The National Information Processing Institute (OPI PIB) has updated its RAD-on data on the Polish science and higher education sector. To facilitate the portal’s use, OPI PIB has introduced multiple additional functionalities. All users can now easily check how many people have pursued a particular degree programme or how many professors are employed by a particular higher education institution. Experts at OPI PIB have also prepared a series of reports that are available at radon.nauka.gov.pl free of charge. Recent analysis shows that studying in Poland has become increasingly popular among foreigners. In 2021, almost 86,000 foreign students studied in Poland, of whom 52% pursued their education at nonpublic higher education institutions.
RAD-on: all about science
RAD-on is an innovative information platform that delivers reliable data. It was developed by experts at OPI PIB in collaboration with the Polish Ministry of Education and Science. The portal delivers information on Polish science and higher education.
‘The RAD-on portal was created with the support of the Polish Ministry of Education and Science. It can be used in a wide array of applications. The portal is a reliable source of knowledge on the science and higher education sector in Poland. The portal’s high-quality data, reports, and analyses support collaboration between science and business and can be used by public institutions, researchers, and enterprises that create innovative products and services. I invite everyone to give it a try,’ said Przemysław Czarnek, the Polish Minister of Education and Science.
‘I am glad that the RAD-on is getting more popular. The portal is constantly improving and new functionalities are being added that make it more user-friendly. RAD-on reflects the mission of our institute: it provides reliable information to anyone who wants to acquire data from verified sources. In an era in which fake news is a real issue, portals like RAD-on play an invaluable role,’ said Dr Jarosław Protasiewicz, Head of the National Information Processing Institute.
RAD-on is not only about raw data; it is also about in-depth reports and analyses. The portal is updated regularly to provide users with up-to-date information.
‘Our platform offers comprehensive IT solutions, which results in easier and faster access to data. This year, we have introduced many new functionalities that we believe will meet users’ expectations. RAD-on data can be filtered in many ways, which helps our users adapt it to their needs. RAD-on allows users to download and use data in applications, databases, programs, and IT services free of charge. The portal relies on REST API, which guarantees open data access,’ said Emil Podwysocki, Head of the Laboratory of Databases and Business Analytics at OPI PIB.
Zimbabwe and Nigeria among the top 10 countries whose nationals study in Poland
RAD-on is a source of reliable data and reports prepared by experts at OPI PIB. It offers various publications, summaries, and analyses on science and higher education in Poland. The radon.nauka.gov.pl website also offers content on artificial intelligence and new digital technologies.
RAD-on is the ideal place to acquire information on foreign students in Poland. Currently, there are almost 86,000 foreigners pursuing their education in the country. Almost half of them originate from neighbouring countries—mainly Ukraine (36,000) and Belarus (11,000). Interestingly, these were joined by two African countries in 2021: Zimbabwe and Nigeria. Like Polish nationals, the majority of foreign students opted to pursue full-time programmes; unlike Poles, however, they preferred studying at nonpublic higher education institutions (52% of foreigners vs. 30% of Poles in 2021).
Doctoral schools: a new education format
Doctoral schools were first introduced in 2019. In 2021, they educated 12,015 students. This included 1,400 foreigners, the largest shares of which came from India (18%), Ukraine (11%), and Iran (10%). The most popular doctoral schools included those that specialise in engineering, exact, and natural sciences; they educated over 6,000 students.
Higher education trends
The RAD-on portal is an efficient tool for analysing the trends of the Polish higher education sector. It provides users with reliable data on science and higher education. The portal is a modern knowledge base that incorporates a search engine, interactive reports, and ready-to-use analyses.
‘According to RAD-on data, the number of students in Poland has decreased by 5% over the last five years; the number of foreign students has increased, however, by 20%. Interestingly, downward trends were observed only at public and church higher education institutions. The overall number of students at nonpublic higher education institutions increased by 27%, while the number of foreign students forged ahead by 40%,’ said Dr Aldona Tomczyńska, Data Science Team Leader at the Laboratory of Databases and Business Analytics at OPI PIB. Interesting trends could also be observed in the locations of higher education institutions in Poland. ‘In 2021, in the Mazowieckie province, there were 108 institutions—more than twice as many as in the Śląskie province, which took second place with 40 institutions. Warsaw alone hosted 85 institutions, or 20% of all institutions in Poland. Although the number of public and church higher education institutions did not change (131 and 17 institutions, respectively, in 2021), the number of nonpublic ones dwindled from 332 in 2012 to 278 in 2021—a decrease of 16%. This may be a result of the demographic decline: the institutions with poor educational standards have been forced to close down due to less numerous cohorts,’ addedDr Tomczyńska.
RAD-on also provides information on academic staff. According to that data, one in ten academic teachers was a professor (6% of women and 14% of men) in 2021. The largest group of academics was doctors (47%). Public higher education institutions employed 90% of academic teachers, despite less than 70% of students studying at the same group of institutions.
RAD-on is funded by the Polish Ministry of Education and Science.
For more information, visit: www.radon.nauka.gov.pl.