Abstract
SINCE the restoration of Poland after the War of 1914–18 concentrated efforts have been made to develop and co-ordinate the scientific work of the country. During a difficult period of reconstruction, great progress was achieved and, in addition to the six universities, a number of other centres were available for learning and research. Before the outbreak of the present War, there were approximately 850 professors, 520 assistant professors and 1,600 research assistants and readers; the number of students being about 48,000. With the overrunning of Poland by Germany and the U.S.S.R., systematic and thorough methods have been employed to destroy its scientific life. This is being achieved in German-occupied Poland by the imprisonment of university staffs and scholars, the commandeering of specimens and equipment for use in the German Reich, the destruction of publications and libraries, and the closing of all centres of learning and higher education. Similar conditions exist in Soviet occupied territory. Professors and research students have no means of continuing their work and the future of Polish science has been further jeopardized by the closing of secondary schools, thus destroying the source of future students. Fortunately, however, soms forty-six Polish scientific workers have been able to reach England. They comprise among their subjects, anatomy, zoology, bacteriology, chemistry, physics and branches of engineering and mechanics; the majority can speak at least three languages. It is the Polish Government's earnest endeavour to conserve, through these men, the future of science in Poland. A few will be able to obtain British Council scholarships and will be placed by the Council in British research institutions. The remainder will be given partial assistance from the very modest funds possessed for this purpose by the Polish Government.
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The Future of Polish Science. Nature 146, 425 (1940). https://doi.org/10.1038/146425c0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/146425c0