Strengthening the cooperation of ENU and universities of Lithuania
April 25, 2018 ENU was visited by a delegation of Lithuanian universities, including Vytautas Magnus University, Alexander Stulginskis University and Vilnius Gediminas Technical University. The delegation was led by Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Lithuania to the Republic of Kazakhstan Vytautas Nauduzas and Rector of Vytautas Magnus University Juozas Augutis.
In a welcome speech, Rector Erlan Sydykov spoke about the history of our university and the opportunities for strengthening relations. Vice-rector for International cooperation and innovations Baubek Somzhurek also noted the pace of cooperation development between our universities, and the special contribution of the Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania to the Republic of Kazakhstan. In turn, Ambassador and rector Juozas Augutis thanked the university for the invitation and organization of the meeting and expressed the intention of further fruitful cooperation. Juozas Augutis introduced the students to the history of Lithuania, and the history of the formation and development of Vytautas Magnus University.
Faculty of Social Sciences
Faculty of Social Sciences, Vytautas Magnus university, Kaunas, Lithuania
This video was created by a trainee journalist of VMU Faculty of Political Science and Diplomacy, student from Nigeria Sophia Elo Esumike.
Visit to Lucerne Teacher Training University
On the 7th of December, the head of the Institute of Education assoc. prof. dr. Lina Kaminskienė and assoc. prof. dr. Ilona Tandzegolskienė from Institute of Education met with the prof. Kathrin Krammer, the head of Faculty of Pedagogy in Lucerne Teacher Training University (Switzerland), dr. Janine Gut, representative person at Faculty of Continuing Teacher Education, prof. Reinhard Hölzl, the head of the Teacher Training Department at the Gymnasium, Brigitte Kürstainer, the head of International Relations at the University and the coordinator Marisa Ernst, also with the other colleagues. During the visit, were discussed the possibilities of studying, as well as the research and project activities between Vytautas Magnus university and Lucerne Teacher Training University. It is planned that from the next year, after signing the cooperation agreement, students of Vytautas Magnus University will have the opportunity to go for one semester for studies in accordance with the Swiss-European Mobility Program. This program also envisages teacher co-operation and mobility.
A few notes about the Augean stables of Lithuanian politics
Several last weeks with the e-mails from Eligijus Masiulis, former Liberal Movement Party leader and who is currently under criminal investigation, a scandal of e-mails from Ms. President with a „tulip“ pseudonym, hidden political influences from the MG Baltic corporation and leaked files from the State Security Department about politico-business relations at least partially opened the curtain of the backstage „kitchen“ of Lithuanian politics. Although it was not a big surprise to the insiders of national politics that instead of kitchen of politics we might be brought suddenly to the Augean stables. And exactly this has happened. A smell and picture here are far from nice.
International conference “Open Professional Collaboration for Open Classroom”
On the 9th-10th of November Vytautas Magnus university together with European distance and e-learning Network (EDEN), the UNESCO Institute of Information Technologies Application in education (UNESCO IITE) and the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Lithuania organized an international scientific conference “Open Professional Collaboration for Open Classroom”. The conference seeks to bring synergies between national, regional and European initiatives and programs, professional associations and the promotion of education and business partnerships for open learning.
Competition for Erasmus+ Studies Abroad
If you want to gain even more international study experience, improve your foreign language skills, become a VMU Ambassador and a part of even bigger international community, participate in the competition and fill in the online application form until September 25, 2016.
Eligible applicants are full time and part time students, except 1st year bachelor degree student. Students with disabilities or special needs have an opportunity to receive additional funding.
The results of competition will be announced on September 30, 2016 on VMU website, VMU International Office announcement board. Each selected student will also be informed personally by e-mail.
Selection Criteria
- conformability between the plan for studies or research at the higher education institution abroad and the study programme at VMU;
- study results of the last semester;
- good knowledge of the language which will be used during the studies;
- the student’s motivation;
- student’s experience in work, studies, placement, international or academic projects and social activities in Lithuania and abroad;
- student’s ability to independently solve the arising problems.
Additional information about Erasmus+ studies, partnerships with Higher education institutions in foreign countries, criteria of the selection, scholarships and on individual consultations with International Programme’s Coordinators in faculties.
Erasmus Coordinators:
Generation and value changes in Lithuania: a few insights through the prism of European Social Survey
In recent years in Lithuanian politics, or even more broadly in the whole public sphere, it has become popular to talk about a renewal that has been almost exclusively related to some younger people coming to various public positions. In other words, it is all about a generational change. Today or exactly 30 years after the reform movement Sąjūdis inspired political and social revolution in Lithuania, such generational change is inevitable simply due to the flow of time. But much more important than just simply to state that Lithuanian society is experiencing fast generational change, to think about what this change means and what it brings. Let’s discuss today only a relatively narrow subject – values and generations – with a simple question: can we observe value changes comparing the older and younger generations?
A few remarks about generations
A very dynamic generational change is taking place and will continue in near the future in all areas in today’s Lithuania. It simply cannot be otherwise as the pre-independence generations are replaced by the post-independence generation. How fast this process might be it is well illustrated just by the fact that even those who were born in 1990 or at the moment of all political transformations begun, today are 28 years old — still young but reasonably grown up and mature. Moreover, if we look through the prism of technological innovation, it is namely those over twenty and around thirty who have presented most of today’s well-known innovations for the last 30-40 years globally. If we are to check the age of the founders of Microsoft, Apple, Google, Amazon, Alibaba or GetJar, which has clear Lithuanian roots, when they started with what they have achieved now, we will be easily convinced that young age proves beneficial for breakthroughs in various areas.
Two stories about good experience studying psychology and social antropology in the faculty
It was 24 of January when I was leaving my home, to begin my Erasmus in Lithuania. I felt scared and lonely. Now it is 17 of June and I am leaving my home again. My Lithuanian home. And I feel scared and lonely. It may seemed that nothing has changed. But actually Erasmus at VMU changed me in 5 months more, than I changed in past 5 years. I came to Erasmus with slightly different goal in my head. I wanted to grow as a person. Mission completed. I grew through every single assigment, project, presentation and essey I had to do in english (and it was lots of them J), throught all the support from teachers at my departement of psycholgy (special thanks to teachers Viktorija Čepukienė and Gabija Jarašiūnaitė), and throught all people I have met here who gave me space to be myself. At the VMU I also find what I want to do in the future, what kind of psychological approach I want to pursuit and I found inspiration in many teachers, students and friends.
For this and much more I would be thankful to the beautiful Lithuania forever!
Lenka Abrinková from Košice, Slovakia
My Erasmus semester at VMU offered me opportunities in many ways: I met people from all over the world who came to Kaunas for their studies, learnt about Lithuania (a country to which I have never been before) and its language and culture and attended lectures in English for the first time in my life. Looking back, l can only be grateful for the semester I spent in Kaunas and for everyone who helped to make it such an outstanding experience – friends, classmates and teachers. I experienced the Faculty of Social Sciences as a very welcoming place with a truly international flair and was happy about the variety of classes offered in English, especially in my major Social Anthropology. Besides studying, I explored Lithuania and its neighboring countries and saw many beautiful places in the Baltics.
A truly great time came to an end and all that is left to say is “Ačiū labai!”
Marie Rickert from Bremen, Germany
THE FOREST BROTHER is surtitled into English on November 23
A Play With EN Subtitles
For our English speaking students ant friends – a play in Kaunas Drama Theater with EN subtitles:
International collaboration
osijek, 25 listopad 2017, 10.00 sati – Filozofski fakultet,
Susret nastavnog i nenastavnog osoblja s europskih visokokolskih ustanova International Staff Week,
Novinar: Jasenka Pejakoviæ
snimio zdenko puiæ
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3xcolor osijek
Vice-dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences Aurelija Stelmokiene participated in International Staff Week – The Status of Humanities and Social Sciences in Higher Education and Research, University of Osijek, Croatia. Five main topics were debated during the staff week from Wednesday, 25 October, 2017 to Friday, 27 October, 2017:
- Trends in the treatment of social sciences and humanities (SSH) programs in higher education;
- Experience and best practices in recruiting students for programs in SSH;
- Raising awareness of the relevance of SSH for the development of a healthy society;
- Challenges for future employment of SSH students;
- Fostering of cooperation as a way of promoting the relevance of humanities and social sciences in the modern world.
Possibilities to cooperate with the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in University of Osijek were also discussed.
