This elaboration, entitled “Quality of Life. Social Capital, Poverty and Social Exclusion in Poland”, contains the analysis of the results of a new multi-purpose and comprehensive household questionnaire survey, entitled “Social Cohesion Survey”, implemented by the Central Statistical Office (CSO) in 2011. The survey refers to several national and international initiatives aimed at expanding the statistical information resources in order to allow a reliable diagnosis of many aspects of the quality of life, as recommended, among others, in the Stiglitz-Sen-Fitoussi Report.

Starting from the 90s, higher education in Poland has been subject to significant transformation, based on the Act on higher education of 12th September 1990 (Journal of Laws No. 65, item 385 with amendments), regulating the functioning of higher schools. Non-public higher schools have emerged and developed, aside of the existing public schools. The scheme of studying towards Master has been differentiated by introducing two-cycle higher education, allowing to continue education, after obtaining bachelor’s of engineer’s title, on second-cycle studies, previously called complementary master’s studies. Within the existing framework of studies, some higher education institutions run regular programmes with tuition in a foreign language. Students can also opt for an individual course of studies.