I talked to the former president of IDEAS NCBR and indicated directions that could bring us together – said the Minister of Digital Affairs, Deputy Prime Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski on TVN24. He said that he “did not have a hand” in the process of selecting the new president of the company.
Piotr Sankowski was dismissed from the position of president of IDEAS NCBR – a state-owned company supporting the development of artificial intelligence. Sankowski is a recognized scientist in his field, as the only Pole to have won grants from the European Research Council four times. Sankowski was replaced by Grzegorz Borowik.
The Ministry of Science argues that a “competitive and transparent qualification procedure” was held to select the new president. Many representatives of the scientific community protest against such a change.
Gawkowski: I didn't have my hands in it
Krzysztof Gawkowskideputy prime minister and minister of digitalization from the Left, said in “Rozmowa Piaseckiego” that he talked to Sankowski last weekend. – I pointed out directions that could connect us together. It takes a few days or weeks to make any recommendations. Good Polish science specialists will have their place, he assured.
When asked if he understood why Sankowski lost his position as president, he replied: – I cannot decide. I don't know what the situation was regarding the Supervisory Board's decision.
– I don't know what the company's management was like. I'm not going into that. It's hard to say that as the Minister of Digital Affairs, he added.
He stressed that he was unable to answer the question about the competition for the new president. – I don't know and I didn't have a hand in it – he said.
When asked whether Sankowski could return to IDEAS NCBR, he replied: – This is not a question for me. I think it will be developed in Poland and will have its own place, and it will also develop Polish science.
Main photo source: TVN24