Jarosław Wołkonowski: We educate people that will find employment

Accreditation does not concern only primary and secondary schools. It must also be passed by higher education institutions. As it turns out – this year over 30 percent of the audited universities did not meet the requirements. Excellent results were achieved by the branch of the University of Białystok, the Faculty of Economics-Informatics in Vilnius.

The Faculty of Economics-Informatics in Vilnius of the University of Białystok has just been granted an accreditation. What is more – the branch of UB did very well in comparison with other higher education institutions in Vilnius. Why? Because it is a university with a mission, which prepares well for a life in a changing world. It is a university, where there is a good atmosphere not only among students, but also the staff and whose graduates find employment. It is far from an advertising slogan, or an opinion of the university’s employees. It is simply the assessment of the international accreditation committee.

Accreditation is not an easy process. It is best evidenced by the fact that from among the universities in Lithuania about 30 percent did not meet the requirements of the accreditation committee. So far the results were presented for 21 higher education institutions out of 23 operating in Lithuania. Accreditation was not granted to, among others: EHU, Academy of Management and Business, International Business School at Vilnius University, LCC International University as well as Šiauliai University and Lithuanian University of Educational Sciences. What does the lack of accreditation mean for a university? In three years it will once again meet with the committee. If in this time the irregularities has not been eliminated, such university will not be able to take on new students.

The choice of the university we will attend is one of the most import decisions in our life. In deciding on it, it is worth to put in a little effort and – instead of succumbing to advertisement – consult the opinion of the international accreditation committee, which assessed all higher education institutions in Lithuania. As it turns out – on the higher education map the Faculty of Economics-Informatics in Vilnius of the University of Białystok looks very good.

The university received a positive assessment and with it accreditation for the next 6 years. What in particular should interest those thinking about choosing future studies? One of the strongest points of the Vilnius branch of UB is a very low unemployment rate among graduates, which is just 1 percent, whereas in case of most of Lithuanian universities it is 15-20 percent.

Employers, interviewed by the representatives of the committee, are also satisfied with the graduates of the faculty. It is not easy to finish studies. During the studies, for various reasons, the number of students is reduced by almost a half.

However, the Faculty of Economics-Informatics in Vilnius of the University of Białystok also has weaker points. Definitively, the most prominent of those is the lack of proper physical facilities. To meet the requirements of Lithuanian law, university must have a building with an area of about 3 600 m2 and about 80 parking spaces. It is not easy to meet those requirements.

Perhaps the positive opinion of the accreditation committee will be an additional argument in talks with the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education, as well as representatives of Lithuania, about the construction of a building corresponding to the needs of the university.

Information about the accreditation of higher education institutions can be found here.

Based on: own information
Photos: Jan Wierbiel
Montage: Bartosz Frątczak