Andrzej Rychard is a member of the Polish Academy of Sciences where he directs the Institute of Philosophy and Sociology. As a Professor of Sociology, he is engaged in theoretical and empirical studies on the relations between the state, economy and society, social legitimation of the political and economic systems, sociology of health care systems, and the role of historical and cultural legacies in contemporary societies.
His main research interests broadly deal with institutional studies on the transition processes in Central and Eastern Europe: the relationship between political and economic institutions and their social implications in the broader framework of analysis of the factors affecting transformation, the political and social barriers to it, and its consequences.
Integrity and independence of science become increasingly crucial since anti-rational sentiments are spreading.