A Copernican revolution? Geopolitical tensions, Polish universities and the (dis)continuities of neo-nationalism

This article examines how Poland’s higher education and research policies were mobilised within shifting geopolitical opportunity structures following Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Drawing on the SAIOS framework, document analysis, and non-local ethnographic fieldwork conducted between 2022 and 2023, it explores how the Law and Justice (PiS) government reframed research policy through securitising discourses of regional leadership and Polish exceptionalism. Focusing on the creation of the Copernican Academy and the activities surrounding Collegium Intermarium, the study demonstrates how geopolitical narratives of the Intermarium were instrumentalized to advance neo-nationalist ambitions in global academic governance. The analysis highlights the appropriation of internationalisation discourse to legitimise ideological projects in higher education, and shows how subsequent policy reversals under the Tusk-led government have sought to dismantle this institutional legacy. The findings contribute to broader discussions on nationalism, policy-making, and the geopolitics of knowledge in post-crisis Europe.