December 2025

On 15 December 2025 a training session dedicated to was held at the Cracow University of Technology European standards in the development of a researcher’s career, implemented as part of the continuation of the development recommendations of the European Commission arising from the HR Excellence in Research process.

The aim of the meeting was to deepen participants’ knowledge on:

✅ The idea and significance of the distinction HR Excellence in Research,
✅ The new version of the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for Recruitment,
✅ The four pillars and 20 priorities of HRS4R, relating among others to research ethics and integrity, open science, gender equality, transparent recruitment principles, stable working conditions, as well as skills development and mentoring.

In the second part of the training, there was a presentation of good practices and concrete examples of implementing the HR Excellence in Research strategy, both from an institutional and expert perspective – in the context of evaluating HRS4R processes in Europe.

An integral part of the program was the interactive workshop "Planning a Researcher’s Career – From Competences to Action," aimed at early-career researchers, doctoral candidates, and those at the beginning of their careers. Participants worked on competence analysis, identifying areas for development, and creating individual 12-month action plans based on the European Researcher Competence Framework.

The implementation of the training represents the next step in the systematic efforts of the Cracow University of Technology towards the implementation of European HR standards., strengthening a culture of quality, and building an attractive and responsible working environment for researchers.

An important stage in the implementation of the HRS4R Strategy was the visit of European Commission experts on 21 November 2025.who evaluated the process of renewing the HR Excellence in Research award at Cracow University of Technology. During the meeting organized and coordinated by the PK Staff Development Office, the experts highlighted the high level of PK’s engagement, the coherence and quality of the actions presented, as well as the maturity of the procedures related to recruitment and staff development. The positive atmosphere of the visit confirmed that the chosen course of action is appropriate and brings tangible results.

A team of renowned experts consisting of:

✅ Justin Synnott (University College Dublin – UCD, Irlandia) – Lead assessor,
✅ Elena Radu Felice (Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, Rumunia)

conducted an in-depth analysis of how PK implements the principles of the European Charter for Researchers in the recruitment process for academic staff positions. The meeting was held with the University Authorities, Deans, the team responsible for implementing the HRS4R Strategy at PK, as well as strategic units such as the HR Centre, CeWSA, CWP, CTT, CDBN, and the Doctoral School, which are responsible for carrying out the HRS4R strategy within its four key pillars, i.e. Working conditions and work environment, Ethics and professionalism, Recruitment (OTM-R, Training and career developmentin the context of implementing the strategy and the Action Plan adopted by PK. Action Plan. Award HR Excellence in ResearchThe award, granted by the European Commission, is an important confirmation for Cracow University of Technology of the high standards in human resource management in research. It is also a strong signal to national and international partners that PK creates a friendly, transparent, and supportive environment for researchers at every stage of their careers.