The "Fifth Freedom" – the idea of a free science, innovation, knowledge, and education movement across the EU – aims to create a common European research and innovation space. In this context, collaboration between universities and other sectors to ensure the successful development and safe deployment of technologies using innovative teaching methods would be one of my primary tasks and goals. The role of research and innovation in these areas should be fundamental in creating knowledge, proposing innovative solutions, and building societal resilience.

The Research Council of Lithuania and national research policy documents also call for increasing internationalization and strengthening university collaboration with the business sector. In this regard, we will collaborate more actively with research and business partners in Lithuania and Europe (especially with the T4EU alliance).

VMU's R&D strength is reflected in its active participation in international programs and projects, particularly Horizon Europe; in the development of interdisciplinary research; and in the demonstrated growth of publications in prestigious journals (including Q1 and Q2 quartiles). I am confident that our researchers can take a more active lead in Horizon projects and participate not only as partners but also as project coordinators. We are capable of initiating at least 3-5 large-scale international projects in the next five years.

Therefore, we will enhance proposal writing competencies: we will establish a research project proposal preparation center that will assist researchers in writing high-quality proposals not only administratively but also thematically. Properly prepared, we could additionally generate at least 30% of the university's research funding from international grants.

We will strengthen research-conducting units. The established research institutes are just beginning their activities. The potential is promising, with further development of interdisciplinarity, international partnerships with business and other social partners, and the activation of innovation commercialization. I believe we will have at least several strong centers of excellence, and there are already prerequisites for this (the Bioeconomy Research and Vytautas Kavolis Institutes). I am convinced that by enhancing interdisciplinarity and internationalization, the Institute of Educational Research (ERI) at the Education Academy will confidently demonstrate, together with partners, that its focus is on developing various educational research topics important to Lithuania and Europe.

Despite these positive developments, we need to ensure that collaboration operates not only among individual researchers or small groups but also based on research themes, where smaller groups, connected by a common goal but operating with different methodologies/approaches, participate. This direction will allow us to form a serious European-level research center that impacts scientific achievements and society globally. I will propose consolidating larger and more stable research groups and clusters of such groups. Based on existing international practice, such groups typically consist of a leading researcher, other researchers, and support staff. To ensure the work of these groups, financial and other support measures need to be reviewed. It will be vital to attract more international talent (e.g., h > 60), primarily through EU or national programs. Students, doctoral and postdoctoral researchers at all levels will be included in these groups; we will revise the institute funding model and the VMU Science Fund budget accordingly.

To achieve a breakthrough internationally, I see VMU's potential in the areas of energy resilience and agro-biotechnologies. By consolidating research potential, companies, and other social partners into a single ecosystem, using big data, AI-based process modeling, genetic engineering solutions, and nanotechnologies, we could highlight a unifying theme for our large group of researchers from different faculties and research institutes and develop a Center of international stature and impact on this basis. Innovation incubators and accelerators would be created for these areas.

I see another breakthrough in the field of social sciences and humanities as well as the arts through interdisciplinary projects. For example, the V. Kavolis, ERI, and SITTI institutes have highly recognized researchers but lack the direction to form larger groups with a unifying theme. To achieve a serious transformation that leads to a higher level, closer collaboration, agreements, a unifying goal and an idea are needed. Since VMU has an internal "Schengen regime," we are accustomed to collaborating across formal departmental boundaries; therefore, I believe a slight push is all that is needed to highlight a clearer vision for the creation and development of such a Competence center.

I believe that increasingly visible VMU musicians and other artists, especially through interdisciplinary projects but also independently (e.g., the Music Academy), can become a prominent voice in the Baltic region and wider Europe.

VMU's strategic direction for research development is that of an international university, so we should concentrate our resources and efforts on top-level research publications. It will be necessary to further improve and, as needed, modify the effectiveness of the incentive system for the most significant research results. The goal and strategy set many years ago have proven successful, so we need to improve quality and aim for top research publications in Q1–Q2 quartile journals (while avoiding unreliable or controversially evaluated journals), collaborating with international groups in co-authorship but also striving for VMU researchers to be visible in the first author position. I will develop a separate financial incentive program for the University's top researchers for publications in Nature, Science, and other prestigious Q1 journals with a high impact (e.g., Impact factor > 20-60).

I am convinced of the importance of open science—we must encourage the publication of scientific works in open-access journals; share results, data, and resources in freely accessible formats; and support the FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable).

I will seek to intensify discussions on the evaluation of research, for example, to modify the existing Lithuanian and European standards (according to CoARA objectives), i.e., to move away from using only bibliometric indicators and to include qualitative evaluation methods and a wider range of research outputs (recognizing data sets, software, and other results).

The CRIS system has become an integral platform for the visibility and accessibility of university researchers in managing research data—it has improved data transparency and accessibility. It is necessary to continue advancing the research data management system, motivating researchers and lecturers to collaborate.

We must further strengthen research infrastructure, building a robust technological base and attracting investment in research and innovation, developing and strengthening productive collaboration between researchers and businesses, promoting the commercialization of innovations not only in Lithuania but globally, attracting talents, and offering them attractive financial and academic conditions. I am certain that VMU is capable of becoming a leading research and innovation institution in Lithuania, with the potential to be visible internationally.

To promote research and business collaboration, I will pay particular attention to strengthening technology transfer platforms that would help integrate scientific discoveries into the market; business incubator activities, creating conditions and supporting the establishment of spin-off companies, start-up creation, and development; collaboration with potential investors and business angels; strengthening patenting and licensing activities, prioritizing licensed patents.

I will aim to strengthen the doctoral school, the creation of joint programs, and the preparation of Co-tutelle-type agreements in collaboration with international partners, especially the T4EU alliance. I will look for ways to consolidate financial resources to increase the number of doctoral students, actively attracting them from abroad and discovering talents. The university has the capacity to train at least a third more young researchers than it does now. All doctoral students and young researchers will be given the opportunity to participate as actively as possible in international internships, conferences, and professional development, attracting the financial resources of the University, social partners, and other sponsors for these activities.

I will seek to diversify the funds received for research and its promotion. The VMU Science Fund does not meet all R&D needs, so I will gather support from social partners, increase revenue from license fees, startups, and other activities, and create a University Endowment Fund, which will also contribute to the university's financial resources in the future.