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VMU Agriculture Academy Graduation Ceremonies

On 16-23 June, Vytautas Magnus University (VMU) invites everyone to participate in festive graduation events.

On 21 June, a graduation ceremony will be held for the graduates of the VMU Agriculture Academy, Faculty of Forest Sciences and Ecology, Faculty of Engineering, Faculty of Bioeconomy Development, and Faculty of Agronomy.

FESTIVE HALL OF VMU AGRICULTURE ACADEMY | STUDENTŲ G. 11, AKADEMIJA, KAUNO RAJ.

10 a.m. Graduation ceremony of the AA Faculty of Forest Sciences and Ecology

12 p.m. Graduation ceremony of the AA Faculty of Engineering

2 p.m. Graduation ceremony of the AA Faculty of Bioeconomy Development

4 p.m. Graduation ceremony of the AA Faculty of Agronomy

The events will be photographed and/or filmed; therefore, please note that you might be featured in photos or videos which can be published in various media outlets.

Erasmus+ project experience in circular agriculture

All project partners participated in North Macedonia meeting of the international project “Strengthening Key Competencies in Agriculture for Value Chain Knowledge” (SKILLS), which took place in March, 2023. According to the program of the meeting, on the first day SKILLS coordinator dr. Dimitris Sarris (University of the Aegean, Greece) presented the main objectives of the meeting and the issues that are most important in the implementation of the project. The representatives of the project from the Faculty of Bioeconomy Development (VMU AA) prof. dr. V. Atkočiūnienė, assoc. prof. dr. G. Vaznonienė and dr. I. Kazlauskienė presented the achieved results of the activities of the first work package. The researchers discussed the results of the analysis of macroeconomic indicators on agriculture, the circular economy and circular agriculture good practices, the organization of the questionnaire survey and the research results, presented the involvement of all countries in the implementation of the activities of the first work package.

Dr. Antonio Stasi from the DARe organization (Distretto Agroalimentare Regionale SCRL) in Italy provided ideas and discussed the activities of the second work package, which include the analysis of national green job advertisements, the review of national documents related to the circular economy and the preparation of training slides for students and teachers on the intended topics. For example, green knowledge; green solutions in agriculture; local food; 0 mile products; green sales. The main focus was on the organization of focus groups on green skills, as this is a relatively new topic in all countries.

Dr. Marijana Dimitrova, representative of the NGO, Association for Internationalization of Education and Science (INTER-EDU) in North Macedonia, presented the activities under the third work package. There was a discussion about the preparation of a practical guide for “Agri-Lingua Practicum” teachers, where explanations of green solutions, circular agriculture terms with photos will be presented. On the second day of the meeting, project partners shared insights on how to improve the mentioned publication, and main author of the practical guide, dr. Marijana Dimitrova made suggestions to the partners of each country who could be responsible for what.

During the continuation of the meeting, SKILLS project coordinator Dimitris Sarris presented the working plan of activities of the next 6 months of the project.

After conducting a questionnaire survey of farmers, entrepreneurs, students, members of agricultural associations in Lithuania, Greece, Romania and Italy “Circular agriculture” it was found that the respondents have quite a lot of knowledge about circular agriculture and apply some of the principles of circular agriculture in their activities. However, their knowledge of circular agriculture is still superficial, little based on scientific research results. Most of the respondents so far only know the basic principles of circular agriculture, which they learned in higher education institutions or through self-education. The respondents themselves admitted that they lack knowledge and competence in the field of circular agriculture, especially in the social, environmental, economic and political context of their country.

Most of the respondents emphasized that the principles of circular agriculture should be taught in universities, emphasized the importance of both theoretical and practical knowledge, examples of good practice. Teaching the principles of circular agriculture should become part of lifelong learning. The principles of circular agriculture must be discussed both in the family and in primary education, as well as in universities, as well as in special training and online pages. However, self-study is still preferred and is the most accessible method. It was also established that prior education on issues of circular agriculture does not provide a basis for a detailed understanding of what circular agriculture is, what its benefits are and the possibilities of applying it on farms. There is also a lack of independent training provider courses on circular agriculture topics, seminars, and training. Such a situation can affect the lack of well-trained specialists and the lack of acquisition of high-quality, up-to-date knowledge and at the same time, a low level of orientation of strategic documents and political decisions to circular agriculture. Supplementing the education system with circular agriculture studies would provide opportunities to increase public awareness in this area. Greater public interest in the development of circular agriculture would also initiate strategic and political decisions promoting the implementation of the principles of circular agriculture at a more rigorous level.

Interactive Webinar “Why worth you choose MBA programme “Customs Process Management” for your career?”

Vytautas Magnus University Agriculture Academy (VMU AA) starts new MBA study programme Customs Process Management.
Join special webinar and find out why this programme could be a choice for you and listen to the presentation “Customs Process Management”.
 
Date: 13 June 2023
Time: 4 p.m. (EEST)
Place: online, via MS Teams

Registration is required.

Internship in Portugal

The teachers of the Faculty of Bioeconomy Development Assoc. Dr. Erika Besusparienė, Assoc. Dr. Anastasija Novikova and the teacher of the Faculty of Agronomy Assoc. Dr. Judita Černiauskienė in 2023 May 15-19 participated in the courses at the Polytechnic University of Santarem, Portugal. The University offers various studies in the fields of agriculture, sports, management, technology and health sciences. The 12th international week on the topic “The impact of artificial intelligence on higher education” was organized at this university.

During the training, the teachers deepened their knowledge about the application possibilities of artificial intelligence technologies in education, teaching-learning processes, social sciences and the ethical challenges arising from the application of artificial intelligence technologies. The main topics covered the projects on practical application of artificial intelligence technologies, a lot of attention was paid to created ChatGPT model, its concept and practical application.

The participants of the course also  had the opportunity to visit the Quita da Lagoalva farm, whose traditions and history continue since 1834. The Quita da Lagoalva farm stands out for its sustainable farming practices, technological processes for the production of olive oil and wine (tradition certified in 1888), and agro-tourism.

In the training, the teachers also had the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the Portuguese language and learn basic communication phrases.

The training participants also got to know the history of the city of Santarem and visited the municipality of Santarem.

The creators and teachers of the new MBA study program “Customs Process Management” at an international conference

On May 25-26, 2023, the creators of the new MBA study programme “Customs Process Management” (Enrika Naujokė, Monika Bielskienė, Milda Stravinskė, assoc. prof. Dr. Erika Besusparienė) and teachers (prof. dr. Vesa Niskanen, lect. Kristina Gesevičienė, Lect. .Anthony Buckley) participated in the 8th European Customs Practitioners‘ Conference, which took place in Vilnius. This year’s conference was attended by representatives of business and higher institutions from Lithuania and other countries – Germany, Greece, France, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Bulgaria, Israel, etc.

In the 8th European Customs Practitioners‘ Conference were discussed various topics related to trade preferences and agreements, supply chain challenges 24/7, legal maneuvers, customs IT systems and automation. A lot of attention was paid to customs in the context of sustainability, here the committee chairperson of the MBA study programme “Customs Process Management” assoc. prof. dr. Erika Besusparienė, together with Monika Bielskiene, who contributed to the creation of the MBA study program, moderated the session “Green cross-border trade – what should importers and exporters think of and prepare for?”. In this session, Arne Mielken (United Kingdom) provided insights in his presentation that processes are already underway and international trade is moving towards sustainability along with the European Green Deal. He thus provided various insights on the fight against goods that affect the environment through multilateral environmental agreements, the dissemination of experience, and building the status of a reliable trader – Green AEO. In this part, Anna Gayk (Germany) presented the EU platform Access2Markets, which allows you to get various information about third countries (tariffs, taxes, trade barriers, etc.). Meanwhile, Dr. Christian Struck (Germany) shared good practice in the case of Wacker Chemie AG, which implements sustainable production processes in the chemical and semiconductor industries, calculates and analyzes its carbon footprint, and currently implements technologies and aims to reduce CO2 emissions, and prepare for the introduced carbon border adjustment mechanism.

The afternoon of the second day was devoted to a workshop on the topic “Increasing competencies in the field of customs”. This workshop was organized by the Customs Knowledge Institute (CKI) community and its chair of CKI management council Kevin Shakespeare (United Kingdom). VDU is also a member of CKI. In an interactive workshop, the chair of CKI management council and the lecturer of the MBA study programme “Customs Process Management” Anthony Buckley presented insights on the structure of knowledge (promotion of training, sharing of knowledge, building of knowledge, updating of knowledge, awards for sharing of knowledge) and invited the conference participants to express their point of view on this issue. The committee chairperson of the MBA study programme “Customs Process Management” assoc. prof. dr. Erika Besusparienė presented the problematic situation to the conference participants – different persons work in the customs field (import/export managers; financial specialists); The EU customs competence framework includes many different competences; The EU Customs Vision 2040 foresees many new changes; in 2030 many jobs will increasingly use technology, and workers will need to maintain creativity. Conference participants identified the main challenges related to new regulations and changes in IT systems; identified key competencies to know customs and trade regulations, and to have interdisciplinary knowledge (customs+taxes+supply chains); and benefits such as an expanded professional network, new career prospects and higher compensation.

The 8th European Customs Practitioners‘ Conference was useful not only in raising the qualifications of teachers, but also once again confirmed the relevance and compliance of the newly created MBA study programme “Customs Process Management” with market needs.

MBA study program creators Enrika Naujokė, Milda Stravinskė, Monika Bielskienė

MBA study program teachers and creators (Vesa Niskanen, Kristina Gesevičienė, Erika Besusparienė, Enrika Naujokė)

Session “Green cross-border trade – what should importers and exporters think of and prepare for?” (Arne Mielken, Christian Struck, Erika Besusparienė)

Presentation of the MBA study programme “Customs Process Management” in the session “Let’s make connections!”

Closing moment of the conference

ERASMUS + teaching visit at Batumi State University

Prof. dr. Astrida Miceikienė from the Faculty of Bioeconomy Development at Vytautas Magnus University Agriculture Academy (VMU AA) participated in Erasmus teaching visit at Batumi Shota Rustaveli State University (BSU). During this visit, professor participated in the IV International Batumi week under the Erasmus+ program. The week is held within the framework of the academic and administrative staff exchange Erasmus+ program and aims to promote the internationalization of the university, popularize BSU, plan joint international programs and projects, and deepen cooperation. During 5 days, 9 professors from 5 European universities gave lectures to BSU students, and representatives of foreign partner international offices will conducted training on issues of effective management of exchange programs.

The academic and administrative staff of Vytautas Magnus University (Lithuania), Mikolas Romeris University (Lithuania), Daugavpils University (Latvia), Wroclaw University (Poland), Coimbra Polytechnic Institute (Portugal) have been participating in the IV International Batumi Week.

The event served as a remarkable platform for students, academics, and professionals from across the globe to come together, celebrate cultural diversity, and foster international collaboration. With an array of engaging activities, interactive workshops, and enlightening presentations, Batumi State University successfully promoted cross-cultural understanding and provided participants with an enriching experience. The event aimed to create an inclusive and welcoming environment where participants could exchange ideas, learn from each other, and build meaningful connections that transcend geographical boundaries.

The International Batumi Week featured a series of engaging workshops and seminars on a wide range of topics, spanning from global economics to sustainable development, intercultural communication to technological advancements. Prof. dr. A. Miceikienė gave lectures on the topic “Environmental taxation”, and presented Vytautas Magnus University and VMU Agriculture Academy, study programs and mobility of Erasmus+ possibilities in VMU Agriculture Academy.

The 4th International Batumi Week also served as a platform for students to explore opportunities for academic exchanges and collaborative projects. Representatives from partner universities shared information about study programs, research initiatives, and internship opportunities, encouraging students to embrace international experiences. This emphasis on global engagement will undoubtedly contribute to the development of well-rounded, culturally sensitive individuals ready to tackle the challenges of a globalized world.

Networking opportunities were plentiful throughout the event, with participants having the chance to connect with professionals from various industries. The International Batumi Week facilitated meaningful conversations, allowing attendees to establish valuable contacts, share ideas, and explore potential career paths in an international context. The event undoubtedly played a vital role in broadening horizons and opening doors to exciting global opportunities for both students and professionals.

International scientific conference „Research & Innovation, Educations ant Best Practice for Bioeconomy Development“

On June 5 at Vytautas Magnus University Agriculture Academy (VMU AA) invites to participate at the international scientific conference „Research & Innovation, Educations ant Best Practice for Bioeconomy Development“.

Place: June 5 (Monday)
Time: 09.30-13:45
Place: VMU Agriculture Academy IV building  (Universiteto str. 8A, Akademija, Kaunas district)

Interactive Webinar “Why worth you choose MBA programme “Customs Process Management” for your career?”

Vytautas Magnus University Agriculture Academy (VMU AA) starts new MBA study programme Customs Process Management.
Join special webinar and find out why this programme could be a choice for you and listen to the presentation “Customs Process Management”.
 
Date: 31 May 2023
Time: 4 p.m. (EEST)
Place: online, via MS Teams

Registration is required.

Invitation to the lecture

We kindly invite students to participate at the lecture by Michał Stocki on topic “Skills of the Future. Finance on autopilot: The current situation and the future of automating reporting processes”. Michał Stocki is an Analytics Solutions Senior Associate in Forecast Automation team at JP Morgan Chase, Warsaw, Poland. JP Morgan Chase is a global and diverse financial services banking company.

The lecture will be held on 24 April at 11.15, 420 room, Faculty of Bioeconomy Development of VMU AA.

SafeHabitus, EU Farm Safety project kicks off in Ireland

An international team of 45 farm safety experts, researchers, farmer and farm worker representative organisations met in Dublin on January 25th and 26th to begin implementing an ambitious initiative to improve farmer and worker health and safety across the EU. The SafeHabitus project has received 4.8 million euros in funding through the EU Horizon Europe programme and will run for four years.

Speaking at the meeting the project leader, David Meredith stated that SafeHabitus is focused on reducing injuries and fatalities amongst farmers and farm workers and strengthening the social sustainability of EU food systems. Farming is one of the most dangerous jobs in Europe. European statistics show that the farming fatality rate is 233% higher than other industries and the accident rate is 18% higher. Dr Meredith stressed that these figures underestimate the scale of the problem as a significant proportion of farm workplace fatalities, injuries and ill health go unreported, un-investigated, and prevention approaches are not learned. Improving farmers’ and farm workers’ health and safety requires action by a range of stakeholders to empower and support them to change unsafe practices and adopt new, safer and healthier ways of working.

SafeHabitus is led by Teagasc, the Irish Agriculture and Food Development Organisation, and involves 20 partners from 13 countries across Europe including Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Poland, Lithuania, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Belgium, France, Spain, Ireland and the UK. Researchers assoc. prof. dr. Laura Girdžiūtė, assoc. prof. dr. Anastasija Novikova and assoc. prof. dr. Gediminas Vasiliauskas from Vytautas Magnus university are involved in SafeHabitus activities.

The project involves a network of researchers, farm advisory services and educators, who will work with farmers and policy makers at national and EU levels of design, develop and test practical initiatives that support improvements in the safety, health and wellbeing of farmers and farm workers, and overall contribute to the EU transition to social sustainability in farming.