Impact of legal basic research on legal education on the example of basic research funded by the National Science Center in Poland

Impact of legal basic research on legal education on the example of basic research funded by the National Science Center in Poland

Entities
Współpraca
University of Białystok (Leader), Kozminski University
Overall budget
Koszty
241 858 PLN
Project duration
04.01.2022-03.01.2025
Funded by
Koszty
National Science Centre 2021/41/B/HS5/03317 OPUS

Nowadays, the institution of the university and the profession of academic teacher in many countries (including Poland) is facing challenges resulting from various social, economic or educational transformations that may also determine the nature of the relationship between research and teaching activities. On the one hand, the development of the knowledge society is conducive to strengthening the relationship between research and teaching; on the other, globalization, the market ideology, progressing commercialization of knowledge or mass education seem to rather separate (oppose) these two areas of academic teacher activity. An example of it is competition between universities (on a global and national scale), highlighted in the form of various rankings, in which the position of the university depends primarily on the evaluation of research activities. This is done at the expense of education that is underestimated. One can see a systemic presumption (irrespective of reality) that universities conducting high-level scientific research are also didactically excellent. Legal studies are treated as prestigious and requiring the ability to acquire a large amount of information in a specific language of law, including the ability to process this information and translate into legal language. At the same time, they lead in perspective to a responsible social role related to the exercise of legal professions. The expectations of practice for law graduates have become the main factor in shaping the curriculum content, which in extreme cases marginalizes the role of scientific research results in this area.

The scientific objective of the project is to extend and systematise knowledge on the impact of legal basic research on legal education in the 21st century on the example of Poland. The research results will help to determine the nature and extent of the impact of legal basic research on legal education in Poland, as well as specific practices concerning it, against the background of selected European countries (Germany, France, Great Britain) by analysing and comparing the obtained research results with socio-legal conditions and doctrinal views (based on literature), using a comparative approach.

The project will contribute to development of legal sciences in the field of higher education law and research and teaching activities. The research should also allow for recommendations to be made regarding the relationship between research and legal education. The project will contribute, in particular, to providing new knowledge on the political and legal determinants and practice of Polish public universities in the field of combining basic research in legal sciences with legal education, as well as to raising the awareness of academic teachers on combining basic research with university legal education