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The Polish Academy of Sciences (PAS) is Poland’s leading scientific and research institution. The Academy supports the development, integration, and promotion of science, and contributes to the advancement of education and the enrichment of Poland’s culture.
To fulfil the above aims, the Academy conducts advanced research of strategic import for the development of science and the economy, forms large, interdisciplinary research teams and acquires state-of-the-art equipment, integrates Poland’s scientific circles, educates future generations of scientists, applies research findings in innovative ways, individually and together with the business community, organises scientific conferences and participates in science promotion events.
The overarching concept of the PAS defines it as an organization with a complex structure, combining the traditional functions of an autonomous corporation (elected body) of scholars with those of a scientific academy directly involved in the pursuit of research projects. The structure of the Academy includes: *the scientific committees that are the most representative groups of specialists in a given field, *the task-force committees, a specially selected team of experts, set up to ensure the pursuit of specific research objectives, *the national committees, set up in order to maintain and further develop cooperation with international scientific organisations, *divisions, that pursue the Academy’s tasks within the fields within its scope of activity – through the participation of its members in the work of the PAS branches, the PAS scientific committees, national committees and task-force committees, as well as the scientific councils of the PAS research institutions, *branches, whose purpose is to further the Academy’s objectives within a given region of Poland, particularly to integrate the local communities and *PAS scientific institutes who lead national and international research, organise conferences, symposia and scientific lectures and also participate in technology transfer activities.
The set objectives of the Academy and its various organizational units include efforts to develop, promote, and integrate science, to raise public science awareness, and to support the development of education and the enrichment of Polish culture. The Academy strives to achieve these objectives through its publishing activity, by playing an expert role, creating databases, and making its library, museum, and archive collections available for scientific pursuits, by organizing conferences, exhibits, and popular-science lectures.
In terms of publishing activity, the Academy ensures the continual publication of the most important research journals and series within each given specialization, part of which is available online in open access. Some of publications issued by the Chancellery of the Academy on an ongoing basis, including the quarterly Science in Polish, the quarterly Academia: The Magazine of the Polish Academy of Sciences in parallel English and Polish editions, the informational guidebook Directory, the Academy’s Annual Report in English, and Reports in Polish on the Academy’s activities, as well as other publications marking special occasions. Science promotion activities comprise popular-science lectures in its „Wszechnica” series, participation in nationwide projects such as science picnics, science festivals, „museum night” or book fair events.
Protecting Poland’s and the world’s cultural and natural heritage has been recognized by the Academy as both its honourable duty and privilege. For this reason, the PAS scientific units are actively involved in protection and restauration activities. PAS institutes collections include print treasures back from XVth century, among those the early editions of Hevelius and Copernicus works or Mary Skłodowska–Curie or Einstein letters are to be found. Important are unique plants or seeds banks collections.
For the outstanding scientific achievements the Academy awards: The Medal of the Polish Academy of Sciences, The Copernicus Medal of the Polish Academy of Sciences, The Stefan Banach Medal of the Polish Academy of Sciences, The Statuette of the Polish Academy of Sciences.
