VMU Rector Prof. Augutis: The Uniqueness of VMU Must be Preserved
“The artes liberales system, which provides a broad education, is becoming increasingly important – it is no coincidence that in their external evaluations of Vytautas Magnus University, international experts have repeatedly emphasised its uniqueness and the need to preserve it not only at the university but also at the national level. There will always be those within the community, especially young people, who do not fit into established programmes. Likewise, there will always be those who are searching and creating. Therefore, the learning system should be such that it does not confine the learner to a narrow programme framework, but instead allows them to shape their own tasks and learning programme,” says VMU Rector Prof. Juozas Augutis, discussing the benefits of the artes liberales (liberal arts) principles applied at the University.
According to the Rector, the significance of artes liberales has long been proven and confirmed. VMU, which has become the most comprehensive university in Lithuania, applies these principles in its programmes for good reason: it fosters a broad education that extends beyond the specialisation of a student’s chosen programme. For example, irrespective of their major, students can opt to pursue minor studies in a different field, take courses in IT, philosophy, or other subjects, and enhance their entrepreneurial, IT, and other skills. Prof. Augutis emphasises that interdisciplinarity today is a return to the origins of science, as initially, disciplines were not so rigidly divided, with the division later being driven by industrial changes.
“This system has existed for many centuries – back in the Middle Ages, the liberal arts served as a method for growth, development, and education. In modern times, they have taken on different forms, yet, surprisingly, their importance is only increasing. Over the past two hundred years, the rise of industry, with its demand for specific, narrow knowledge, might have prioritised more focused methods, but now, we are seeing a resurgence of vast horizons for human activity and free expression. And the system of broad education is becoming increasingly important,” says VMU Rector.
He says that today, the principles of the liberal arts are being applied more and more widely – even in very conservative educational institutions, elements of this system are gradually being introduced, allowing students to shape their studies more flexibly and to combine different study fields. Unfortunately, due to bureaucratic requirements, it is not yet possible for the University to fully implement the principles of artes liberales – for example, by allowing students to enrol not in a specific study programme, but in a much broader group of programmes, such as the humanities, and only then choose the subject they prefer.
Declining youth population – among the biggest challenges
Prof. Augutis, who is concluding his second term as Rector, notes that his tenure has been filled with numerous challenges. “As I like to joke, if you don’t achieve everything in one term, the community leaves you to repeat the course for another year. I am very happy that the University is moving in an excellent direction and is developing dynamically, but there has certainly been no shortage of challenges: these range from issues concerning the university merger to the pandemic that has affected everyone, as well as ongoing demographic changes with lasting negative effects. There’s a shortage of students not just at the University, but also across the country. There’s also a shortage of teachers in schools, presenting us, as one of the leading teacher training centres, with the challenge of meeting this demand,” he explains, further adding that VMU is putting substantial efforts into encouraging more top students to choose pedagogy studies and become teachers. The modern VMU Teacher Training Centre, with its high quality and modern infrastructure, is also dedicated to this purpose.
The Rector emphasises that in Lithuania, the decline in the youth population is faster than the decline of the total population. Over the past decades, Lithuania’s population has fallen from 3.5 million to 2.8 million (about a 20% decrease), while the number of young people, including university graduates, has halved – from 65,000 to 30,000. Consequently, there is now a noticeable shortage of people across almost all sectors, especially those holding a higher education degree.
The war in Ukraine, instigated by Russia, has also posed a major challenge not only for the university but also for Lithuania as a whole. Ukraine has been a long-standing partner of VMU, which, in fact, holds the largest number of agreements with Ukrainian higher education institutions. In order to lend a helping hand, the Centre of Ukraine was established at VMU on the initiative of the Lithuanian and Ukrainian presidencies. This centre provides more than just humanitarian aid to Ukrainians seeking refuge from the war; it also offers psychological support, along with various artistic and scientific initiatives. One such initiative was a conference held in 2023, focusing on Ukraine’s energy security and justice issues, based on President Zelenskyy’s Peace Formula. In mid-November, VMU hosted another conference, this time addressing the Ukrainian higher education system and its adaptation to European standards – an area in which, according to the Rector, VMU has extensive experience.
VMU community – the most amazing community in Lithuania and beyond
When asked about the University’s greatest achievements and strengths, Prof. Augutis, points to its community and its people, who continue to impress with their creative synergy. This has been especially evident since the merger of the universities, when VMU was joined by the Academies of Education and Agriculture. As a result, VMU is now considered a classic university, encompassing all fields of science and study, thereby facilitating greater opportunities for effective collaboration between its various departments.
“VMU has the most amazing community not only in Lithuania, but beyond. No one could convince me otherwise. They have both delighted and astonished me with their resilience, dedication to the university, ingenuity, creativity, and scientific potential. With the expansion of our community, following the integration of communities from two other universities, new and unique projects have emerged that would not be possible within separate universities, such as the Horizon Twinning project Forest 4.0, which is focused on applying artificial intelligence technologies in forest management and accounting,” says Prof. Augutis.
To strengthen scientific research, the University has established new research institutes in the fields of education, bioeconomy, and natural sciences, among others. Additionally, VMU is increasingly collaborating with the business sector, for example, through joint projects with various companies.
The Rector highlights that VMU representatives are demonstrating leadership in various fields, notably through participation in the European University Alliance Transform4Europe. This alliance has become one of the most prominent of its kind, largely owing to the University’s contributions. Moreover, on the initiative of VMU, Mariupol State University in Ukraine, forced to relocate after its buildings were destroyed in the war, has also become a member of this alliance.
Future plans include increasing University’s well-being and internationalisation
In discussing the goals for the near future, Prof. Juozas Augutis says that maintaining the high quality of science, studies, and community life, ensuring equal opportunities and compliance with gender policies, and improving infrastructure remain top priorities.
“We are seeking ways to renovate the old dormitories and are considering the purchase of new ones. Our dream is to establish a European-level nature research centre on the VMU academic campus, for which we have all the necessary prerequisites – the Nemunas Valley, excellent infrastructure, laboratories, and the aforementioned synergy between scientists. We also have high hopes for the Transform4Europe alliance – it offers a chance to become a European university within a large alliance, to develop studies and science with other strong universities, to offer new opportunities for both students and researchers, and to facilitate seamless movement across the eleven European universities, their laboratories, and classrooms. Staff salaries are also a priority – we aim to further increase them in 2024,” VMU Rector explains.
Since its re-establishment, VMU has been among the most international universities in Lithuania – currently, nearly 20% of its community consists of foreigners, and the number is increasing every year. In the future, according to Prof. Augutis, the University should further pursue its international orientation – not only as a member of Transform4Europe but also by expanding cooperation with universities worldwide. For example, there are plans to establish a Lithuanian Centre in Taiwan, similar to the Taiwan Centre that has been operating at VMU for the past ten years.
“There comes a time when quantity turns into quality, as evidenced by our existing agreements with hundreds of institutions worldwide. We maintain close cooperation with Ukraine, East Asia, Korea, Taiwan, and Japan. It’s possible that, on our initiative, such alliances or university branches will emerge not only in Europe, but also in other parts of the world – VMU could potentially establish departments or associated structures in other parts of the world,” VMU Rector briefly outlined his vision for the University’s future.
