At the end of her working visit to Belgium, the Belarusian leader visited Ghent University, where she held a meeting with the university leadership and delivered a lecture. Dozens of Belarusians are currently studying at the university, which is the alma mater of two Nobel laureates.
During the discussion with the Vice-Rector, Mieke Van Herreweghe, and other professors, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya emphasized the need for educational programs for Belarusian students and proposed launching a support program for them. The parties also discussed increasing scholarship funding for Belarusian students and researchers.
Afterwards, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya addressed the students with a lecture, discussing the current situation in Belarus and Belarusians’ struggle for freedom. She urged the audience to preserve their humanity and never tolerate injustice. She also thanked Prof. Dr. Fabienne Bossuyt, whose course “European Neighborhood Policy” covers the topic of Belarus:
“Over the past three years, I’ve learned several lessons. The most important one is perseverance. People often romanticize the struggle for freedom, but it requires a lot of patience and daily work, which is sometimes not as captivating or interesting as you might imagine. Unfortunately, people eventually get used to anything. They get used to living in injustice and tyranny. Apathy is our worst enemy because when you stop caring, you can execute any unjust order. And this is how dictatorships break human souls. We must preserve our humanity, our values, and our faith every day”, noted Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya in her speech.
