“In all the University of Warsaw’s activities and initiatives, we always prioritise the safety of our community members,” says Prof. Alojzy Z. Nowak, the UW Rector. Over the past year, the University has introduced numerous measures in this area. These include the establishment of the Office for Security Affairs, the strengthening of the university Security Guard’s powers, the introduction of training programmes, and the signing of an agreement with the Warsaw Police Headquarters. Psychological support is also available at all times for students, doctoral candidates and employees.
“The safety of the University of Warsaw’s academic community is our absolute priority. There is no room for compromise here. We are implementing specific procedures and measures. The difficult experiences of the past year have motivated us to work even harder to improve safety on campus. We treat every report of a potential threat from students, doctoral candidates and employees seriously, striving to respond as quickly and effectively as possible,” says Prof. Alojzy Z. Nowak, the UW Rector.
Since the beginning of 2025, the University of Warsaw has had an emergency helpline and a safety website. Pursuant to the Rector’s order of 30th June 2025, the Office for Security Affairs was established. The director of the new unit is Sławomir Obliński.
“The Office for Security Affairs was established to coordinate all activities related to the protection of the UW community in a consistent and professional manner. We are implementing solutions tailored to today’s challenges – from state-of-the-art surveillance systems and technical infrastructure to training and close cooperation with external services. This demonstrates that the University takes a systematic and long-term approach to security,” says Robert Grey, the UW Chancellor.
The University of Warsaw is developing a comprehensive approach to security – with clearly defined procedures and structures. The Office for Security Affairs is part of an integrated system which will ultimately cover not only the physical protection of people on the University of Warsaw campus, but also cybersecurity, crisis management, and the prevention of disinformation.
Among the measures implemented to date by the UW’s Office for Security Affairs are:
- strengthening the powers of the UW Security Guard:
- the introduction of regulations for the UW Security Guard, under which the guards have been granted the right to use or deploy intervention measures such as physical force, hand-held pepper spray, telescopic batons or body cameras;
- purchase of intervention equipment (telescopic batons, hand-held pepper spray dispensers, stun guns);
- purchase of body-worn cameras and development of procedures for their use in accordance with applicable legislation;
- purchase of three slow-moving electric vehicles for the University Security Guard, which will enable the rapid deployment of security guards between campuses and facilities in the event of an emergency;
- introduction of procedures for the UW Security Guard in the event of a radiological incident;
- cooperation with services at national level:
- signing of an agreement with the Warsaw Police Headquarters regarding cooperation, training, information exchange, the organisation of student placements and the use of scientific research for security purposes;
- modernisation of technical solutions:
- introduction of a system using a landline telephone as a safety button, enabling a direct connection without the need to lift the receiver, with an alarm signal sent to the UW Security Guard – indicating the location and providing live audio from the point of origin of the emergency call;
- training:
- conducting specialist training for the UW management, preparing them to respond appropriately in crisis situations.
Work is currently underway to introduce mandatory security training for new employees, doctoral candidates and students, as well as to develop specialised security training tailored to the specific operating environment of the UW and taking into account the current geopolitical situation.
Plans are also in place to bring the entire technical security infrastructure under a single surveillance system and to introduce key depositories, which will provide system-wide information on whether a key has been returned at the agreed time; should it not be returned, this information will enable a swift response from the UW Security Guard. Ultimately, all UW premises will be covered by a video surveillance system.
Psychological support
Psychological support is also a key element in fostering a sense of security, particularly in difficult and crisis situations. The Psychological Counselling Centre (CPP) serves as the first point of contact in this regard for the University of Warsaw community. For years, it has been developing various forms of support so that everyone can choose the method of contact best suited to their needs – anonymously, safely and free of charge. Since January, the CPP’s services – on the initiative of the Students’ Concil of the UW – have been expanded to include a new form of contact: the UW Trust Chat.
In October 2025, an information and education campaign on mental health was launched at the university. The initiative, under the slogan “Your mind – your strength”, is aimed at the entire academic community. It highlights the importance of looking after mental health, raising awareness of prevention, and the belief that each of us has an influence on our own well-being, emotions and inner balance.
“The past year has been a time of difficult reflection for the University of Warsaw community, but also an impetus to build an even more responsible and safe community. Remembrance obliges us not only to reflect, but also to consistently strengthen the safety of our university,” emphasises Robert Grey, the UW Chancellor.
The Tree of Remembrance
The changes being made to enhance the sense of safety at the University of Warsaw are inspired by the memory of Ms Małgorzata Dynak. A symbolic commemoration of our colleague took place on 7th May on the Main Campus.
