Dear colleagues, students and new members of the Kaunas Faculty community,

On the occasion of Science and Knowledge Day I want to congratulate you all and wish you endless creativity in trying to beat time, inspiring victories in science and smiling success in your studies.

This year the university celebrated its 444th anniversary, and our faculty will celebrate its 60th anniversary next year. Yet, I invite you to count achievements, not the time that has passed. Vilnius University is among the top 400 universities in the world. And we all are the reason for that. May our work be bigger than us.

The secret to our success is simple – it is our strength in working together. It’s not easy. But sometimes all it takes is to listen to others for a brilliant idea to spark action.

My biggest wish for the first-year students is to make friends. Someone to grow with, someone to look back on after many years to see how far you have come together.

During his visit at Vilnius University, US President Joe Biden left an inscription in the guest book that said: “Together, we can really do anything!". And it’s true.

It's not just about learning from books and slides. Learn from the lecturers, researchers, other students. Learn from your mistakes and victories. Don't be afraid to fail. Be brave to try again.

It may take you some time to understand, but there’s a reason why we say that from here you go to the stars. I wish you a successful take off.

Hinc itur ad astra

Vilniaus university Kaunas faculty dean
Assoc. Prof. Kęstutis Driaunys

VU Kaunas Faculty invites students, lecturers and staff to take part in a 7-hour canoeing trip on the Ūla and Merkys rivers in Dzūkija National Park and have fun together at the VU Puvočiai base on 9 September, Saturday.

There is a possibility to stay overnight at the VU Puvočiai base for an extra fee.

Puvočiai village is one of the ethnographic villages of Dzūkija National Park by the Merkys River, next to the villages of Trasninkas, Mardasavas, and Trakiškiai, which are exciting to explore on foot, bicycle, or car.

You are welcome to bring your own transport and share the ride with your colleagues. A bus will be booked for Erasmus students. If there are seats available, there will be an opportunity for other members of the community to go by bus. The bus will return to Kaunas the same Saturday evening at 10:30 PM (departure from Puvočiai is scheduled for 9:00 PM).

The following items are recommended for canoeing: swimwear, comfortable clothes and footwear that are likely to get wet while paddling, a raincoat, a hat and sunscreen, insect repellent, drinking water and snacks, a sturdy polythene bag to store your gear in the kayak so it doesn’t get soaked. It is also recommended to have another set of clothes to change into and spend the evening outside in the campsite.

There will be a barbecue in the campsite, so you can bring charcoal to cook the food you have with you.

Students, lecturers and faculty staff interested in participating, please register by 6 September. 

“Gaining new experience by studying abroad has been one of the biggest dreams of my life and Lithuania was the country I had always wanted to visit, so I was overjoyed to find the chance to study here. The country has beautiful nature and an interesting history, which attracted me a lot. That's why I tried my best to secure a spot at the Vilnius University summer program ,” says Valeriia. She is a 1st-year Master student in International Economics at the National University of Food Technologies in Ukraine, which is located in Kyiv, Ukraine. This summer she resides in Vilnius university Kaunas faculty based on the summer student scientific practice project organized by the Research Council of Lithuania, with the support of Assoc. Prof. Dr Ilona Kiaušienė.

Being an active individual and an extrovert, she has a great passion for traveling and constantly seeks opportunities to learn new things. It led her to an opportunity to participate in a summer project at Vilnius University. “This is my first experience abroad and I’m excited about everything,” gladly says Valeriia and with same passion she explains her choice of topic. „In today's world, International Economics holds significant importance, making it a crucial field of study. During this project, I am focusing my research on the application of circular economy principles in the tourism industry” says the young scientist.

Upon arrival to Lithuania, she was met by Assistant Professor Virginia Jurėnienė and had a short tour around Kaunas. “When I arrived in Kaunas, my first impression of this country was that the people here are incredibly friendly and open-minded. Especially when I came to the Kaunas Faculty, I received a warm welcome from the university staff and my supervisor, Assoc. Prof. Dr Ilona Kiaušienė, who was also very welcoming,” says Valeriia Hladkova.

“I have only positive impressions from my stay in Kaunas. The city truly impresses with its rich historical beauty and the abundance of nature that surrounds it. Exploring the charming old town and experiencing the vibrant culture has been an unforgettable experience. I am eager to stay longer in Lithuania to continue studying and exploring. The country's captivating beauty, rich history, and warm people have made me fall in love with it. I want to delve deeper into my academic pursuits while immersing myself further in the culture and discovering more of what this wonderful place has to offer,” says Valeriia. She states that getting to know the city while having now previous experience of it helped to understand the way tourists see it.

“As soon as I was offered this opportunity at Vilnius University, I gladly accepted to travel. This is my first experience abroad and I’m excited about everything,” gladly says Veronika. She is a 20-year-old student in her 3rd year of studies for a bachelor's degree in Management of Socio-Cultural Activities, at the National Academy of Culture and Art Management, which is located on the territory of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra. This summer she resides in Vilnius University Kaunas Faculty based on the Research Council of Lithuania summer student scientific practice project with support of Dr. Skaistė Jurėnė.

As an active student of the community that participates in the activities organized by the Academy and beyond, Veronica Kozhura is constantly developing and finding new hobbies and believes that a professional in the field of Socio-Cultural Activities should be able to do everything. For 3 years in University she was engaged in career guidance work in schools, held open days and excursions around the Academy. “I'm very easy to get interested in something and a quick learner, so I do everything with great pleasure and enjoy sharing my experiences,” explains Veronika Kozhura referring to her natural dedication to education and science.

“In 2020, during my first year at the University, we organized an Eco-quest for 10-11th graders. Interesting interactive mini-games reminded students of how important it is to take care of the environment,” she says. In October 2021 the Department of Art Management and Event Technologies was a participant in the Erasmus+ project "Academic Response to Hybrid Threats - WARN". As part of the project, the department participated in Erasmus Days, for which an interactive game "Erasmus+ Personal Motivation - to build your future" was developed. “I was the project manager of this project, distributed responsibilities and coordinated the actions of a group of applicants in the process of preparing and implementing the event,” states the young scientist about her growing interest in the field of tourism as an important part of exploiting and fostering the environment.

Upon arrival to Lithuania, she was met by Assistant Professor Virginija Jurėnienė and had a short tour around Kaunas. “Kaunas is a very small but cozy city for me. I'm excited about everything that's happening here,” says Veronica, “I am not yet used to how quickly the weather can change here. And also, it gets dark very late here, so I can't get my sleeping schedule right.” However, she would gladly take the opportunity to stay longer if there was one.

Dear students of Vilnius University Kaunas Faculty,

First of all, congratulations to all of the first-year students who have become members of our community! We wish that the studies you have chosen would not only help you develop as a professional, but also help you grow as an individual.

We also congratulate all higher-year students and invite you to continue the discussions and exchange of knowledge and experiences during the academic year of 2023-2024, so that you can be outstanding professionals of your field after you close the doors of the Kaunas Faculty.

Vilnius University (VU) traditionally starts the 2023-2024 academic year with the #StudentAUK introductory day events, where first-year students will not only learn all they need to know about their studies and life at the university, but will also get to meet senior students, lecturers and the faculty administration by engaging in fun activities, discussions and meetings. This is a great opportunity to meet your new fellow students and feel what it’s like to be part of the Vilnius University community. For more information about events at Vilnius University, click here: https://www.studentauk.vu.lt/en/discover-vu/

The introductory days will start with remote lectures on VU’s electronic systems and how to use them:

31 August, Wednesday, 10:00 AM (in English), click here to join the training online 

On June 26-30 the students of the Bachelor study program Economics and Management Rugilė Benkunskaitė, Gytis Jankauskas, Erikas Kavaliauskas, Titas Repšys and Ernestas Žiogas, together with Assoc. Prof. Dr Ilona Kiaušienė and Assoc. Pr. Dr Ingrida Šarkiūnaitė participated in the Summer Innovative Business School in Maribor (Slovenia). The summer school addressed modern marketing communication channels, future knowledge tools, business model innovations in the context of “Industry 4.0”, examined the case of the Luna company, exchanged best practices, etc. The ever-changing environment and challenges related to sustainability and digitization processes force interest in innovation and development of modern teaching/learning skills. At the summer school students had the opportunity to not only attend the lectures, but also develop the digital skills needed for the modern world by performing practical tasks under the guidance of assigned mentors. 

Vilnius University Kaunas Faculty is currently hosting guests from Ukraine. Prof. Dr Svitlana Gutkevych, Head of the Department of International Economics at the National University of Food Technologies has enrolled for a traineeship here. She is accompanied by students under the Summer Student Research Internship project organized by the Research Council of Lithuania (RCL). Professor Virginija Jurėnienė, who initiated the cooperation with the Ukrainian academic community, is a supervisor for the delegation.

Researchers at the Institute of Social Sciences and Applied Informatics of Kaunas Faculty of Vilnius University are implementing the project “Transnational cooperation initiative fostering developing forward thinking skills of students, teachers and workforce in sustainability-relevant sectors posed by Business 4.0 trends through innovation in Business & Engineering education and training”. From 8-12 May 2023, the project participants, Assoc. Prof. Dr Ilona Kiaušienė and Administrator Vaidilutė Kaminskienė, attended in a training course at the University of Western Attica, Athens, Greece.