European Charter for Researchers to be implemented at UO
In the presence of FORTHEM alliance partners, on 29 June 2022, UO Rector, Prof. Marek Masnyk signed a letter of intent on the adoption of the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers by the UO. The ceremony took place during the halfway conference of the FIT FORTHEM project organised in Opole. With this gesture, the University launched the process of applying for the HR Excellence in Research1. This is a prestigious distinction awarded by the European Commission confirming that the university supports and implements the Human Resources Strategy for Researchers (HRS4R).
By adopting the HRS4R, research institutions commit to providing favourable work environments, career development, mobility and transparent recruitment processes for researchers. Such bodies adhere to the principles and guidelines contained in:
- The European Charter for Researchers: the rights and obligations to which researchers, their employing institutions, and research funding organisations are subject;
- the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers: principles for the recruitment of researchers to be followed by the employing institutions, ensuring equal treatment of researchers recruited in Europe1.
The HR logo is awarded to, and periodically renewed by, those institutions that treat researchers as professionals, enable their personal development and provide optimal working environment. They guarantee job stability, value their mobility and cooperation with the environment. They have transparent rules for staff appraisal, junior staff mentoring and grant-acquisition support, and provide the necessary training, digital services and consultancy.
Most FORTHEM Alliance partners have already received this award (e.g. Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Jyvaskyla University, University of Palermo, Univeristy of Valencia and University of Agder). In June 2022, the HR Excellence in Research award was held by 96 public and private universities in Poland. They have a formal authorisation to use the well-recognised logo on their websites and documents, thereby increasing their prestige and building their brand.
It is in the interest of the UO, not only as a FORTHEM European University, but as a research entity, to carry out an internal diagnosis of the already applied standards indicated in the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers. On this basis, a so-called Action Plan will be developed and appropriate procedures and practices to support researchers will subsequently be implemented. Having the ''HR Excellence in Research'' distinction not only helps to improve the functioning of the university, but also makes it easier to apply for external funding, especially in those calls where having high standards of recruitment and an advisory infrastructure for researchers is an important evaluation criterion.
Acquiring and holding the 'HR Excellence in Research' distinction is a strategic objective of the UO. This action is listed in the UO's internationalisation strategy, approved by the UO Senate in March 2022. The procedure and steps for applying for the HR logo are set by the European Commission and involve an in-depth diagnosis of the employment and research conditions at the institution in the first year. It is done on the basis of the cumulative subjective opinions of academic staff and doctoral students, and during a review of internal regulations in this area. In a few months' time, therefore, a questionnaire will be developed and made public in which employees will comment on approx. 40 aspects of the university’s operation. The questions in the questionnaire correspond to the standards of the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for Recruitment of Researchers. They will help decide which actions need to be taken first as part of the Action Plan.
Directors of Institutes and representatives of staff bodies are invited to familiarise themselves with the idea of the European Charter for Researchers. They will serve as important consultants in the preparation of an Action Plan tailored to the needs of their disciplines and units. The work at this stage will be the responsibility of a working team led by the Vice-Rector for Development and Finance, Prof. Rafal Matwiejczuk, with the support of the management of the HR Office and substantively related organisational units and proxies at the UO.
The need to implement an HR strategy dedicated to academics, and the benefits of having the HR logo, was demonstrated in the work and consultation with FORTHEM alliance partners in the FIT FORTHEM project.
In fact, the aim of the latter is to initiate institutional transformation and alignment of the potentials of FORTHEM partners, also in the area of academic human capital. The preparatory analyses were conducted in the academic year 2021/2022 by Prof. Dominika Malchar-Michalska, Dr Maria Bucka and Dr. Laura Płatkowska-Prokopczyk. The task was coordinated by Prof. Katarzyna Molek-Kozakowska.
Katarzyna Molek-Kozakowska
1 https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/jobs/hrs4r
2 https://cdn2.euraxess.org/sites/default/files/brochures/am509774cee_en_e4.pdf