The minister has the right, and sometimes the obligation depending on the procedure, to appoint advisory teams. These groups exist to express opinions. The advice is not binding. It helps the minister decide, but it does not replace the final decision. This view was expressed during an interview with the wPolityce portal in the context of the suspension of funding for the Polish research vessel by the Ministry of Science.
The Institute of Oceanology of the Polish Academy of Sciences stated that the Ministry of Science and Higher Education has suspended funding for the Oceania research vessel. It remains the only Polish ship capable of operating outside the Baltic Sea.
The institute emphasizes that its scientific work, largely conducted on board Oceania, includes broad collaboration with research centers around the world. This work is a foundational element of contemporary oceanography and, most importantly, provides extensive knowledge about changes in the Baltic and Arctic regions, two areas of particular sensitivity. The rationale behind ending funding after many years of productive collaboration is hard to understand. Oceania has attracted support from the European Union, the Norwegian Financial Mechanism and bilateral agreements — typically amounting to several million zlotys each year for research, not ship maintenance — funds that have helped Poland advance science on the seas.
The ministry has faced criticism from Maciej Gdula, a deputy minister, who defended the administration by pointing to the role of the expert team and the decision-making process.
The government has not reduced overall subsidies. Oceania did not qualify in the current funding competition, where decisions are made by expert scientists. The Institute of Oceanology has submitted an application to overturn the decision, and the ministry is seeking a viable way to resolve the difficult situation.
Lack of competence
The central issue is that no single expert body is entrusted with the final decision, leaving the minister as the sole person accountable. Observers asked Przemysław Czarnek, the former head of the Ministry of Education and Science, why Gdula explained the stance in that manner. He argued that this situation stems from a gap in competence. The minister is responsible for implementing science policy, and advisory teams should not replace the minister.
The minister has the right, and sometimes the obligation depending on the procedure, to appoint advisory teams, but the team is there to express an opinion. The advice is not binding. It should help the minister in making a decision, but it does not replace it. If opinions and advisory teams replaced the minister, why do we need a minister? It would be a waste of money for ministers. Let’s set up advisory teams and let them run the ministry themselves. This is not what ministry management is about.
Czarnek cited an example from his own policy experience. When parents in the special school complex in Warta registered a foundation to support the school by purchasing a car to transport disabled children from various municipalities, the advisory teams rated the request negatively. He argued that the needs of the school should guide action, and today the students travel in a safe, reliable vehicle. Disabled children from smaller municipalities should be able to travel to school with proper transportation, even if the supervising bodies disagreed.
Kononowicze of Polish politics
The Oceania case is not the only surprising episode in recent months under the leadership of the Science Ministry. Przemysław Czarnek has challenged the current leadership of the ministry, leaving little unaddressed in the ongoing discourse about Polish science policy.
These are the so-called Kononowicz times in Polish science. They cling to a simple rule: nothing moves. They argue that policy directions should be reshaped to safeguard Polish science and its collaboration with business and international partners, a stance that fuels public debate about the future path of research, innovation and funding governance.
It is no longer only about changing directions in science; it concerns the broader development of Polish scientific capacity and its integration with industry and international research networks.