Ladies and gentlemen, co-workers, students and postgraduate students, we are only a few days away from the beginning of the new academic year. I believe that we will welcome it together within walls of our University.

I take the position that in the academic year 2021/2022 education should be maintained in a traditional form of direct contacts of academic teachers with students. I express my satisfaction with the decision of the Minister of Education and Science of February 25, 2021, on repealing the regulation on the temporary restriction of functioning of certain entities of the higher education and science systems in connection with the preventing, counteracting and combating COVID-19. It means that we can prepare to return to lecture halls, workshops and laboratories. Organizational preparations to re-establish academic classes in a stationary form of classes at the University of Bialystok are on the progress now.

Having experienced the previous academic year we have to take into account different learning scenarios in coming months. The safety of academic teachers and students is the highest priority for us, therefore, we will react flexibly on the development of the epidemic when necessary. I cannot eliminate a situation in which academic classes will be realized in a hybrid or remote form.

I hope that the return to walls of the University of Bialystok will be a happy event for all of us and a possibility to meet co-workers with students will be a source of many positive emotions.

Yours sincerely

Professor Robert Ciborowski

Rector of the University of Bialystok