Aleksandr Lukashenko
MINSK, 15 January (BelTA) – While approving the appointment of a new rector for the Gomel State Medical University, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko recalled how he had once been advised to close this university. However, history has proven that the decision of the head of state to preserve it was correct, BelTA has learned.
“One could say it [the university] is very dear to me. Why? Because even before my presidency, there was a lot of talk. Especially when I became president, many suggested shutting it down. The reasoning was clear. We could have trained enough specialists using the existing universities in Minsk, Vitebsk, Grodno. But I felt sorry for the Gomel university. I understand that it is a regional university, serving the region, the southeast, Mogilev Oblast, and so on [by training specialists]. The students there are, let us say, more down-to-earth, in a good way. They are the ones who will largely work in the region. I felt a kind of compassion for the medical students of this university. I was quite familiar with it before my presidency, I visited it more than once as an MP. So, I said: ‘No, I cannot bring myself to shut down this university.’ And now I am convinced that this university can live and develop,” the Belarusian leader said.
Irina Nazarenko, who has now taken over the university, expressed gratitude to the president for his support. “Gratitude is good. But you are the rector now, and you will be held to a special standard. Therefore, you must know how to work with everyone. You are all intelligent scientists, practically academicians or future academicians. You must know how to work with everyone. And find the best in people,” Aleksandr Lukashenko advised. “And do not repeat those mistakes that you sometimes made there at the university. You must treat people humanely, especially scientists.”
The president also inquired about the future prospects of the previous rector Igor Stoma who left the post by mutual agreement and expressed a desire to continue working at the university, but in a different position. Aleksandr Lukashenko suggested looking for other options for him.
“We can look for other work for him. Stoma is a young, promising specialist. If he has any shortcomings, I don’t think they are catastrophic. We cannot lose sight of Stoma. That is unequivocal. If he really wants to work at the university... Perhaps he simply hasn’t considered other options due to certain nuances,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said. “He has a strong potential, he can still handle more responsibility, and he should deliver results. And he will deliver quite a lot. So, you can tell Stoma we do not want to lose him. I know him personally. An educated, competent person. And as for shortcomings, we all have them. We must learn to overcome them, as they used to say.”
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