Dear students and doctoral students – ladies and gentlemen!

The final preparations to start a new academic year are just before us. We are all aware of it being a difficult challenge, one that requires reflection and consideration of multiple aspects of daily changing epidemiological situation, but also courage to make difficult decisions.

My especially warm welcome goes to BA and unified MA freshmen students, who, while preparing for their Matura exams, must have gone through the weeks of uncertainty during this spring. Ladies and gentlemen, I hope you feel at home at the University of Gdańsk and are able to experience the value of academic life, its pleasures, possibilities and development prospects, even though majority of classes will be held remotely. I am certain that doctoral students, mature researchers beginning studies at doctoral schools, will find their unique ways of scientific development. Specially prepared ‘Toolkits’ for freshmen students, available on university and faculty websites, will help freshmen students navigate through their university life.

Vast majority of classes still needs to be held remotely. That way of organizing academic year requires efficient communication. Please follow the announcements on faculties websites (carrying out your field of study) and information from student and doctoral student portals which will publish guidelines on curriculums, on-site classes schedules and other important announcements.

Multiple rules governing the University functioning in the coming months, like sanitary regulations (checking temperature at the entrance, distancing, surfaces disinfecting), is based on the regulations by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, State Sanitary Inspection and Sanitary and Epidemiological Station, as well as environmental recommendations issued by councils associating higher learning institutions. Please pay great attention to understanding the regulations and recommendations in force, as following them will allow us all to function properly and protect health of every member of our academic community. The community comprises 21 thousand students, a thousand doctoral students, 1.7 thousand academic staff members and the same number of administrative staff members.

All areas of University operations face significant impediments. On-site classes will be held only where the curriculum requires it. Deans and units responsible for helping students and doctoral students will offer their support in terms of the new organizational discipline. In the first instance, please always reach out by phone or by an e-mail. Another difficulty is the limit to the number of available accommodations in student houses. We are allowed to house only half of the students we used to in the previous years. Like every year, priority will be given to BA and unified MA freshmen students, who we booked 500 places for. We need to remember they know nobody in the new place, they might and probably will feel lost at times. That is why integration meetings have been planned for them and freshmen will have the largest number of the on-site university classes. Foreigners will be another priority group in student houses considering obligations under various international agreements.

Ladies and gentlemen! I hope that despite the challenging circumstances, the Gaudeamus igitur song, which resounds every 1st October, shall herald a good year for all us.