Committee of Concerned Scientists

An international non-profit organization of scientists, physicians, engineers and scholars dedicated to protecting the human rights and scientific freedom of our colleagues around the world.

An independent non-profit organization of scientists, physicians, engineers and scholars dedicated to protecting the human rights and scientific freedom of our colleagues around the world.

Respected Psychology Professor Denied Full Professorship for Publishing Holocaust Research

Michal Bilewic is a professor of psychology at the University of Warsaw. Despite his accomplishments, his application for full professorship has been put in limbo, because the head of state will not approve of it, likely due to his research involving Poland and the Holocaust.
https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2022/05/27/polish-president-delays-academics-promotion

July 5, 2022

Andrzej Duda
President of the Republic of Poland
Krakowskie Przedmieście 48/50
Warsaw, 00-071 Poland

Dear President Duda:

The Committee of Concerned Scientists is an independent organization of scientists, physicians, engineers, and scholars devoted to the protection and advancement of human rights and scientific freedom for colleagues all over the world.

This communication concerns Michal Bilewic, a professor of psychology at the University of Warsaw, Poland. Professor Bilewic takes an objective non-biased approach to all his studies, including studies concerning the Holocaust, in a thorough manner. By any standard, he is considered a significant contributor in his field, with thousands of citations for his work since 2017.

Despite Professor Bilewic’s important academic contributions, and despite the support from a central committee of reviewers, there has been no signature from the head of state to approve his appointment to full professorship. Effectively, his appointment to full professorship has been blocked due to a conflict between political interests and Professor Bilewic’s honest evaluation of historical events.

Professor Bilewic should not be punished or held back for simply producing high quality and accurate work, no matter the political implications. For this reason, we strongly urge you to sign Professor Bilewic’s application for full professorship. Such a gesture could only be a sign of strength.

Sincerely,
signatures
Joel L. Lebowitz, Paul H. Plotz, Walter Reich, Eugene M. Chudnovsky, Alexander Greer
Co-Chairs, Committee of Concerned Scientists

cc:

Mark Brzezinski
Ambassador to Poland
U.S. Embassy Warsaw
Aleje Ujazdowskie 29/31
00-540 Warsaw Poland
Phone: +48 22 504 2000

Marek Magierowski
Ambassador to the United States
2640 16th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20009
Phone: (202) 328-2152
Email: washington.amb.sekretariat@msz.gov.pl

Antony J. Blinken
Secretary of State
U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street, NW
Washington, DC 20520
Phone: (202) 647-4000
Twitter: @ABlinken

Who We Are

Co-chairs

Joel L. Lebowitz, Rutgers University

Paul H. Plotz, M.D., Washington, DC

Walter Reich, George Washington University

Eugene Chudnovsky, Lehman College

Alexander Greer, Brooklyn College

Vice-chairs

Astronomy – Arno Penzias, New Enterprises Associates*

Biology – Max E. Gottesman, Columbia University

Chemistry – Zafra Lerman, MIMSAD Inc.

Computer Science – Rachelle Heller, The George Washington University

Computer Science – Jack Minker, University of Maryland, College Park

Engineering – Philip Sarachik, NYU Polytechnic School of Engineering

Mathematics – Simon Levin, Princeton University

Medical Sciences – J. Joseph Blum, Duke University

Honorary Board Members

Nancy Andrews, Duke University

David Baltimore, California Institute of Technology*

Alan J. Bard, University of Texas

Jacob Bigeleisen (deceased), SUNY, Stony Brook

Raoul Bott (deceased), Harvard University

Owen Chamberlain (deceased), University of California, Berkeley

Stanley Deser, Brandeis University

Edward Gerjuoy, University of Pittsburg

David Gross, (2004 Nobel Prize in Physics), Kavil Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara*

Pierre Hohenberg (deceased), New York University

Walter Kohn (deceased), University of California, Santa Barbara*

James Langer, University of California, Santa Barbara

Peter Lax, New York University

Louis Nirenberg, New York University

Marshall Nirenberg (deceased), National Institutes of Health*

Honorary Board Members

John C. Polanyi, University of Toronto*

Stuart Rice, University of Chicago

Sir Richard J. Roberts, (1993 Nobel Prize in Physiology & Medicine), New England Biolabs*

Myriam Sarachick, City College of New York

Harold Scheraga, Cornell University

Sylvan Schweber (deceased), Brandeis University

Maxine Singer, Carnegie Institution of Washington

Alfred I. Tauber, Boston University

Steven Weinberg, University of Texas, Austin*

Myrna Weissman, Columbia University

Rosalyn S. Yalow (deceased), Mount Sinai School of Medicine*

* Nobel laureate

Committee of Concerned Scientists

Public Affairs and Administrative Office
Carol Valoris, Executive Director
PO Box 3708 Silver Spring, MD  20918
Phone: (202) 812-8074
carolvaloris@concernedscientists.org