Polish geographer Jacek Bartosiak announced he has formally regained his doctorate following an administrative appeal against a plagiarism ruling, though the final decision remains unresolved.
**Bartosiak Claims Doctorate Title Reinstated**
During the “Rymanowski Live” talk show on Monday, Bartosiak stated that the decision to strip his title was overturned months earlier. He asserted that the original ruling was inconsistent with Polish law and that he remains a doctoral holder.
**Decision Not Final**
The ruling that revoked his title is not yet final. The revocation never gained legal force because Bartosiak appealed the decision; he will remain a doctoral holder until the case reaches a definitive conclusion, which could take several years.
**Administrative Review by the Science Excellence Council (RDN)**
Bartosiak appealed to the RDN following the Institute of Political Studies of the Polish Academy of Sciences (ISP PAN) in 2024, which had revoked his doctorate on grounds of plagiarism. The RDN’s administrative decision annulled the earlier ruling and sent the matter back for reconsideration.
**Formal Errors Instead of Substantive Assessment**
The RDN clarified that its decision was based not on proving plagiarism but on formal deficiencies in the ISP PAN decision, such as improper expert opinions, incorrectly signed documents, and flawed expert panel composition.
**Process Still Ongoing, Final Verdict Uncertain**
ISP PAN has not yet reopened the case. Bartosiak received the RDN’s decision in late September and had 30 days to appeal. If he does not appeal, the documents will be sent to ISP PAN, which will retake the entire procedure with no set timeframe. Subsequent appeals could move the case to provincial and then supreme administrative courts.
**Expert Comments and Future Implications**
Commentary from Dr. Michał Piegzik, who first raised the plagiarism allegation, notes that the case’s re‑opening prolongs the process rather than delivers a final outcome. Bartosiak maintains his doctoral status in the interim, as the revocation has not become legal.
