Demographic trends in Lithuania, local and global competition for talent, the growing activity of the private education services sector, the unstable geopolitical situation, and other factors all contribute to the declining number of university entrants in Lithuania. We must face the current situation with an open mind and address the challenges boldly and constructively. In my discussions with education policymakers, I will strive to implement a "fair start" model, allowing universities to open their doors to graduates from different regions who are motivated to learn.

We must continually improve study programs by updating them, discontinuing older, temporarily unpopular ones, responding rapidly to changes in the global education landscape and the labor market, and developing new programs. We must consolidate programs carefully and, wherever possible, group them into clusters of similar programs to offer specialization opportunities. This change would allow us to return to the fundamental artes liberales principle of education – from broader discipline groups/programs, students could, over several semesters, "create their own individual" study portfolio, leading toward a more specific program/specialization.

As IT tools enter the educational process at an accelerating pace, they will need to be gradually integrated into our conventional methods of organizing studies. I believe they will facilitate the learning process by offering new techniques and forms, allowing the individualization of learner pathways. While adopting new technologies into academic activities, we must clearly understand the possibilities and limitations of their use and the ethical dilemmas.

We need to increase the diversification of studies in terms of duration, nature, intensity, and other parameters. It is time to respond more flexibly and quickly to global changes and opt for student-oriented, flexible, and individualized studies. Only in this way can we transform the University into a space for talents to emerge and develop.

Study programs must meet the highest standards of European and global quality. I will encourage the implementation of international double-degree programs, joint programs, and collaboration not only with academic but also with social partners at various study levels. We can and must more intensively and actively utilize the opportunities provided by the T4EU alliance to study, undertake internships, and participate in mobility programs of various durations. Improving the quality of international studies will allow us to attract more students from abroad at different levels. The internationalization strategy is both a necessity to maintain a more stable student population and an excellent opportunity to attract talent. Therefore, international students must remain a strategic priority for VMU, and we must reinforce VMU as a robust international academic institution. I will aim for up to 25-30% of VMU full-time students coming from abroad.

It is crucial to understand students' needs regarding their future and their increasing desire and necessity to work while studying. We are aware that study quality often suffers due to this practice. By collaborating with social partners, we will develop strategic partnerships with the business and cultural sectors and initiate the creation of dual programs, i.e., a study model where students simultaneously study at the university and work in a company, combining theoretical knowledge and practical skills.

We must also remember those students whose future is linked to research. We need to involve students at all levels in R&D activities by recruiting them for projects, developing their skills to work in interdisciplinary (and international) teams, conducting real-world research, and making an impact on society. This strategy would partially fulfill their need to work.

Higher education today is no longer seen as a one-time life stage but as a concept of lifelong learning. We must rethink the idea of accessibility to higher education studies. I will invite the University community to jointly develop and expand a micro-module study format, ensuring value, recognition, a clearly defined credit system, and quality. Micro-modules could become attractive not only to students at various levels at VMU, those studying at other educational institutions (universities, colleges, schools, etc.), but also to working professionals seeking to expand or deepen their professional knowledge, retrain, or even to seniors seeking new knowledge and skills. Therefore, it will be necessary to create an effective marketing strategy. These modules (with corresponding credit volume) can eventually become individual and larger-scale study program components, leading to partial/full qualifications and competencies.

I envision VMU as a center for flexible studies (in terms of duration, mode, credit volume, etc.) in Lithuania. We can achieve this status in Lithuanian society with a well-developed qualification enhancement competency center, a remote learning platform, and various other creative initiatives.