Expansion of Scholarship Programs for Belarusians and Internships for Coordination Council Members in Poznań
- Oct 29
- 2 min read
Issues of support for Belarusian students studying in the Greater Poland Voivodeship and addressing the problems of the Belarusian diaspora were discussed during a meeting between Deputy Head of the United Transitional Cabinet, delegate of the Coordination Council Pavel Latushka, and Marshal of the Greater Poland Voivodeship Marek Woźniak, which took place in Poznań.
During the meeting, Pavel Latushka requested an increase in the number of scholarships to support Belarusian students who were forced to leave Belarus due to repressions. The Deputy Head of the Cabinet emphasized that, as of the 2023/2024 academic year, 1,291 Belarusian students were studying in Poznań. In total, over 12,200 Belarusian students are currently studying in Poland.
Pavel Latushka noted that, despite the forced departure of young people from Belarus, he hopes that the knowledge they acquire at Western European universities will be used to rebuild the country and develop the economy in a New Belarus.
The Marshal expressed his readiness to discuss the possibility of increasing the number of scholarships for Belarusian students with the financial support of the Marshal’s Office and the Rector of the Adam Mickiewicz University.
Pavel Latushka also initiated the introduction of internships for members of the Coordination Council to study the functioning of local self-government bodies. Marek Woźniak expressed his willingness to consider the possibility of accepting two representatives of the Belarusian democratic forces for a two-week internship at the Marshal’s Office of the Greater Poland Voivodeship.
During the meeting, Pavel Latushka also requested support for the Belarusian diaspora in Poznań in organizing events dedicated to significant dates of Belarusian independence — March 25 and August 9. The Marshal expressed his readiness to assist in organizing such events involving the Belarusian diaspora, including providing venues at the Marshal’s Office.
The Deputy Head of the Cabinet also presented information about the situation of political prisoners in Belarus and human rights violations, and separately focused on Lukashenka’s attempts to make a “deal” with the United States and the European Union without implementing any meaningful changes to the country’s internal repressive policies.
Pavel Latushka continues to hold meetings with representatives of regional authorities in Poland to address the issues faced by Belarusians residing in the country. Recently, meetings have been held with the voivodes of the Pomeranian, Podlaskie, Lower Silesian, and Warmian-Masurian Voivodeships.
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