pace of implementing the plan, but does not undermine its fundamental direction, which is rooted in the SWPS University Strategy for 2024–2029. The three Priority Research Areas (POBs), the development of young research talent, research-based education, internationalization, and professional support for research teams will remain important pillars of SWPS University’s strategic planning. The scope of individual initiatives will be adjusted to the availability of our own institutional resources and external funding.
Cisłak-Wójcik, Aleksandra
Vice-Rector for Research, SWPS University
Role in the Faculty
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Role in the Department
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Role in the Institute
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Specialization
psychologist
First and last name
Aleksandra Cisłak-Wójcik
Academic degree or title
Professor
Email
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Position
profesor uczelni
Role in the university
Vice-Rector for Research
Role in the Research Center
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Professor Aleksandra Cisłak-Wójcikpsychologist
Receiving 80 points and a positive recommendation from an international panel of experts, in a competition involving Poland’s largest universities, provides important external validation of the quality of our achievements to date and the soundness of our chosen strategy.
Read SWPS University Strategy for 2024-2029