VMU Agriculture Academy Autumn Intake 2025/2026 is open!

Would like to gain strong knowledge, solid skills, and invaluable international experience? Thinking about an unforgettable European student adventure and traveling the world?

Top-quality studies in a high-ranking university and living in Kaunas – located in the center of Europe – may be the perfect combination for You.

Your lifetime adventure can start now with Vytautas Magnus University (VMU) Agriculture Academy.

Application is open from December 1, 2024, for Autumn Intake 2025/2026 study programmes:

APPLY HERE -> vytautasmagnus.dreamapply.com

DEADLINES:

May 15, 2025
- For applicants from non EU/EFTA countries, except the countries listed below.
July 1, 2025
- For applicants from EU/EFTA countries
- For applicants and citizens of visa-free countries: Albania, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Georgia (Sakartvelo), Israel, Japan, Malaysia, Moldova, Mexico, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, United Kingdom, United States, Ukraine, and Venezuela.
  Note: Please check if you need a visa to enter Lithuania here.

Note (!) Diplomas may be added after application deadline.

Note (!) Studies start on August 25, 2025.
Note (!) Due to limited admission places, applications for autumn intake for the academic year 2025-2026 might be closed earlier. Spring (February) intake is not offered.

Information about Application and Admission Procedures

Information about Scholarships

Contact person: VMU Agriculture Academy International Coordinator Ekaterina Makrickiene ekaterina.makrickiene@vdu.lt, +370 37 752 386.

More information about VMU Agriculture Academy study programmes.

CONFERENCE “YOUNG SCIENTIST 2025”

The 22nd annual conference of young scientists “YOUNG SCIENTIST 2025” organized by the Vytautas Magnus University Agriculture Academy (VMU AA) will be held on April 10 2025 remotely. The conference is intended for the first, second and third degree students. The purpose of the conference is to involve students in scientific activities, develop the ability to publicize scientific research results, present their scientific research achievements and discuss topical issues of bioeconomy, green course, climate change, ecosystem sustainability, rational use and protection of natural resources.

There is no conference fee for students. Certificates of conference participants will be awarded to the speakers of the conference.

Speakers will be able to publish articles in the collection of articles of the conference “YOUNG SCIENTIST 2025”.

Conference topics	Subtopics
Bioeconomy	Accounting and finance: challenges and opportunities
	Bioeconomy, sustainability of agriculture and food sector
	Innovations and solutions in business logistics
	Management of agri-business and other bioeconomy business organizations
	Sustainable development of rural areas
Biosystems engineering	Energy engineering
	Land management
	Mechanical engineering
	Technology engineering
	Transport engineering
	Water engineering
Sustainability of agricultural, forest, and water ecosystems	Agronomy
	Food quality and safety
	Sustainability of agricultural ecosystems
	Ecosystem services
	Sustainable forestry
	Wildlife population management

Pre-registration for the conference until February 15, 2025.

Articles for the conference “YOUNG SCIENTIST 2025” are accepted until March 14, 2025 (the link to upload the article). The articles must be prepared according to the recommendations for the authors of the articles (Annex 1 – Article template, Annex 2 – Authors guarantee letter).

Conference “AgroEco2024”: bringing scientists of the world together to celebrate 100 years of agricultural progress

The 5th international conference “AgroEco 2024“ marks a dual milestone: the 100th anniversary of the Vytautas Magnus University Agriculture Academy (VMU AA) and a decade-long tradition of fostering international collaboration in sustainable agriculture. The conference embodies a global commitment to innovation in agriculture, addressing pressing issues like climate change and food security while fostering collaboration across nations.

Continuing a decade-long tradition

VMU Agriculture Prof. Dr. Zita Kriaučiūnienė noted that it is the fifth international “AgroEco2024“ conference, continuing a decade’s tradition of bringing together global experts to tackle challenges in sustainable agriculture. “Today is a momentous occasion, as we not only open our fifth international conference ‘AgroEco2024’, but also celebrate the 100th anniversary of Agriculture Academy. It’s our honor to share this milestone. This year’s conference brings over hundreds of participants from all around the world, representing countries such as Lithuania, Germany, United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Poland, Belgium, Turkey, Latvia, Finland, France, Czech Republic, Estonia, Brazil, Afghanistan and Azerbaijan – more than 20 oral and over 40 poster presentations”, said scientist.

“These presentations delve into critical topics such as soil health, carbon sequestration and the shift toward pesticides-free agriculture. These discussions are essential as we navigate the challenges of climate change and global food security. I would like to express my deep gratitude to the organizing and scientific committees for their tireless work in making this event a success, and to our partners for their invaluable support“, said scientist.

Forefront of agriculture education and research

Representative of Lithuanian Academy of Sciences and Lithuanian Research Center for Agriculture and Forestry Dr. Žydrė Kadžiulienė noted that throughout the 100 years the academy community has been at the forefront of agriculture education and research, creating opportunities for innovation and powerful ideas for generations. “You are successfully doing it today and you will do it in the future. Today’s conference, International Scientific Conference “AgroEco2024“, reflects your ability and disposition to be part of international science“, said Dr. Žydrė Kadžiulienė.

She paid attention that sustainability of agroecosystems, soil health, climate change are key questions that concern scientists, farmers and society in Lithuania, in Europe as well as in the world. “Diversification of agricultural systems and the regeneration of soil functions are crucial importance for many farming systems and this is very related to agroecosystems. Agroecosystems involve all the interactions between biotic and antibiotic features in an agriculture area. Understanding how agroecosystems work is very important to better understanding and to better solutions for sustainable agriculture. Moreover, well-managed agroecosystems can help mitigate the challenges of climate change. Therefore, scientific insights, scientific results, and new proposals are very necessary“ said Dr. Žydrė Kadžiulienė.

A great step forward in finding the best methods

Representative from the Ministry of Agriculture Saulius Jasius noted that there could not be recipes or magic formulas on most effective initiatives for development of sustainable agriculture, however, serious discussions during this conference may be a great step forward in finding the best answers on what sustainable production methods should be promoted for farmers. “I believe that the conference will help to open eyes not only for the government, but to all of us, and particularly to farmers, explaining to them what are the benefits of sustainable agribusiness. It is a great pleasure to welcome to this conference, “AgroEco2024“, the scholars and research people from a variety of countries.

Your experience, expertise, and readiness to share your knowledge and ideas are highly valuable and needed“, said Saulius Jasius.

Main focus on sustainability, ecology, soil health, and food safety

Assoc. prof. dr. Rytis Skominas, Director of the Bioeconomy Research Institute at the VMU Agriculture Academy, emphasized the significant transformations in Lithuania and its agricultural sector over the past century. “Over the last 100 years, we have witnessed numerous changes, including major geopolitical developments and, more recently, the challenges posed by global warming. In response, the Agriculture Academy has charted its own path, prioritizing sustainability, ecology, soil health, and food safety. Today, we are proud to celebrate the Academy’s centennial anniversary and inaugurate the 5th International Conference“, said scientist Rytis Skominas. The scientist concluded his speech with gratitude and a wish that the conference would leave everyone with great impressions, new ideas, and valuable connections.

VMU Agriculture Academy is launching a new MA program, Aquamatics

Vytautas Magnus University (VMU) Agriculture Academy is launching Aquamatics, a new double-diploma master’s program in Environmental Engineering (E03), within the broader field of Engineering Sciences (E). This forward-thinking program addresses the growing global demand for experts in sustainable water management and environmental protection. Aquamatics provides students with interdisciplinary knowledge and hands-on skills, empowering them to tackle complex challenges in water-related environmental issues.

The aim of the study program Aquamatics is to prepare highly qualified environmental engineering specialists who are able to solve theoretical and practical problems of water management, analyse and model natural water phenomena and engineering processes using the latest information technologies by integrating knowledge from different fields. The graduate will not only understand the problems of threats arising from climate change and related hydrological and hydrobiological changes, but will be ready to search for solutions by determining the causes of environmental changes and rationally evaluating/predicting their ecological effects and changes as well. The Master will be able to offer practical solutions to eliminate/limit the impact of such activities by performing: an inventory of surface and underground water and water-related environment; implementing effective monitoring methods for these areas, proposing and checking the effectiveness of corrective actions using statistical and mathematical modelling methods, design activities related to water environment protection and melioration, implement modern, proven solutions related for water protection. Upon successful completion of these studies, the degree of Master of Science in Engineering will be awarded.

The program is carried out in collaboration with University of Silesia in Katowice. The admission is planned for 2025 autumn (opening from December 1, 2024).

Happy International Students’ Day!

On this special day, we wish all students of Vytautas Magnus University Agriculture Academy perseverance, inspiration, and endless energy in achieving their goals. May your academic journey be a time of growth, knowledge, and unforgettable experiences filled with friendships and cherished moments.

With love and support, we send our warmest regards to students all over the world – together, we are shaping the future!

CONFERENCE “YOUNG SCIENTIST 2025”

There is no conference fee for students. Certificates of conference participants will be awarded to the speakers of the conference.

Speakers will be able to publish articles in the collection of articles of the conference “YOUNG SCIENTIST 2025”.

Conference topics	Subtopics
Bioeconomy	Accounting and finance: challenges and opportunities
	Bioeconomy, sustainability of agriculture and food sector
	Innovations and solutions in business logistics
	Management of agri-business and other bioeconomy business organizations
	Sustainable development of rural areas
Biosystems engineering	Energy engineering
	Land management
	Mechanical engineering
	Technology engineering
	Transport engineering
	Water engineering
Sustainability of agricultural, forest, and water ecosystems	Agronomy
	Food quality and safety
	Sustainability of agricultural ecosystems
	Ecosystem services
	Sustainable forestry
	Wildlife population management

Pre-registration for the conference until February 15, 2025.

Erasmus+ BIP “Sustainable Use of Natural Resources: autumn course 2024” implemented at the Faculty of Agronomy

The Erasmus+ Blended Intensive Programme (BIP) “Sustainable use of natural resources: 2024 autumn course” has been implemented at the Faculty of Agronomy of Vytautas Magnus University Agriculture Academy. The aim of the programme is to develop students’ competences in solving complex natural resource management problems in order to achieve sustainable development goals.

The programme was attended by 20 international students from the Latvian University of Life Sciences and Technology, the Estonian University of Life Sciences and the University of Life Sciences in Lublin (Poland). The programme consisted of 2 parts: a virtual component and a physical mobility part. During the virtual component, the students participated in a virtual meeting, during which the theme of the course were developmed and the following topics were revealed: “Main interactions in agroecosystems”, “Transforming global sustainable development goals into national, regional and local community goals”, “A balance between ecosystems and the societal necessity for clean water sources”, “Water in daily life and as an element of the landscape”, “Surface water resources in your country/region: their state, and solutions to improve the situation”, “The state of biodiversity in your country/region: major threats and mitigation strategies”.

The physical mobility part took place from 21^th to 25^th of October. During the physical mobility week students increased their knowledge on soil-crop-environment interactions and green infrastructure, developed their ability to critically assess the situation of natural resource use, and discussed ways to prevent climate change, diseases of civilisation and public health problems.

During the program students went to a study tour, which tool place at the 700 hectare farm „Farmers Circle“. Students had an opportunity to have a closer look on how the organic farm is operated. Students were presented the sustainable principles of resource use through the production of organic beef from the farm’s Angus cows and organic products made from the farm’s organically grown vegetables, fruits, berries and herbs.

The programme was conducted by 8 lecturers of the VMU Agriculture Academy: prof. dr. Vilma Atkočiūnienė, assoc. prof. dr. Ekaterina Makrickienė, prof. dr. Živilė Tarasevičienė, assoc. prof. dr. Povilas Mulerčikas, assoc. prof. dr. Daiva Šileikienė, assoc. prof. dr. Anželika Dautartė, prof. dr. Elvyra Jarienė, lect. Otilija Miseckaitė and 2 lecturers from partner universities – Assoc. prof. Dr. Raimonds Kasparinksis from the Latvian University of Life Sciences and Technology and Prof. dr. Agnieszka Jaszczak from the University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn (Poland). The programme was supervised by Assoc. prof. dr. Aida Adamavičienė and Dr. Monika Medikienė. The coordinator of the programme – VMU AA International Coordinator dr. Monika Medikienė.

Co-Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.

The SafeHabitus Communities of Practice: Fostering safety culture for everyone working in the agricultural sector

Seville, Spain – October 2024 – Coinciding with the European Week of Safety and Health at Work, representatives from the 11 SafeHabitus Communities of Practice (CoPs) gathered in Spain this week for the SafeHabitus Autumn School. The three-day meeting gathered CoP representative, including experts on farm and occupational safety, researchers, and advocates for migration and labour rights to share best practices and exchange valuable knowledge to improve farm safety and health across Europe.

The Autumn School delved into two of the focus themes of the SafeHabitus project, migrant and seasonal workers and tractor and machinery safety. One of the central discussions focused on how corporate social responsibility can help create better working and living conditions for migrant workers in Europe’s agricultural sector Experts on the migrant and labour rights issues presented research and policy insights on the challenges these workers face. To give participants a real-world perspective, the CoPs visited a local farm that employs migrant workers and witness the work of the NGO ASNUCI (New Citizenship Association for Interculturality) providing support to the migrant workers in the province of Huelva in Spain.

The second day of the Autumn School shifted the focus to farm safety culture, specifically to machinery and tractor safety. Accidents involving machinery are one of the leading causes of injuries and fatalities on farms across Europe, making the safety culture a key element to mitigating this danger to all working and living on farms. After looking at the research on tractor safety on the examples of Spain and Ireland, the CoPs took to a practical session on tractor safety, showcasing tractor safety practices and exchanging knowledge on fostering a culture of safety on farms.

SafeHabitus Workshops was held on the last day of the Autumn School. Here the future of farming was shaped by Assessing implications for the attractiveness of farming and CoPs Presentation of draft actor maps was made.

Media contact: – National CoP representative Anastasija Novikova (Lithuania) anastasija.novikova@vdu.lt

More information:

About SafeHabitus:

SafeHabitus project is a four-year project coordinated by TEAGASC Ireland, funded by the European Union as part of the Horizon Europe Programme, grant agreement number 101084270. This multi-actor project aims to strengthen Farm Health and Safety Knowledge Innovation Systems (FHS KIS) and support the EU transition to social sustainability in farming.

Visit of VMU AA researcher at the “OpenLivingLab Days” event

Jovita Balandaitė, Junior researcher at the Bioeconomy Research Centre of Excellence (BioTec), participated in the European Network of Living Labs (ENoLL) “OpenLivingLab Days” in Timișoara, Romania, on September 24th to 27th.

The event highlighted the benefits of developing living labs, their relevance for addressing pressing societal challenges, the importance of such labs for policy making and the management of innovative ecosystems. It focused on how living labs help business and society to adapt to new technologies, discussing possible business models, operational aspects, etc.

We discussed how living labs and society can work together to achieve meaningful systemic change. During the event, speakers and participants shared best practices, explored opportunities for collaboration, and held interactive and research sessions and workshops.

Visit of scientists of VMU AA to Warsaw university of life sciences

The scientists of Vytautas Magnus University Agriculture Academy (VMU AA) assoc. prof. dr. Midona Dapkienė (Department of Water Engineering, Faculty of Engineering) and prof. dr. Laima Česonienė (Department of Environment and Ecology, Faculty of Forest Sciences and Ecology) visited the Warsaw University of Life Sciences (SGGW) under the Erasmus+ mobility program on October 15th to 18th 2024.

Since 2023 Warsaw University of Life Sciences belongs to the Green European University (UNIgreen) in the frame of the European Universities Initiative. UNIgreen is an Alliance of eight European universities with a specific focus on sustainable agriculture, green biotechnology and environmental and life sciences, which are pivotal areas for achieving a resource-efficient, circular, digitised and climate neutral economy by 2050.

SGGW offers 40 study programs in Polish and 12 degree programs in English. The study programmes in Environmental Engineering and Civil Engineering are offered by the Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering of this University. The Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering is the second biggest faculty of the University, where new engineers – construction, environment and water management specialists, land surveyors, as well as landscape designers and planners, are prepared.

The representatives of VMU Agriculture Academy presented their University, gave the lectures and had an opportunity to meet the professor dr. Wojciech Sas (a Head of Geotechnical Department of Institute of Civil Engineering), assistant professors dr. Justyna Dzięcioł and dr. Andrzej Głuchowski, and to discuss the possibilities of the joint projects as well as to familiarize with the study process and reasearch at the Institute of Civil Engineering.