As usual during this period, in accordance with article 130, paragraph (2) of the National Education Law no. 1/2011, the Rector of UVT presented to the academic community the report on the state of the Western University of Timișoara for the past year.
Below, we present to you the words of the Rector of UVT addressed to the members of the community, on the occasion of the presentation of the report.
UVT Rector's message to the university community
The year 2020 has been, so far, the most unpredictable year of the 2019st century. If in 75 we celebrated the 2020th anniversary of the establishment of the Western University of Timișoara through an extensive program with national and international echoes, 2020 put us in front of the biggest challenge to humanity in the last three quarters of a century. A lot can be said about XNUMX, but one thing is for sure that we will all remember it: it disrupted our existence in ways we never thought possible. It is the landmark year that made us question what, until now, gave us security. It is the year that redefined our future, aspirations, ideals and values. He showed us how fragile we are. There are various ways in which we defend ourselves in the face of the unexpected: we absolutize personal ideas, choose silence, isolate ourselves, point fingers or try not to feel anything. But there is another way offered by the vulnerable present: the chance to resettle our professional life on a new foundation - to do things differently, to be empathetic and creative.
In this global context, UVT has fundamentally restructured its way of carrying out the activities that define its primary mission: education and scientific research. Through what we have chosen to do as researchers, benefiting from an increasingly efficient infrastructure, we have the chance to think of creative solutions aimed at reconfiguring reality. As teachers, having at our disposal nuanced means of communication and expression, we offer students the necessary skills and attitude to change, even by a millimeter, the destiny of humanity. None of this is possible if we are not willing to understand otherness, if we do not put ourselves in their place and if we are not aware that our actions affect the other. We owe it to the students who have stepped through our threshold now for the first time, and who do not know the complexities of the life they have begun, to explain to them, to offer them support and to instill in them confidence. Starting from March 2020, the entire educational process carried out within UVT has been transferred to the online menu. This change involved a significant collaborative effort for faculty, students, administrative and support staff. For this, for openness, understanding and proactivity, I thank everyone!
The teaching activities, the exam session, the defense of doctoral theses, the exams for the completion of university studies, competitions for the occupation of vacant teaching and research positions, online admission processes, conferences, webinars, the graduation ceremony, the Initiation Week, the ways of communication with students, counseling services for students, submitting requests or issuing documents online, preparing for the baccalaureate exam, postgraduate study programs dedicated to conducting online didactic activities are just some of the activities that we have successfully redefined, through the contribution to all members of our community. I think we can be proud of what we have achieved even under special conditions.
With all the unpredictability of 2020, I cannot fail to note that UVT was one step ahead of many universities, both in the process of digitizing all activities and in providing the necessary infrastructure for teaching staff to carry out online teaching processes. At UVT, we always aim high. That is precisely why we know that there are, in every field, aspects that need to be improved. As a result, the entire management team is concerned with identifying solutions for the development of each area of our activity.
The year 2020 also meant an important step in the international affirmation of the Western University of Timișoara (UVT), through the UNITA European Alliance of which our institution is a part. We thus entered the ninth phase of institutional development. Beyond any doubt, it will mark the next years in the life of our community.
The coming years will be full of unknowns. We will be forced to reflect in other frames than the usual ones. We will certainly rethink our relationship with students, redefine knowledge and perceive society differently. And we will certainly be forced to reconsider our relationship with each other. But one thing will endure: the decision of each of us, on a personal level, to be successful or not, to grow or stagnate, to stay connected or not to each other, to feel fulfilled or not.
I am convinced that we will remember the year 2020 for a long time, the obstacles we overcame together. But we will not forget that, despite the obstacles, we managed to innovate and develop. It's a certainty: we made important steps even in adverse conditions, managing to give shape and substance to our best versions! And that's because we've fully embraced the motto Become Your Best, in the West!
With appreciation,
Univ. Prof. Dr. Marilen Gabriel PIRTEA
