According to the Map of Mobbing in Universities, 63.5% of academic staff have encountered mobbing in their workplace. Meanwhile, a survey by the Independent Students’ Union found that 55% of students and graduates had either been victims, witnessed mobbing, or knew someone who had experienced abuse from academic staff. Poland’s Ministry of Science and Higher Education (MNiSW) acknowledges the issue and is taking steps to counter it, including financing the nationwide initiative Safe University, run by the University of Warsaw. As part of the project, a competition will select the best anti-discrimination and anti-mobbing practices at Polish universities.
“Polish universities are struggling with mobbing and discrimination. The Ministry, by diagnosing these issues, is undertaking a range of actions to eliminate them,” said Prof. Maria Mrówczyńska, Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, in an interview with Newseria. “In June 2025, a special team was established to address mobbing and discrimination, with the task of developing recommendations, including legislative ones.”
New Teams and Projects
The newly formed Team for Identifying Good Practices and Developing Anti-Mobbing Mechanisms is tasked with supporting well-being and mental health prevention among those working and studying in the academic environment.
Another flagship initiative is the project “University – A Space Free from Mobbing and Discrimination”, led by the University of Warsaw and running from 2024 until the end of 2026. It involves universities across Poland and aims to identify good practices against mobbing and harmful behaviors.
Key goals include:
- assessing the risk of mobbing and harmful behaviors at Polish universities,
- analyzing anti-mobbing and anti-discrimination policies,
- promoting good practices,
- encouraging the adoption of preventive measures to improve the quality of work and education.
“In the first stage, the project will diagnose the problems but also highlight universities that have strong anti-mobbing policies, clear procedures, and transparent reporting mechanisms. In the second stage, recommendations will be prepared for permanent implementation, with flexible adaptations to fit universities’ autonomy,” explained Prof. Mrówczyńska.
National Competition – “Safe University”
As part of Safe University, a competition has been launched for both public and private institutions. The aim is not only to promote awareness and gather best practices but also to evaluate and improve existing solutions. Applications, including a self-assessment form, can be submitted until October 3, 2025 via www.bezpiecznauczelnia.com.pl.
Submissions will be reviewed by a monitoring committee, assessing innovation, community involvement, and the potential for adaptation by other universities.
“The competition is meant to showcase good practices, highlight universities that are handling these issues well, and show that mobbing and discrimination are measurable problems that can be solved with the right approach,” said Prof. Mrówczyńska.
Previous Research Highlights Scale of the Problem
A 2019 survey by the Science Watch Poland Foundation among nearly 1,200 academics revealed that 65% had experienced mobbing from superiors and 35% from colleagues. Additionally, 53% reported an atmosphere of insecurity and job uncertainty caused by harassment and intimidation.
In 2021, the Analytical Center of the Independent Students’ Association published a report based on over 1,600 students and graduates from 50 Polish universities. Findings showed that 40% had encountered mobbing behaviors, 32% had personally experienced them, and 9% had witnessed them against fellow students. More than half of respondents said mobbing behaviors were carried out by two to four lecturers.
Further Support for Students and PhD Candidates
The Ministry is also funding two complementary projects:
- Safe Space for Students, run by the Students’ Parliament of the Republic of Poland.
- PhD Well, focused on supporting the well-being of doctoral candidates.
“Discrimination and mobbing also affect student and doctoral communities, so we are implementing projects to address their specific needs,” emphasized Prof. Mrówczyńska.
