The HR Excellence in Research is a voluntary tool. The gained award identifies the institution as committed to support researchers’ skills and careers,  and provide them with a good working environment. In February, the University of Warsaw entered the process of the renewal of the award from the European Commission.

“The distinction gives public recognition to the University that it is committed to fair and transparent recruitment,  appraisal procedures and positive work-life balance. The University further confirms counteracting mobbing, harassment and discrimination,” Prof. Julia Kubisa, the Chairwoman of the Rector’s Team for the Implementation  of the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers, said.

“The implementation of the Charter and Code principles renders the University more attractive both as an employer and a research institution,” Julia Kubisa explained.

The Human Resources Strategy for Researchers (HRS4R) supports research institutions and funding organisations in the implementation of the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers in their policies and practices.

The renewal of the HR Excellence in Research

The principles and rules of the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers (the Charter and Code) are key issues for the UW, as it is highlighted in the Statute of the University of Warsaw. They are inherently linked to the long-term strategy of the UW, which concentrates on establishing the position of an internationally recognised and top-ranked university in the CEE.

In February 2022, in order to renew the HR Excellence in Research award, the University of Warsaw submitted HR Strategy for Researchers including the Gap Analysis, Internal Review for Renewal Assessment along with Action Plan for 2022–2027, and OTM Recruitment Questionnaire.

The aim of the HRS4R and the Action Plan for 2022–2027 was to prepare a coherent, ambitious, yet realistic, evidence-based strategy that would strengthen the achievements of the HR Strategy 2015–2021 and develop new ones to support the research profile of the University of Warsaw.

The works on the implementation of the Charter and Code are conducted by two teams: the Working Group, responsible for the implementation phase, and the Steering Committee in charge of counselling and monitoring the implementation processes of the Charter and Code.

The Charter and Code

The European Charter for Researchers consists of a set of principles and requirements to be followed by researchers and their employers and/or funders throughout the European Research Area.

The listed roles, responsibilities and entitlements are believed to ensure that the researcher-employer/funder relationship is conducive to successful performance in generating, transferring, sharing and disseminating knowledge and development, ethics, professional approach and career, intellectual property rights and co-authors’ rights, stable employment, good working conditions, gender equality and antidiscrimination (key factors), and mobility essential for the scientific career development.

General principles and requirements of the Charter address all researchers across the European Union at all stages of their career (from doctoral candidates to professors), and cover all fields of research.

The Code of Conduct for Recruitment of Researchers is a set of general principles and requirements expected to be fulfilled by researchers and their employers and/or funders when appointing or recruiting researchers to ensure transparency and equal treatment, in particular with regard to the development of an attractive, open and sustainable European labour market for researchers. The listed above set is complementary with those outlined in the European Charter for Researchers.

Detailed guidelines for the required practices are described in the Open, Transparent and Merit-Based Recruitment – OTM-R >>