In this episode of the “Spring with HR Excellence in Research” series, we highlight development initiatives for employees at the University of Warsaw. These include the Academy of Science Communication, the Programme for Young Female Researchers and Teachers, and the “Welcome to the UW!” initiative.
Regulations, development programmes and solutions that create a more friendly working environment – the University of Warsaw implements numerous initiatives to support the academic community and foster the development of academic employees’ competencies. The UW’s Human Resources Office (BSP) is responsible for coordinating most of these initiatives.
Support for academic careers
The BSP’s Section for the Development of Academic Employees’ Competences, which has been operating for six years, offers academic employees several dozen training courses every month, enabling the development of social and personal, digital, scientific, and teaching skills.
These initiatives include:
- The Academy of Science Communication, which, in addition to practical workshops on communicating science clearly, offers individual advice on how to behave in front of a camera or in a radio studio;
- A programme for doctoral supervisors, which is attended by around 100 people each year; it addresses issues related to building collaborative relationships with doctoral candidates, as well as formal and legal matters important for obtaining a doctoral degree;
- A programme for young female researchers and teachers, aimed at developing effective tools to level the playing field for young female researchers in their academic career development. Over the course of two editions of the programme, running from 2023 to 2025, 33 female researchers from 18 organisational units at the UW took part in the initiative. Participants were supported by mentors, took part in individual counselling on academic career development, training sessions specially designed for them, and coaching, which was particularly important for those returning from maternity leave;
- The Young Didactics Programme (now in its fifth year) is aimed at those with no more than five years’ teaching experience, offering participants both training and individual teaching tutoring;
- A pilot programme for young researchers in the social sciences, aimed at early-career academics, incorporating mentoring and offering support in networking.
Many of these initiatives were implemented thanks to the “Initiative of Excellence – Research University” programme at the UW.
Recruitment and new employees
The BSP Recruitment Section supports selection panels – through advice, educational materials, and training – in applying the guidelines set out in the European Charter for Researchers regarding the conduct of open, transparent, and merit-based recruitment for academic posts. In 2025 alone, it organised over 20 training sessions on the competition procedure, unconscious bias in assessment, and the preparation and conduct of interviews. The website https://rekrutacja-i-rozwoj.bsp.uw.edu.pl/en/for-candidates-for-academic-positions/ provides comprehensive information for candidates outlining the working conditions at the UW, as well as the competition procedure.
Following on from the “Welcome to the UW!” on-boarding programme for new administrative and support employees introduced earlier, a similar programme aimed at academic employees was launched in 2024. These training sessions provide an opportunity to familiarise participants with the university’s organisational structure, deepen their knowledge of the support available and the regulations concerning career development and employment, as well as to establish initial contacts outside their home organisational unit, and are very highly rated.
