The European Commission has completed the evaluation process as part of the second phase of the implementation of the European Charter for Researchers at Wroclaw Tech. According to the report we have just received, our university scored the highest possible rating from the auditors, which entitles us to use the „HR Excellence in Research” distinction for the next three years.

“We are continually working to ensure that the working conditions at Wrocław University of Science and Technology are friendly and stable for all researchers, whether they come from Poland or other countries,” says Prof. Tomasz Nowakowski, Vice-Rector for Organisation and Development of the University “Which is why I’m happy that it’s also recognised by the European Commission and that our activities are judged to be highly professional, in line with European objectives, attesting to the fact that Wrocław University of Science and Technology one of the European research universities.

The report reads that Wrocław University of Science and Technology is implementing appropriate and high-quality measures following the established plan and all the requirements of the European Charter for Researchers in all four areas, i.e. ethical and professional aspects, recruitment and evaluation, working conditions and social security, and training for researchers.

The efforts of the team tasked with monitoring the implementation of the European Strategy for
Researchers at the EIT are managed by Professor of the University Agnieszka Wojciechowska, PhD,
Dsc, Eng. It was she who had been preparing our university for the audit for over two years and
ensuring that the programme was promoted and recognised.

“We’ve attended dozens of university-wide and departmental meetings, had hundreds of conversations, which were in many cases difficult, sought answers to tough questions, and searched for paths and solutions, but the result shows that it was worth it,” says Prof. Agnieszka Wojciechowska. “There has been a significant increase in our community's awareness of what benefits the implementation of the European Charter guidelines brings to universities and researchers. Those involved in the management and organisational process of the university are also placing more emphasis on ensuring the best possible employment conditions for their staff at every stage of their academic career.”

An important quality label

The prestigious “HR Excellence in Research” logo is conferred to institutions that apply the principles of the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers. The Charter was developed by the European Commission, and its overarching goal is to develop comparable working conditions for researchers at all European universities.

The distinction, in addition to bringing a lot of satisfaction with the university being on par with other prominent European tertiary institutions, means extra marks in the European Commission’s international grant competitions as well as some competitions of the National Centre for Science and the National Centre for Research and Development. Moreover, the logo means prestige and distinction for the university as an institution that creates the best conditions for scientists’ scientific, research, and development activity in line with European standards, as well as opening up opportunities, for example, for foreign researchers to come to Wroclaw Tech and be guaranteed European working standards.

“The entire community is involved in the process of implementing the European Strategy for Researchers at our university: both the organisational units carrying out their respective tasks and the scientists actively participating in the surveys,” explains Prof. Agnieszka Wojciechowska.

Wrocław University of Science and Technology has had the right to use the “HR Excellence in Research” label since June 2016 and was one of the first institutions in Poland to be evaluated by the European Commission. In 2019 the first audit – the so-called implementation phase assessment – took place, after which the European Commission decided to extend its approval for Wroclaw Tech until 2023. The current report extends this period by another 36 months, until May 2026.

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What are the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers? What recommendations contained in these documents are being implemented at our university? How do academics benefit from Wroclaw Tech’s “HR Excellence in Research” label?

This information and all documents concerning the implementation of the principles and recommendations concerning the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers at Wrocław University of Science and Technology are available on this website.