Refugees from Ukraine accommodated in the dormitory of Gdańsk Tech | Gdańsk University of Technology

On Sunday evening, a special train from Przemyśl arrived in Gdynia, on which 252 refugees traveled from various regions of Ukraine: including Kiev, Odessa or Kharkiv, i.e. cities most affected by war. About half of the train passengers, mainly women and children, were then transported by buses to the Student House No. 11 of Gdańsk University of Technology in Gdańsk Brzeźno.

The dormitory has been comprehensively prepared to receive refugees in advance: the rooms are equipped with bedding sets, packed lunch, snacks and drinks, cleaning products and hygiene articles. The goods that waited in the dorm came from a week-long donation collection on the Gdańsk Tech campus.

– The mobilization of our academic community in this extremely difficult situation for our friends from Ukraine is huge – emphasizes prof. Krzysztof Wilde, rector of Gdańsk Tech. - The last days have shown that together we are able to meet the most difficult challenges and help in many fields. The collection organized by the Gdańsk Tech International Relations Office and the Student Self-government is one of the largest in the Tri-City, and the preparation of one of our dormitories for refugees is one more element of the entire range of aid activities that we are constantly working on.

–Preparing the building for the reception of such a large group was a big challenge, but thanks to the joint work of students and university employees, it was possible to do it in just two days – says Anna Modrzejewska, head of the International Relations Office at Gdańsk Tech, which earlier initiated the collection of goods and coordinated the accommodation of visitors on Sunday. – On Sunday, during the day, nearly 50 volunteers worked in the dormitory since early morning: university employees and our students, including those from Ukraine, Russia and Belarus, and their friends. Shortly after arrival, each of our guests filled out a short personal form, and then received a hot meal and instructions on how to proceed.

Wide aid initiatives of the Gdańsk Tech community

The Gdańsk Tech dormitory, intended for the admission of refugees from Ukraine, is currently about 80 percent full (altogether there are 160 beds in single and double rooms).

– The Pomeranian Voivodeship Office will decide to fill the remaining vacancies, on the basis of an agreement concluded on this matter with the authorities of our university – says Mariusz Miler, Gdańsk Tech Chancellor. – The Gdańsk Tech academic community will still support visitors from Ukraine on an ongoing basis. We want to make everyone feel safe with us at this difficult time and make sure that they do not run out of anything. At the same time, I would like to thank our employees, especially those from the International Relations Office, the Administration Office and the Property Protection Office, for their hard and effective work in recent days. Thanks to them and the students of our university, these aid activities are not only effective, but also very large-scale.

There were many children among the visitors, for whom Gdańsk Tech also provided free initial medical care, and in the near future it will also open a day-care room on the premises of the university, where in the afternoon employees and students of the university will organize a number of activities for the youngest: games and thematic classes.

The collection of goods for refugees from Ukraine is also still ongoing, and takes place in the Gdańsk Tech Hydromechanics building (No. 11) on the university campus (link). The university's other initiatives in the field of helping Ukrainians can be found on the special website of Gdańsk Tech – In solidarity with Ukrai