Research-derived knowledge plays an important role in economic development and has great social significance. University evaluations conducted within national evaluation systems aim to improve the quality of scientific research and its social impact. It is reasonable to consider whether improving the functioning of evaluation systems can also entail building a positive, healthy academic culture, strengthening scientific culture, and increasing interest in results consistent with social needs and sustainability research. These systems should have a positive impact on shaping an academic culture that ensures that research funding is directed towards meeting legitimate social needs, rather than merely reflecting the individual ambitions of researchers. In turn, beneficial changes in academic culture can lead, among other things, to an improved working environment, a supportive environment for researchers, and the creation of institutions based on trust and quality. This paper analyzes how the term “academic culture” is conceptualized in the literature on research evaluation and identifies the main themes and concepts that link research evaluation to academic culture. Additionally, in connection with promising experiments using AI to evaluate research scientific excellence, an attempt was made to answer the following question: can AI not only improve research evaluation but also shape academic culture, foster a friendly working environment for researchers, and enhance their dialogue with society? In answering this question, the specificity of research institutions was taken into account, resulting from different operating models, i.e., those based on the Weberian paradigm (WP) or those closer to the principles of New Public Management (NPM). Attention was also drawn to the hitherto underutilized potential of AI-based methods, which can serve as a basis for developing solutions to improve evaluation mechanisms and shape academic culture appropriately.
Tadeusz A. Grzeszczyk1* (2026) studied this question.