First of all – knowledge! Ceremonial diplomatorium at UvB in Vilnius

A group of graduates from The branch of the University of Bialystok in Vilnius has grown by 50 people. During the ceremonial diplomatorium, 36 BA and 14 MA diplomas were handed to the students. An economics graduate Elwira Makricka is a lucky owner of a diploma  with the number 500.

‘’Diploma and acquired knowledge are supposed to provide foundations of your future career. Most of you is already working anyway. I think you will find fine workplaces, you will get a promotion- here, in Lithuania, in the Vilnius region. We don’t want you to leave. You will set up your businesses here, create work places for you and the others, you will start a family and strengthen the middle class which is the biggest precious of the contemporary civil society’’-professor with post-doctoral degree Jarosław Wołkonowski (dean of the Faculty of Economics- Informatics) said addressing the graduates.

The dean of the Vilnius branch of the University of Bialystok stressed that the graduates are doing very well at the labor market. Within only 9 years of the branch’s existence, 512 BA students have graduated from it. Only about 1 percent of them does not have a job.

Six of this year’s graduates received their diplomas with distinction. They are the BA graduates: Elżbieta Grodź (economist), Justa Łastowska (economist), Mirosław Łosiew (IT specialist), Daria Pilarczyk (economist) i Elżbieta Sokołowska (economist). Aneta Salnik, who in 2014 had graduated from BA program with distinction, now received from vice-rector professor with post-doctoral degree Jerzy Halicki a MA diploma – also with distinction.

During the ceremony of diplomatorium, a professor with post-doctoral degree Mieczysława Zdanowicz was present. From the 1st of September, 2016, she will take over all duties of the dean of  the Faculty of Economics- Informatics in Vilnius. She is going to continue works started by the previous branch’s authorities – she said during her talk to “Wilnoteka”. ‘’A lot of work was done by the current authorities. I want to stress that the University of Bialystok is the only public university in Poland that has its foreign branch – this is why we need to take care of the faculty’s further development’’.

The dean-elect said she hoped for a quick solution of an issue of the branch’s seat. Currently, the university uses a couple of buildings in a various districts of Vilnius. However, Lithuanian authorities has been lately showing their willingness to help. Vice-chancellor of the Lithuanian government Rimantas Vaitkus, who was present at the diploma ceremony, ensured that the Vilnius branch of the University of Bialystok will get its own seat this year.