VMU Professor Jonas Ruškus awarded the ŠMSM Honorary Badge
On 16 October, Jonas Ruškus, Professor at the Department of Social Work of Vytautas Magnus University (VMU) and former Vice-Chairman of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, was awarded the Honorary Badge of the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport (ŠMSM).
Prof. Ruškus, one of eight individuals recognised for their outstanding contributions to education, received the Honorary Badge from Minister Radvilė Morkūnaitė-Mikulėnienė. He was honoured for his systematic efforts in shaping and implementing disability policies promoting inclusive opportunities in research, studies, and study-related activities, his expert work at international, national, and regional levels, and for representing Lithuania globally.
Accepting the award, Prof. Ruškus expressed his gratitude to his parents – his mother Irena, a doctor, and his father Jonas, an educator, as well as to Vytautas Magnus University and the community of people with disabilities, without whose contribution, according to him, his activities would not have been noticed and appreciated.
“Being acknowledged and respected is not simply the result of individual competencies. Rather, it is the result of an understanding acquired through civic and community experience that there are groups of people who, because they exist, because of their identity, experience something that no person should have to experience. It is also the result of targeted action for change, in line with internationally agreed goals and human rights standards aimed at protecting groups experiencing systemic inequality. I hold in high regard Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which declares that all humans are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood,” Prof. Ruškus remarked.
In 2014, Prof. Jonas Ruškus became the first Lithuanian representative to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and in 2018, he was re-elected for a second term, which lasted until December 2022. He is currently a member of the Lithuanian National Commission for UNESCO, having served as its chair from 2018 to 2021.
Professor Ruškus, who holds a PhD in social sciences, is a recognised expert in the field of disability and actively participates in national and international projects aimed at advocating for the rights of the disabled and other vulnerable groups. His research primarily focuses on social work and education, social inclusion, and human rights. He has lectured at universities in France, Portugal, Belgium, Sweden, Poland, and the USA and is the author and co-author of scientific monographs, studies, and international publications, as well as the author of polemical articles.
Prof. Ruškus has been working at Vytautas Magnus University since 2007 – initially as a Professor in the Department of Social Work and as the Director of the Institute of Social Work, later becoming the Vice-Rector for Studies. From 2011 to 2015, he served as the Dean of the VMU Faculty of Social Sciences.
In 2000, he was awarded a scholarship by the French government, and in 2002 and 2004, he received the Young Scientist Scholarship of the Lithuanian State. He has served as the chairman of the Expert Council at the Centre for Quality Assessment in Higher Education of the Republic of Lithuania, as an expert in various institutions and projects, and as a member of the Education Council of the Republic of Lithuania. Currently, Prof. Ruškus is also the editor-in-chief of the journal “Social Work: Experience and Methods” and a member of the editorial boards of various Lithuanian and international scientific journals.
In 2018, Professor Ruškus was awarded the Cross of the Knight of the Order for Merits to Lithuania. He is also a member of the Kaunas L’Arche Community, the Lithuanian Centre for Human Rights, the “Renkuosi mokyti!” (I Choose to Teach!) programme board, and the “Savarankiškas gyvenimas” (Independent Living) association.
The Honorary Badge is the highest award of the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport, granted to individuals who have made significant contributions to education and science. Candidates for this accolade can be nominated by heads of the Ministry and their subordinate institutions, municipal administrations, non-governmental organisations, and other organisations. The Badge has been awarded since 2007, commemorating the anniversary of the establishment of the Educational Commission of the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, which was founded on 14 October 1773. The first Honorary Badge of the Ministry was awarded to Dr. Meilė Lukšienė.
Competition for international practice with the Erasmus program in all countries of the world
Competition is open for Erasmus+ students or recent graduate traineeship grants for traineeships in any country. The application deadline is the 30th of September, 2024.
The placement period is from 2 to 4 months. Recent graduate traineeship must end – a year after graduation.
Note! For recent graduate traineeship applications must be submitted and students must be selected while the applicant is still a student at VMU.
You can only apply for one traineeship place – multiple mobilities are not possible.
Selection
All VMU full-time degree students who have not used more than 10 months of their Erasmus mobility (study/traineeship) period are eligible for the Erasmus grant.
Selection documents (Documents must be submitted online):
For student traineeship (traineeship during student’s year of studies):
For recent graduate traineeship (application must be submitted during the last year of studies):
The priority in the selection is given to:
- students whom traineeship is an obligatory part of their study programme;
- students who have never been Erasmus traineeship students before.
Selection criteria:
- student’s motivation;
- good knowledge of the language which will be used during the traineeship;
- student’s work, study, traineeship, participation in international/academic projects, and social activities experience in Lithuania and abroad;
- conformability between the chosen traineeship and the student’s study programme;
- study results (first-year MA students should attach a transcript of records of their BA/MA degree to the application form).
Traineeship grants
For EU and EEA countries:
| Country group |
Country |
Monthly scholarship size |
| Group I |
Ireland, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Iceland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, France, Finland, Sweden, Germany |
824,00 Eur |
| Group II |
Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Spain, Latvia, Cyprus, Malta, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia. |
824,00 Eur |
| Group III |
Bulgaria, Croatia, Lithuania, Poland, Hungary, Romania, Serbia, North Macedonia, Turkey |
756,00 Eur |
For Non-EU/EEA countries:
The applications are open for countries outside EU/EEA until 30th of September!
There are very limited places for this competition, so make sure everything is filled thoroughly!
The scholarship is 700,00 Eur/month.
Travel grant (depends on the distance between sending and receiving institutions)
- 100-499 km – 180,00 Eur
- 500-1999 km – 275,00 Eur
- 2000-2999 km – 360,00 Eur
- 3000-3999 km – 530,00 Eur
- 4000-7999 km – 820,00 Eur
- More than 8000 km – 1500,00 Eur
Note: travels up to 500 km. must be ecological travels! It means traveling by bus, train, car, etc.
Additional travel grants for green traveling options.
The competition results will be sent to every participant via e-mail.
Note: Application results are published next month (10th of the upcoming month), therefore traineeship start date should be at least two weeks after that day. The competition results will be published via e-mail.
More information:
Traineeships programme coordinator Marius Mikalauskas
Address: V. Putvinskio str. 23, room 207.
Phone: +370 37 788 149
Email: Marius.Mikalauskas@vdu.lt
International Scientific and Practice Conference: WELL-BEING OF THE CHILD AND FAMILY
The Department of Social Work, Faculty of Social Sciences, Vytautas Magnus University, together with its partners, is organizing an International conference to discuss the changes taking place in the field of child and family well-being in social, economic, political and cultural contexts, shaping and changing the well-being of children and families.
The conference will take place on 15-16 October 2024 at Vytautas Magnus University in Kaunas, Lithuania.
These changes, which have both positive and negative impacts, include changes in family structure, transformations in social networks, in the labour market, financial support, laws and education policies, changes in values, migration and the geopolitical situation, the impact of digital technologies, online learning, access to health care, the challenge of public health and climate change.
The conference aims to bring together Lithuanian and foreign social science and social work researchers, practitioners, policy makers, students and community members – all those working and interested in the field of child and family welfare.
We invite you to share research findings, ideas and practice insights and to submit presentations on the following topics:
- Transformative social work with the family
- The role of social work in responding to changes in family structure and roles
- Social work response to intergenerational interactions in the family
- Social work during family crisis
- Visibility of the child in family social work practice
- Psychosocial counselling: prevention and intervention
- Family health and well-being: an integrated approach
- Traditional and innovative social work approaches
- Social work with groups as method to strengthen the family
- Family and technology: challenges and opportunities for social work in the digital era
- Social work with migrant families
- Impact of climate change on child and family well-being
Photo exhibition “Geography of Permanence” at the Faculty of Social Sciences
The main subject of this photography series is the community of the Benedictine Sisters of Kaunas, and even though the photographs depict only a small portion of the community, the latter can’t only be defined by its current members. It also includes former members and an imagined future generation. Therefore, the perception of time within a community is not entirely linear; it’s more dynamic, based on and informed by the spaces and objects that surround people. This close relationship between time and materiality creates a new geography of permanence in which past, present, and future members of the community exist in dialogue.
The photographs in this exhibition portray a new communal concept of time and space: a radically resistant chrono-geography that remembers everyone, speaks with everyone, and connects everyone (whether they are past, present, or future members of the community).
The exhibition will take place in the VMU Faculty of Social Sciences (Jonavos g. 66, Kaunas) from May 10th until June 30th.
* * *
Curator and artist: Jūra Lazauskaitė
Graphic design: Agnė Ašmontaitė
The photographs depict the Church of Saint Nicholas (of Benedictine Sisters) and Sisters Paulina Aleksandra Vanagaite and Kotryna Indre Surkute.
The exhibition curator expresses her gratitude for Benedictine Sisters for their trust and time, as well as the VMU Art Gallery “101” for helping to prepare the exhibition.
Prof. David Sutton “Making Taste Sustainable”
Center for Social Anthropology (VMU) are inviting you for a research seminar by the visiting anthropologist:
Prof. David Sutton (Southern Illinois University)
Title of Presentation: “Making Taste Sustainable”
Date: May 10, 2024, at 3:00 p.m.
Place: Faculty of Social Sciences, Jonavos Street. 66, Room 112.
About the lecture:
When and how does taste matter? As we face various crises, economic, ecological, social and cultural, what role does taste play in various efforts at sustainability? Drawing from my work on the importance of a gustemological approach—a taste-based worldview—this talk will present research very much in progress and focusing on the different ways that understanding taste in context can help make sense of sustainability or regenerative practices in Greece and elsewhere.
About the author:
David Sutton (PhD University of Chicago, 1995) is a Professor of Anthropology specializing in Anthropological Theory, Historical Consciousness and Memory, Food and the Senses, Movies and Material Culture. He does research primarily on the island of Kalymnos (the Sponge Divers’ island) in Greece.
Recent publications include a consideration of cooking and anthropological theories of continuity and change entitled Bigger Fish to Fry: A Theory of Cooking as Risk, with Greek Examples (Berghahn Press, 2022).
For a preview, see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFZ2UGZFxxE
For more information about the Author please see: https://cola.siu.edu/anthro/facultyandstaff/faculty/sociocultural/sutton.php
Erasmus+ Traineeship Competition
Competition is open for Erasmus+ students or recent graduate traineeship grants for traineeships in any EU/EEE country. The application deadline is the 30th of April, 2024.
The placement period is from 2 to 6 months. Recent graduate traineeship must end – a year after graduation.
Note! For recent graduate traineeship applications must be submitted and students must be selected while the applicant is still a student at VMU. You can only apply for one traineeship place – multiple mobilities are not possible.
Selection
All VMU full-time degree students who have not used more than 10 months of their Erasmus mobility (study/traineeship) period are eligible for the Erasmus grant.
Selection documents
For student traineeship (traineeship during student’s year of studies):
Documents must be submitted online.
For recent graduate traineeship (application must be submitted during the last year of studies):
The priority in the selection is given to:
- students whom traineeship is an obligatory part of their study programme;
- students who have never been Erasmus traineeship students before.
Selection criteria:
- student’s motivation;
- good knowledge of the language which will be used during the traineeship;
- student’s work, study, traineeship, participation in international/academic projects, and social activities experience in Lithuania and abroad;
- conformability between the chosen traineeship and the student’s study programme;
- study results (first-year MA students should attach a transcript of records of their BA/MA degree to the application form).
Traineeship grants:
For EU and EEA countries:
| Country group |
Country |
Monthly scholarship size |
| Group I |
Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Sweden, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland |
824,00 Eur |
| Group II |
Austria, Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, Greece, Spain, Cyprus, Netherlands, Malta, Portugal |
824,00 Eur |
| Group III |
Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, North Macedonia, Turkey |
756,00 Eur |
For Non-EU/EEA countries:
The scholarship is 700,00 Eur/month.
Travel grant (depends on the distance between sending and receiving institutions):
- 100-499 km – 180,00 Eur
- 500-1999 km – 275,00 Eur
- 2000-2999 km – 360,00 Eur
- 3000-3999 km – 530,00 Eur
- 4000-7999 km – 820,00 Eur
- More than 8000 km – 1500,00 Eur
Additional travel grants for green traveling options.
The competition results will be sent to every participant via e-mail.
Note: Application results are published next month (10th of the upcoming month), therefore traineeship start date should be at least two weeks after that day. The competition results will be published via e-mail.
More information:
Happy Easter!
Easter afternoon with international SSF students
Before Easter holidays international students of the Faculty of Social Sciences were invited to a creative afternoon. Students had a chance to express their creativity in the old Lithuanian tradition of painting eggs and to taste delicious Lithuanian food. International relations coordinator Dovilė Daugėlienė took care of creating a cozy atmosphere to talk about experiences (successes and challenges) of international students as well. Ready for Easter!
Lectures with Professor Lisa Di Blas of the University of Trieste (Italy).
LISA DI BLAS is an associate professor in the Department of Life Sciences at the University of Trieste (Italy). She has authored and co-authored textbooks, book chapters, and peer-reviewed articles also appeared in top ranked journals. She has chaired the 16th European Conference on Personality in 2012, and currently is associate editor of Current Research in Behavioural Sciences. Her main interests include personality assessment from different methodological and analytical approaches.
We invite you to two lectures with the assoc. prof. Lisa Di Blas:
MULTILEVEL MODELLING IN ORGANIZATIONAL AND WORK PSYCHOLOGY, ASSOC. PROF. LISA DI BLAS
19-03-2024; 13.30-16.00 JONAVOS G. 66 – 209-210 AUD.
Individuals mostly live in organized social settings, which may exert an influence on individuals who experience them. In organizational psychology, workers are part of multilevel and hierarchical systems. Multilevel modelling techniques allow to examine hierarchical data structures where individuals are nested in teams, teams in departments, and so forth, with each position in these systems denoting a specific level to be taken into account. My aim is introducing this analytical approach and discuss how organizational and work psychology research may take advantages from adopting it.
LISA DI BLAS is an associate professor in the Department of Life Sciences at the University of Trieste (Italy). She has authored and co-authored textbooks, book chapters, and peer-reviewed articles also appeared in top ranked journals. She has chaired the 16th European Conference on Personality in 2012, and currently is associate editor of Current Research in Behavioural Sciences. Her main interests include personality assessment from different methodological and analytical approaches.
THE STUDY OF PERSONALITY DYNAMICS, ASSOC. PROF. LISA DI BLAS
21-03-2024; 11.15-13.45 V. PUTVINSKIO G. 23 – 103 AUD.
In these last decades, research has more and more focused on personality dynamics and better distinguished between relatively stable personality structures and more temporary appraisals of person-in-the-context. Accordingly, I present two main theoretical and methodological frameworks, the state-trait theory, and the Knowledge-and-Appraisal-Personality-Architecture model. They help consider personality dynamics from the perspective of dispositional and social-cognitive theories of personality. Results and potentials from these two approaches are discussed.
LISA DI BLAS is an associate professor in the Department of Life Sciences at the University of Trieste (Italy). She has authored and co-authored textbooks, book chapters, and peer-reviewed articles also appeared in top ranked journals. She has chaired the 16th European Conference on Personality in 2012, and currently is associate editor of Current Research in Behavioural Sciences. Her main interests include personality assessment from different methodological and analytical approaches.
Erasmus+ Traineeship Competition
A competition is open for Erasmus+ student or recent graduate traineeship grants for traineeships in any country of the world. Application deadline is the 29th of February, 2024.
The placement period is from 2 to 6 months. Recent graduate traineeship must end – in a year after graduation.
Selection
All VMU full-time degree students who have not used more than 10 months of their Erasmus mobility (study/traineeship) period are eligible for the Erasmus grant.
Selection documents
For student traineeship (traineeship during student’s year of studies):
Documents must be submitted online.
For recent graduate traineeship (application must be submitted during the last year of studies):
The priority in the selection is given to:
- students whom traineeship is an obligatory part of their study programme;
- students who have never been Erasmus traineeship students before.
Selection criteria:
- student’s motivation;
- good knowledge of the language which will be used during the traineeship;
- student’s work, study, traineeship, participation in the international/academic projects, social activities experience in Lithuania and abroad;
- conformability between the chosen traineeship and student’s study programme;
- study results (first year MA students should attach transcript of records of their BA/MA degree to the application form).
Traineeship grants:
For EU and EEA countries:
| Country group |
Country |
Monthly scholarship size |
| Group I |
Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Sweden, United Kingdom, Liechtenstein, Norway |
750,00 Eur |
| Group II |
Austria, Belgium, ,Germany, France, Italy, Greece, Spain, Cyprus, Netherlands, Malta, Portugal |
750,00 Eur |
| Group III |
Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, North Macedonia, Turkey |
690,00 Eur |
| Group IV |
Switzerland |
700,00 Eur |
For Non-EU/EEA countries:
Scholarship is 700,00 Eur/month.
Travel grant (depends on the distance between sending and receiving institutions):
- 100-499 km – 180,00 Eur
- 500-1999 km – 275,00 Eur
- 2000-2999 km – 360,00 Eur
- 3000-3999 km – 530,00 Eur
- 4000-7999 km – 820,00 Eur
- More than 8000 km – 1500,00 Eur
Additional travel grants for green travelling options.
The competition results will be sent to every participant via e-mail.
More information:
