International Workshop: measurement of N2O/H2O and CH4/CO2/H2O gases in soil

International Workshop: measurement of N₂O/H₂O and CH₄/CO₂/H₂O gases in soil

The Bioeconomy Research Centre of Excellence of the Bioeconomy Research Institute (BTI) of the Vytautas Magnus University, Agriculture Academy, invites lecturers, researchers, PhD students and graduate and post-doctoral students and other interested to take part in a international workshop on the Measurement of N₂O/H₂O and CH₄/CO₂/H₂O in Soil.

During the workshop, a product application specialist from LI-COR Environmental — the manufacturer of the instruments — based at LI-COR’s German office, will share their expertise on measuring soil gases under natural field conditions.

In addition to theoretical insights, participants will have the opportunity to practice measurements in the field and learn essential information on measurement accuracy, data interpretation, and practical applications.

Date: 3 July 2025, 09:00-16:00 (Theoretical and practical parts)

Venue: Experimental Station of VMU Agriculture Academy (Rapsų g. 7, Noreikiškės, Kaunas district)

Duration: 6 hours.

REGISTRATION

Organisers: BioTEC, Vildoma, LI-COR, VMU Agriculture Academy, Agronomy Faculty, Agroecosystems and Soil Sciences Department, Bioeconomy Research Institute, Experimental Station.

This workshop is one of the activities of the project ‘Development of the Bioeconomy Research Centre of Excellence (BioTEC)’. The project is funded by the Ministry of Education, Science and Sports of the Republic of Lithuania, and the Research Council of Lithuania Contract No S-A-UEI-23-14. The funding programme is the ‘Universities` Excellence Initiative’ (No V-940).

Master’s Studies in English – Made in Lithuania

Have you completed your Bachelor’s degree in Lithuania? Take the next step with a Master’s programme in English at Vytautas Magnus University Agriculture Academy.

Available programmes:

Study in Kaunas at a high-ranking university and gain a future-oriented qualification in a globally relevant field.

Start: Autumn 2025.
Apply now: https://vytautasmagnus.dreamapply.com.

More information about admission: Admission to Degree Studies | VDU.

Dreaming of a quality European education? Join online seminar!

Dreaming of a quality European education? Vytautas Magnus University (VMU), located in the heart of Lithuania (campuses in Kaunas and Vilnius), is opening its doors to ambitious Ukrainians like you! We invite you to an online meeting where we will share details about admission this year.

Join us on June 11 (Wednesday), from 14:00 to 15:00. You will learn about a 50% scholarship for Ukrainians, a wide range of programmes taught in English, and other important details.

Join the meeting

The BIOEAST Community Gathers in Bucharest: A Step Forward in Shaping Future Bioeconomy Priorities

From April 7 to 9, 2025, the Annual BIOEAST Bioeconomy Conference and the BOOST4BIOEAST (B4B) Project Meeting took place at the University of Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary Medicine in Bucharest, Romania. The event brought together over 180 stakeholders from across Central and Eastern Europe to initiate a strategic dialogue on updating research and innovation priorities tailored to the BIOEAST macro-region.

The goal of this high-level gathering was to open discussions on aligning scientific and innovation agendas with the pressing challenges of climate change, circular economy goals, and the growing need to strengthen regional bioeconomy competencies.

During the BOOST4BIOEAST project meeting held on April 8–9, all 30 consortium partners reviewed the progress made over the past year, exchanged insights, and planned upcoming activities. One of the project’s key milestones was the launch of a multidimensional mapping exercise in all participating centers, focusing on:

macro-regional bioeconomy competencies,
biomass availability assessment,
education and capacity-building needs,
innovation systems analysis.

This mapping initiative is expected to become a valuable tool for shaping strategic recommendations at both national and regional levels.

The BIOEAST Annual Conference also featured a poster session, where 26 posters showcased best practices and project results in the field of bioeconomy across BIOEAST countries. Lithuania was represented by Junior Researcher of Bioeconomy research center (BioTEC) Dr. Jovita Balandaitė from Vytautas Magnus University Agriculture Academy (VMU AA), who presented the activities of BioTEC, highlighting the center’s mission, cutting-edge research infrastructure, and ongoing scientific initiatives.

The networking opportunities with researchers from various countries laid the groundwork for meaningful collaboration, knowledge exchange, and the development of joint scientific initiatives. It is expected that these new connections will contribute to the growth of the scientific potential in the BIOEAST region and the advancement of an innovative, sustainable bioeconomy.

More information about the conference

Invitation to the Webinar: “Next Chapter: Opportunities for VMU Graduates”

The VMU International Cooperation Department invites all international soon-to-be graduates, current students, and alumni to our upcoming webinar, “Next Chapter: Opportunities for VMU Graduates.” This event is designed to equip future graduates with the essentials for their next steps after graduation.

The webinar will take place on Thursday, June 5, at 10:00 a.m. EEST, online via Microsoft Teams.

Attendees will gain insights into admission pathways for Bachelor’s graduates to Master’s Degree programmes, explore PhD study opportunities at Vytautas Magnus University for Master’s graduates, and discover how to engage with our alumni network, utilize the alumni platform, and participate in the Unibuddy ambassador program. The session will also cover important aspects of Temporary Residence Permits and other migration questions, provide insights into career opportunities through a presentation from the VMU Career Centre, and introduce the DON@ project.

This webinar is highly recommended for:

Soon-to-be VMU graduates
Current students planning for life after graduation
VMU alumni interested in exploring new opportunities Please register here to secure your spot for this informative session.

We look forward to welcoming you!

VMU Agriculture Academy graduation ceremony

On 19 June, Vytautas Magnus University Agriculture Academy invites graduates to participate in festive graduation events.

The festive ceremony will take place in the festive hall of the VMU Agricultural Academy (Studentų str. 11, Akademija, Kaunas district).

10:00 a.m. Graduation ceremony of the Faculty of Bioeconomy Development of VMU Agriculture Academy
12:00 p.m. Graduation ceremony of the Faculty of Agronomy of VMU Agriculture Academy
2:00 p.m. Graduation ceremony of the Faculty of Forest Sciences and Ecology of VMU Agriculture Academy
4:00 p.m. Graduation ceremony of the Faculty of Engineering of VMU Agriculture Academy

We would like to inform you that the event may be filmed and/or photographed, and you may appear in event photos or videos that could be published across various media platforms.

The Teaching and learning evaluation survey has begun

At the end of each semester, students of bachelor’s, master’s, integrated, and professional studies, as well as free-movers, are invited to participate in an anonymous survey and share their insights on their experiences with study courses and teachers’ work.

The Teaching and learning evaluation survey for the spring semester began on May 5. It is a great opportunity for every student to become an ambassador for the quality of their studies and contribute to the improvement of the university. We invite students to actively fill out survey questionnaires by June 15.

How to find the survey and why participation matters

The link to the Teaching and Learning Evaluation survey is available on the main page of Student Portal. The survey is anonymous, so students can be assured that their responses will not be linked to their identity.

On the portal, students can also monitor how actively they are participating in the survey — information about the number and percentage of submitted questionnaires for each of their study courses is available. While the survey is ongoing, teachers can track students’ participation rates via Teacher Portal. The summarized survey results will be presented in the second half of June.

Students’ feedback directly shapes the quality of future studies. Their insights have real power to influence the academic experience of both current and future students. Teachers carefully analyze students’ suggestions and use them to prepare for upcoming semesters, seeking ways to improve teaching methods and study course content. The data collected through this survey is also a key resource for study programme committees, who evaluate programme implementation and make decisions for further improvement.

Every voice matters in creating a better study environment!

Active student participation in this survey helps to more effectively identify both the strengths and areas for improvement of the study process. We encourage every student to take this opportunity to contribute to shaping the future of the university and become a part of meaningful change!

Registration for inter-university elective study courses (modules) at Kaunas universities has started

Vytautas Magnus University (VMU), Kaunas University of Technology (KUT), Lithuanian University of Health Sciences (LUHS) and Lithuanian Sports University (LSU) continue cooperation for four years now and offer students to choose and study inter-university study modules at another university free of charge in the academic year 2025-2026.

The new modules will allow you to enrich your studies with new experiences, complete a course that is not directly related to your study programme, and study with students from another university. The newly acquired knowledge will help you expand your personal and professional competencies and provide you with additional career prospects.

You will study the optional course as an unclassified student and have the opportunity to submit it for recognition of the learning outcomes under your university’s internal procedures. Concluding an unclassified student’s contract and completing the study subject is free of charge.

Registration form. The registration deadline is 30 May 2025. Use your university email for the registration. The number of positions in the modules is limited.

List of courses. Before selecting a course, please read its description and consider in which semester (autumn or spring) it is taught. You can choose one course that corresponds to the cycle of your studies and is taught at another university.

VMU Study Department

Email: sd@vdu.lt

Student Conference on Creativity in Science and Everyday Life

On 9 May, Vytautas Magnus University (VMU) hosted a conference “Freedom to Create” dedicated to the M. K. Čiurlionis Year. More than fifty student and pupil presentations were presented, proving that creativity is necessary not only for artists, but also for scientists. According to Gediminas Kvietkauskas, a VMU graduate and well-known entrepreneur, who presented a paper at the conference, we understand creativity too narrowly.

“For some reason we associate creativity only with art. Business is creativity, any profession is creativity, science is creativity. And only creative thinking makes progress. Even a surgeon can use his imagination,” said the entrepreneur.

Creativity was also emphasised by VMU professor, media artist and painter Rimantas Plungė, who, together with composer Prof. Titas Petrikis, opened the 4th VMU Students’ Conference, this year entitled “Sonata of Science and Culture”.

“I always say to students, have doubts, question what is happening and why you are doing it, don’t just go about your daily life in an automated way. Čiurlionis was a genius because he saw things that others did not see. I encourage everyone to look at everyday life from a different angle, using their creativity, because creativity is the essence of every human being,” said R. Plungė.

According to Petrikis, meaning, not progress, should be the goal of our civilisation. “We are experiencing astonishing progress, but at the same time a deep divide. Climate decline, war and a crisis of meaning. But it is also a time of creative rebirth for those who choose to create rather than just consume. As Čiurlionis reminds us: creation is resistance, art is care, and the most advanced technology is love”, he said.

On the eve of the conference, on 8 May, T. Petrikis and R. Plungė presented their joint creative project “North”, inspired by M.K. Čiurlionis’ interdisciplinarity and the synthesis of media. The project combines an audiovisual music concert by composer T. Petrikis and paintings by artist R. Plungė.

The context of the heritage of the most significant Lithuanian artist, composer, painter and photographer M. K. Čiurlionis was expanded by Greta Katkevičienė, a student of the Faculty of Humanities at VMU, a museum curator of the M. K. Čiurlionis Collections Department at the M. K. Čiurlionis National Museum of Art, who gave a detailed presentation of the artist’s short, but incredibly creative life.

The conference “Freedom to Create”, which has become a VMU tradition, featured more than fifty presentations by VMU students and students from VMU partner gymnasiums on a wide range of topics: from micro-organisms slowing down to sourdough starter, from cancellation culture to the problem of terrorist groups, from teacher leadership to stress management techniques for teachers, from the effects of caffeine on cells to the analysis of Jo Nesbo’s novel, etc. Students and pupils shared their insights in poster presentations, exhibitions, audiovisual and other creative projects.

Schoolgirls from Kaunas J. Dobkevičius Progymnasium conducted research on the effects of caffeine on cells at the VMU Institute of Natural and Technological Sciences. They were supervised by Neringa Barauskaitė, a PhD student at the Faculty of Natural Sciences

During the conference, VMU Agriculture Academy students who have been awarded Science Scholarships were also honoured: Gabrilevičienė Gabrielė, Ginelevičius Ugnius, Krivickas Matas, Stankaitytė Aiva, Žilytė Gabija.

For VMU Graduates – Last Chance to Apply for the Erasmus+ Traineeship Competition

VMU students graduating this semester are invited to take advantage of the final opportunity to apply for the Erasmus+ Traineeship Competition, which includes EU/EEA countries. Application documents can be submitted until May 31, 2025.

Main Features of the Erasmus+ Traineeship Competition

The traineeship is available in all EU and EEA countries.
The traineeship must be carried out within 12 months after graduation.
The duration of the traineeship is from 2 to 4 months.
Traineeship grant is provided to help cover travel and part of living expenses.
This is a great opportunity to broaden your horizons, build international connections, and strengthen your professional path.

More information and selection criteria