The digital revolution, geopolitical turmoil, and the challenges posed by artificial intelligence are prompting a reassessment of the university's role in society. In a world undergoing rapid change, we must also evolve. Universities are experiencing shifts in their identity, necessitating responses to new challenges regarding tradition and innovation. On the one hand, they must maintain their role as primary centers for knowledge, learning, and free inquiry. At the same time, they must comply with contemporary educational and scientific needs driven by rapid technological, economic, and social innovations. The pivotal question of our era is: What role will universities play in the immediate future?
I am convinced that in an age of rapid transformations, resilience acquires paramount importance, not only as a strategic objective that enables the university and its community to operate under conditions of uncertainty and diverse risks and contribute to long-term change but also by enhancing trust, attentiveness to the individual, and the capacity for creative action. I believe that universities, in addressing these issues, will uphold their moral integrity, autonomy, and academic standards of quality.
By remaining free, responsible, and open through applying artes liberales (hereafter AL) and other principles essential to our time, Vytautas Magnus University can become a bridge between tradition and modernity, fostering a dynamic culture that promotes intellectual freedom, personal growth, and societal contribution. Despite the current challenges, increased anxiety due to the geopolitical situation, particularly the war in Ukraine, as well as political shifts globally and within Europe, the allure and apprehension surrounding the application of artificial intelligence tools and potential consequences, the VMU community finds motivation, strength, and inspiration to impress Lithuania and the world with its achievements, discoveries, and ideas.
Over the past decade, the University's role in Lithuania and the international academic arena has undoubtedly expanded. The University community has received top international and national awards in science and arts, published research findings in leading international publishing houses, and consistently increased the number of publications in top-tier journals. There has also been a substantial rise in international R&D projects, including those under HORIZON and other significant national and international programs. Our artists are increasingly visible and audible within the University, and the number of high-level concerts has grown. The University's international rankings continue to rise. A significant acknowledgment of this work has been the advancement and strengthening of participation in European University alliances. The European Commission has reaffirmed its trust, approving the second expansion phase for "Transform4Europe – T4EU," which now unites eleven partners. Mariupol State University has become a key partner in T4EU, and VMU is consistently strengthening collaboration with its academic community and Ukraine. Another significant achievement is that VMU was entrusted and selected to coordinate a Lithuanian consortium of 12 science and business institutions, which signed an agreement with the world’s leading Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MIT (Boston, USA). VMU's identity is inextricably linked to international engagement, making international events, visits, and collaborative activities with global partners crucial, consistently highlighting not only our desire to gain experience but also demonstrating the high-level competencies of VMU.
The voices of the University's experts are prominently heard in Lithuanian and international academic, cultural, social, political, and other forums. VMU's leadership is evident in shaping educational policy decisions and providing expert recommendations to (non-)governmental, business, and other institutions. Student and alumni organizations successfully operate within the University, engaging in communication, creation, and promotion of the University's name. The University has further distinguished itself in recent years through its students' artistic and athletic achievements. Their victories enhance VMU's global reputation. VMU's integration processes have enabled infrastructural developments, which undoubtedly contribute to a greater sense of dignity and freedom among the University community and boost the quality and efficiency of our work.
In recent years, the University has not only continued previously initiated projects but also undertaken new initiatives to improve the quality of studies, research, and the arts, promote innovation, develop key infrastructure projects, foster collaboration with businesses and social partners, and strengthen strategic international partnerships. These achievements evoke pride in our community and its motivation to envision and build VMU's future. They also prevent complacency, as the near future holds pivotal moments and significant challenges for the University community, our society, the region, and the evolving global order.
Encouraged by many community members, feeling their trust, and recognizing the opportunities to further strengthen and promote the University, I wish to assume responsibility for the continuity of meaningful endeavors within the VMU community and the initiation of new projects. I believe that my academic and managerial experience, gained through various administrative roles at VMU—from department head, chair, dean to vice-rector for international relations—as well as my extensive expert involvement in diverse national and international organizations, associations, and institutions, has allowed me to understand the university from multiple perspectives within the Lithuanian and international contexts. An interdisciplinary approach, international experience, and analysis of academic processes have provided a solid foundation for understanding current educational challenges and envisaging future opportunities.
It is important to me not only to pursue ambitious goals for the University but also to cultivate a motivated and debating community where we can learn and grow together. I hope that in an era dominated by bureaucratic clichés, constant competitive struggles, information overload, and manipulation, we can remain not only free but also thoughtful, questioning, and fallible, ensuring that in addressing technological problems, we do not overlook ethical and moral principles, the individual with all their flaws and merits, their dignity, and their pursuit of self-realization. The University must exemplify not only academic excellence but also moral leadership. The values that resonate with me are integrity, fairness, responsibility, dignity, and sincere compassion for others. I believe they not only help earn trust but also foster an atmosphere of trust within and beyond the community. A broad worldview and an effort to understand individuals and cultures beyond our own can position the University as an international hub for ideas and collaboration, a catalyst for new societal impulses.
I am convinced that we must build the University by reinforcing a culture of trust and dialogue, adhering to principles of goodwill, acknowledging the multilayered nature of the world in all its nuances, and remembering that the strong foundations of this University were laid by the idealism and belief of determined and courageous individuals that dignity, compassion, and sincerity can change the world. This belief gives me the courage and optimism to put forward my candidacy and hope for the University community’s approval and support. I have a concrete and detailed vision for the tasks that need to be accomplished for the University's benefit in the immediate future.