The Polish government has selected 22 higher-education institutions to receive extra financing for the development of courses deemed to be of strategic importance to the country’s social and economic development, the Polish Market Online news site reported. The program is an effort to encourage students to pursue degrees in subjects including information technology, construction engineering, biotechnology, physics, chemistry, and mathematics. The designated institutions are in line to receive a share of more than $60-million that will be used to increase recruitment, provide remedial courses for first-year students, give students practical training and employment guidance, and encourage student participation at conferences. According to a recent European University Association report examining the impact of the recession on higher education, Poland has cut its higher-education budget by up to 5 percent. The institutions eligible for the extra financing are chosen by the Polish education ministry, but the program, which has been running since 2008, is financed by the European Union, according to Polish Market.