The Speaker of the Senate of the Republic of Poland - Małgorzata Kidawa-Błońska, the Chairwoman of the Lithuanian Sejm - Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen, the University of Bialystok authorities, students and invited guests were among the participants of the Grand Opening of the new headquarters of the Vilnius Branch of the University of Bialystok, held on July 6th, 2024.
The construction of the new building located at 22 Aguonų (Makowa) Street began in August 2022. Starting from the new academic year, it will be the place where students of the Vilnius Branch of the University of Bialystok, which has been operating in the Lithuanian capital since 2007, will be educated.
- This shows that Polish higher education is at a high level and we have interesting scientific and research centers. I hope that a strong educational center will be established in Lithuania. This is a big success that we can be proud of said, the Speaker of the Senate of the Republic of Poland, Malgorzata Kidawa-Błońska.
She expressed the hope that the development of the Branch in Vilnius will contribute to even better cooperation between Polish and Lithuanian scientists.
- 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 - the Speaker of the Senate of the Republic of Poland added.
The Speaker of the Lithuanian Sejm, Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen, assured of the positive attitude of the Lithuanian authorities towards the Branch, which is an important part of the country's higher education system. She also noted that the construction of the new building shows that relations between Lithuania and Poland are developing rapidly and successfully.
Dean of the Branch, Prof. Jerzy Halicki, is confident that the new headquarters will provide comfort for students and staff of the Branch and will contribute to its development.
- There will be more than 3,000 square meters of space. This will allow more than three hundred students to study here. It will also create entirely new prospects for us - says Jerzy Halicki.
- Efforts to build a building of our own, adapted to the needs of modern teaching and learning, took a long time, but finally we can say that our Vilnius Branch has an excellent headquarters. It doesn’t only mean better conditions for students and lecturers, but also allows for more efficient management: we no longer have to rent rooms, we can decide how to use the space. In addition, it is superbly located close to the historic center of Vilnius. All this offers great opportunities – comments the Rector of the University of Bialystok, Prof. Robert W. Ciborowski.
As the authorities of the University of Bialystok announce, the building will also host Polish organizations, such as the Association of Polish Scientists of Lithuania.
The cost of the investment is more than €10 million. The construction was financed by a grant from the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education and the University of Bialystok's own funds. The four-story building will include modern lecture halls, computer laboratories, a library and underground parking.
Branch of the University of Bialystok in Vilnius was the first foreign faculty established by a Polish university abroad. It was also the first branch of a foreign university in Lithuania. The faculty has been developing ever since. It currently offers studies in four fields: economics, European studies, computer science and preschool and early childhood pedagogy. The authorities of the University of Bialystok are already thinking about expanding the offer.
