Opening of the new premises of the Vilnius Branch of the University of Białystok
The opening ceremony of the new premises of the Vilnius Branch of the University of Bialystok was held on 6 July. It was attended, among others, by the Speaker of the Seimas of Lithuania, Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen, and the Speaker of the Senate of the Republic of Poland, Małgorzata Kidawa-Błońska, as well as the authorities of the university, students and invited guests.
Dean Dr Jerzy Halicki expressed the hope that the new building would become a place of development for students and staff. He emphasised that since the establishment of the Branch in 2007, efforts had been made to provide it with its own premises. After many years of effort, the construction contract was signed in 2021 and the foundation stone was laid in September 2022. The investment cost more than €10 million, funded by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Poland and the University of Bialystok.
"The day when a school opens is always a happy day, but when a university opens, and such a beautiful and modern one at that, it is really great happiness, because nothing brings people together like science, culture and school. The university shapes people who will decide what our countries will be like in the future," said the Speaker of the Polish Senate, Małgorzata Kidawa-Błońska. She expressed the hope that the development of the UwB Vilnius Branch would contribute to even better cooperation between Polish and Lithuanian scientists and the youth of both countries.
The President of the Lithuanian Seimas, Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen, assured of the positive attitude of the Lithuanian authorities towards the Branch. "You are an important part of our higher education system," she - she said.
The Ambassador of the Republic of Poland to Lithuania, Konstanty Radziwill, described the opening of the new premises as a celebration of both the cooperation between Poland and Lithuania and a celebration for the Polish community in Lithuania, for which the activities of this university are extremely important.
The new premises, with an area of more than 3,000 m², are designed for teaching and research activities, including courses, training, conferences and meetings between academics and the Polish community. The branch offers four fields of study: economics, European studies, information technology and pre-school and early childhood education. The offer will be expanded in the future.
The building's modern facilities, including computer laboratories, a library and lecture theatres, will provide students with excellent conditions for learning and developing their skills.
Photo: TVP Vilnius/Bartek Urbanowicz
