Voluntary cooperation of researchers as a form of scientific self-development and the emanation of academic freedom : the example of the Working Group of Polish Social Geographers
In the era of global demand for the accountability of universities and scientists, combined with the formalisation and standardisation of research and education processes, as well as the over-whelming activity of bureaucracy, the article focuses on showing the immeasurable aspect of academic reality: the role played by informal forms of cooperation in the development of knowledge and development of scientists, building relationships with the environment, as well as shaping and consolidating culture and ethos. Such relationships played an important role in traditional academic culture, which gave scientists great confidence, which is now being replaced by evidence and various forms of control. However, due to the autopoetic nature of universities, academics, in the situation of growing oppression of the science and higher education system, store and cultivate various forms of self-organisation, self-realisation and self-reflection. This text shows examples of this type of activity and their impact on the development of scientific knowledge, the development of scientists, shaping and consolidating culture and the academic ethos. The purpose of this article is to show the importance of participation involuntary forms of academic cooperation for scientific and scientific development. It is based on examples of academic practitioner communities, opinions of people participating in this type of cooperation, and self-reflection regarding own experiences. One of such initiative is presented herein, i.e. the Working Group of Polish Social Geographers, which was established in 1984, shortly after the lifting of martial law in Poland, and operated until 1997. The article also presents, on the basis of interviews with people involved in various forms of voluntary academic cooperation, the motives for joining this type of cooperation, perceived values and individual and environmental benefits, as well as the attitude to the risks associated with informal cooperation. An attempt was also made to interpret the perception of such cooperation and understanding its significance depending on the moment of involvement in it, in relation to the stage of the academic career cycle, as well as against the background of socio-political events in Poland in the several recent decades. Attention was paid to the durability of the results of such a cooperation and its contemporary attractiveness. Attempts were also made to position the discussed forms of academic self-organisation within the theoretical framework of community of practice activities. The empirical part was developed on the basis of qualitative research - primarily in-depth interviews as well as participatory observation and self-reflection.All respondents agreed that voluntary academic cooperation groups are chosen not only be-cause of their scientific interests, but also shared values regarding the understanding of science and the way it is practiced. Participation in them, most strongly affects people who are at the beginning of their academic careers; the experience of such cooperation turned out to be a kind of marking, breaking a specific stigma in academic attitude, giving the genetic code of the researcher. The activities of these groups turned out to be a form of empowerment, building scientific confidence, strengthening research courage, as well as practicing academic autonomy at its best. Their formative role is also important, consisting in shaping responsible and ethical attitudes of members of the academic community, as well as developing professional competences, i.e. critical thinking, scientific discussion and openness to different views and research approaches. The respondents also pointed to the benefits that informal employee initiatives brought to the iruniversities, related to the development of science and didactic, academic culture, forging new ideas and ideas, building high-quality scientific contacts, strengthening the position in the environment, as well as the acquisition by employees of key research competences with universal and critical to scientific development. When showing the extraordinary effectiveness of this way of working, its impact on stimula-tion of creative processes, individual development, institutional benefits, emphaising its key ad-vantages - a lack of formalisation and joy of creation, and perceiving potential threats - it is also worth noting that in the academic environment changes emerging as bottom-up actions are taken for granted, easily adapted, and above all they do not overgrow with bureaucratic structures and formal requirements
