Polish Academic Scandal: Over 20 Papers Withdrawn, RDN Takes Unprecedented Action

The Scientific Excellence Council has reopened the professorship procedure for Dr. hab. inż. Marek Jaszczur from AGH University in Kraków following the retraction of more than 20 of his research articles.

Unprecedented RDN Decision and Retractions

The Scientific Excellence Council (RDN) has reopened the procedure for granting the title of professor to Dr. hab. inż. Marek Jaszczur from the AGH University of Science and Technology in Kraków. This marks the first such case in the body’s history, triggered by the withdrawal of more than 20 articles authored or co-authored by the researcher from scientific circulation.

Marek Jaszczur received his professorship in 2024 from the Faculty of Energy and Fuels at AGH. In mid-2025, the scientific publisher Elsevier conducted investigations and retracted multiple articles. According to The Retraction Watch Database, a total of 21 publications from 2021 to 2024 were removed due to investigations concerning authorship doubts and insufficient reliability of conclusions.

Two-Stage Procedure and Review Process

The RDN, responsible for academic promotions in Poland, reopened the professorship procedure in April. According to RDN legal department head Artur Woźniak, this is the first time a professorship review has been reopened due to article retractions since the council’s establishment in 2019.

The administrative reopening consists of two stages: verifying whether grounds for reopening exist, followed by a substantive re-evaluation. The council collects evidence to determine if the retracted works were included in the candidate’s original professorship application, as not all published papers are submitted for the title.

New Reviewers and the President’s Role

If evidence shows retractions affected the professorship application, RDN will proceed with a substantive re-evaluation using five new reviewers to assess whether the remaining achievements meet statutory excellence requirements. The RDN’s final decision is expected in early September.

Formally, the title of professor is awarded by the President of Poland. If the remaining body of work is sufficient, RDN may maintain its previous motion to the President; if insufficient, it will refuse the motion, effectively revoking its 2024 recommendation. Marek Jaszczur retains his title as long as the President’s official act remains in force.

Verification Standards and Court Ruling Rules

RDN representatives noted that ethical evaluations and peer opinions are not statutory criteria for a professorship; only the excellence of achievements and scientific activity are examined. Consequently, RDN cannot invalidate a motion based solely on post-title misconduct unless new circumstances cast doubt on the originally evaluated dossier.

Separately, a professorship can be lost automatically by operation of law following a final civil court ruling confirming a copyright infringement, regardless of whether the ruling relates to scientific work or unrelated areas such as music or theater. Artur Woźniak acknowledged that debates exist regarding the appropriateness of this statutory design.