Gowin: Educational Activities at Universities Suspended from March 12 to 25

The Minister of Science and Higher Education Jarosław Gowin participated in a press conference at the Chancellery of the Prime Minister on the situation in Poland related to the coronavirus. Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Culture and National Heritage Piotr Gliński also participated in the conference.

'I decided to suspend educational activities at universities from March 12 to March 25', said Gowin.

Deputy Prime Minister emphasized that the suspension of educational activities would not mean the closure of the university. 'University administrations should continue to function normally, scientific research should be conducted normally. University authorities are obliged to enable students to take classes online to the greatest possible extent', he explained.

According to the announcement posted on the Ministry of Science and Higher Education website, suspended educational activities at universities supervised by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education include first-cycle, second-cycle, uniform master's, doctoral studies, in doctoral colleges as well as courses and trainings organized at universities, as part of post-graduate studies or in other forms. The regulation does not limit the possibility of conducting scientific activity (also by PhD students).

'To limit the effects of temporary suspension of classes and delays in program schedules, the regulation allows to replace traditional teaching with classes taught remotely, even if this method of teaching is not provided for in the given education program', the Ministry of Science informs.

Jarosław Gowin added that the procedures for selecting new university authorities should be carried out normally. 'We don't see the need to change recruitment dates', he added.

'I want to emphasize that the Minister of Health and the Minister of Culture made similar decisions with respect to their subordinate universities', said the Minister of Science.

'Until now, there has been no case of infection among either students or employees of any Polish university', the minister noted.

PAP - Science in Poland, Ludwika Tomala, Szymon Zdziebłowski

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