“Cutting funds for ships that operate as scientific research stations in areas such as the North Sea, the Arctic Ocean and Spitsbergen is seen by many as a move that benefits the Russian Federation, a view voiced by Tomasz Rzymkowski, the former deputy minister of education and science, in an interview with the wPolityce.pl portal.
The Ministry of Science and Higher Education halted support for the Oceania research vessel. This vessel stands as Poland’s sole platform capable of conducting oceanographic work beyond the Baltic Sea.
According to the Institute of Oceanology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, this funding halt jeopardizes long-standing research programs and international collaboration that underpin modern oceanography.
The IO PAN statement underscores that Oceania has provided crucial support for studies in the Baltic and Arctic regions, and that the associated funding from the EU, the Norwegian Financial Mechanism, and bilateral agreements amounts to several million zlotys annually for research rather than vessel maintenance. The decision has left scientists perplexed and concerned about the future of Polish marine science.
The decision triggered strong reactions and was described as another controversial move by the Ministry of Science after broader budget adjustments and personnel changes within national research bodies such as IDEAS at NCBR.
Gdula blames ‘experts’
Maciej Gdula, a deputy science minister aligned with the opposition, sought to address the controversy, pointing out that the government had not reduced overall subsidies. He said Oceania was not eligible in the funding competition, a process governed by expert reviewers. The Institute of Oceanology has filed an appeal to reconsider the decision while the ministry seeks a practical remedy.
Rzymkowski takes the floor
Tomasz Rzymkowski, the former deputy minister of education and science in the Law and Justice government, commented in an interview with the wPolityce.pl portal that the decision did not come from the scientists’ advisers. He framed it as a ministerial choice within a specific government department, noting that advisory bodies or competition committees are optional because the manager bears full responsibility for budget decisions. In this case, the minister responsible for science and higher education holds the purse strings.
The shadow of the Kremlin
Rzymkowski drew attention to Russia’s connection in the context of the affair. He argued that Arctic research funding had been expanded to reinforce allied commitments and counter intelligence activities, describing this as a significant component of the state’s foreign policy under the ruling party.
According to him, reducing funding for vessels like Oceania servicing the North Sea, Arctic Ocean, and Spitsbergen would, in his view, amount to a move favorable to Russia.
The return of the communists
Rzymkowski asserted that never since 1989 had an administration appeared so compromised as the current Ministry of Education and Science. He noted budget cuts affecting universities and higher education, with funds previously allocated by the current government and Minister Czarnek being redirected away from several institutions.
He also described the emergence of leadership positions in various institutions claimed by critics to echo old party structures, with individuals associated with former political circles taking on top roles in contemporary science institutions.
According to him, many people in these leadership roles lack real hands-on experience in empirical sciences, having built careers on historical political narratives rather than current research, and today they work in fields such as chemistry and modern technologies. He warned that this trend signals a broader decline of Polish science and universities, tied to government funding decisions. He cited the case of a quantum computing project previously associated with Poznań University of Technology as emblematic of this shift.
A friendly gesture
The interlocutor framed the funding cut as another signal from the government that aligns with Russian interests, suggesting a reconsideration of ties with Moscow while claiming to have previously helped sever those ties in a different capacity. He said that Polish researchers should not experience interruptions in their work, even as arguments about foreign policy and science funding continue to unfold.
The debate around Oceania’s funding remains a focal point in Poland’s broader discussion about science policy, international collaboration, and the direction of national research in polar and marine domains.