Congratulations on International Student Day!

Dear students of VMU Agriculture Academy,

We congratulate you on International Student Day! Be brave, ambitious, open to the future. Be a voice to the world!

ERASMUS+ teaching visit to the Estonian University of Life Sciences

On October 25-27 Vytautas Magnus University Agriculture Academy associated professor dr. Linas Stabingis of the Faculty of Bioeconomy Development visited the Estonian University of Life Sciences in Tartu under ERASMUS+ programme and provided lecturing on following topics “Principles of selection of software for accounting data processing“, „Evaluation of the quality of software used for accounting data processing“ and “Use of clouds based technologies for accounting data processing“. The lectures attended more than 35 bachelor students of the Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

During the meeting with senior lecturer Juri Lehtsaar there were discussed opportunities for scientific cooperation in areas of population financial literacy and students’ entrepreneurship development that could allow preparation of joint scientific publications.

Invitation to participate in online lectures of Visiting Professor Irina Pilvere

We kindly invite you to participate in the lectures of the visiting lecturer prof. dr. habil. Irina Pilvere.

The topic is “Bioeconomy Development: Challenges and Possibilities”.

The lectures will be held online on November 21 – December 2, 2022.

Registration and detailed lecture schedule.

We sincerely invite you to participate in the lectures to expand your field of knowledge!

VMU AA representatives visit to the Republic of South Korea

Vytautas Magnus University Agriculture Academy (VMU AA) chancellor prof. dr. A. Miceikienė and VMU AA international coordinator assoc. prof. dr. Ekaterina Makrickiene, invited by the Embassy of Lithuania in the Republic of South Korea, together with the delegation from the Ministry of agriculture visited Seoul – the capital of the Republic of South Korea.

The aim of the visit was to strengthen the partnerships with the current partner universities and to establish new connections for the cooperation both in scientific and study fields. The Embassy of Lithuania in the Republic of South Korea helped to organize the visits to the universities, and the ambassador of the Republic of Lithuania Ričardas Šlepavičius and the minister of agriculture Kęstutis Navickas joined the visits together with VMU AA delegates. During the visit, VMU AA delegates visited Seoul National University, Korea University, Chungnam National University, Jeonbuk National University and National Institute of Forest Research.

The representatives of the Korean institutions were invited to visit Lithuania. It is planned that the collaboration with the existing and new partners will be performed in the fields of common research, double diploma programmes, student and staff exchange in the priority research areas of VMU AA.

4th International Scientific Conference AgroEco2022: Agroecosystem Sustainability: “Links between Carbon Sequestration in Soils, Food Security and Climate Change”

On October 26–27 the 4^th International Scientific Conference AgroEco2022: Agroecosystem Sustainability: “Links between Carbon Sequestration in Soils, Food Security and Climate Change” will be held at Vytautas Magnus University Agriculture Academy (VMU AA).

Main scientific topics of the conference:

Soil health and carbon sequestration for sustainability
Soil and crop management towards a chemical pesticide-free agriculture
Biodiversity, crop and production diversification
Precision farming and digital technologies
Food quality and safety
Climate change mitigation

Programme and abstracts

Contact e-mail: agroeco@vdu.lt

ERASMUS+ teaching visit to high school “Builders Ecole d’ingenieurs”

On October 11–13 Vytautas Magnus University Agriculture Academy (VMU AA) associated professors of Faculty of Engineering Rytis Skominas and Raimondas Šadzevičius visited “Builders Ecole d’ingenieurs” according to the programme ERASMUS+. “Builders Ecole d’ingenieurs” is situated in Caen, France. The main goal of the school to provide its engineering students with a practical and operational opening to the civil engineering industry.

During the visit scientists R. Skominas and R. Šadzevičius had lectures about durability, repair, inspection and maintenance of hydraulic structures for master students from Coastal and Marine Engineering and Management study programmes.

VMU AA associated professors R. Skominas and R. Šadzevičius had meetings with International Relation office and academic staff, wherepossibilities to collaborate in study and research fields were discussed. A tour at the “Builders Ecole d’ingenieurs” took place with the aim to get acquainted with the scientific infrastructure. The Wawe Flume channel left a big impression. The 40 m long and 1.50 m deep wave channel has been installed at “Builders Ecole d’ingenieurs” since 2018. This equipment, which is unique in France, allows large-scale testing of the impact of swell on coastal equipment (dykes, jetties, coastal protection, etc.).

ERASMUS+ Traineeship Competition for any country the world

A competition is open for ERASMUS+ student or recent graduate traineeship grants for traineeships in any country in the world. Application deadline is the 13th of November, 2022.

The placement period is from 2 to 6 months. Recent graduate traineeship must end – in a year after graduation.

Selection

All VMU full-time degree students who have not used more than 10 months of their ERASMUS mobility (study/traineeship) period are eligible for the ERASMUS grant.

Selection documents

For student traineeship (traineeship during student’s year of studies):

Filled-in application form “Outgoing-Application for ERASMUS Student Traineeship”
Confirmation by the company or organization (obligatory).

Documents must be submitted online.

For recent graduate traineeship (application must be submitted during the last year of studies):

Application form “Outgoing-Application for ERASMUS Recent Graduate Traineeship”
Confirmation by the company or organization (obligatory);
Recommendation by a faculty member (obligatory).

The priority in the selection is given to:

students whom traineeship is an obligatory part of their study programme;
students who have never been ERASMUS traineeship students before.

Selection criteria:

student’s motivation;
good knowledge of the language which will be used during the traineeship;
student’s work, study, traineeship, participation in the international/academic projects, social activities experience in Lithuania and abroad;
conformability between the chosen traineeship and student’s study programme;
study results (first year MA students should attach transcript of records of their BA/MA degree to the application form).

Traineeship grants:

For EU and EEA countries:

Country group	Country	Monthly scholarship size
Group I	Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Sweden, United Kingdom, Liechtenstein, Norway	700,00 Eur
Group II	Austria, Belgium, ,Germany, France, Italy, Greece, Spain, Cyprus, Netherlands, Malta, Portugal	650,00 Eur
Group III	Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, North Macedonia, Turkey	600,00 Eur
Group IV	Switzerland	700,00 Eur

For Non-EU/EEA countries:

Scholarship is 700,00 Eur/month.

Travel grant (depends on the distance between sending and receiving institutions):

100-499 km – 180,00 Eur
500-1999 km – 275,00 Eur
2000-2999 km – 360,00 Eur
3000-3999 km – 530,00 Eur
4000-7999 km – 820,00 Eur
More than 8000 km – 1500,00 Eur

Additional travel grants for green travelling options.

The competition results will be sent to every participant via e-mail.

More information about the competinion for the ERASMUS+ traineeship grants in all of world countries

VMU Agriculture Academy lecturers visited the University of Palermo

On October 3–6 Vytautas Magnus University Agriculture Academy (VMU AA) professor of Faculty of Forest Sciences and Ecology dr. Laima Česonienė and associate professor of Faculty of Engineering dr. Midona Dapkienė visited the University of Palermo (UNIPA) under ERASMUS+ teaching mobility program.

The University of Palermo is a consolidated cultural, scientific and teaching presence in central-western Sicily. Its 16 departments cover the most important domains of contemporary scientific and technological knowledge. About 122 courses (first and second cycle) are offered as well as 44 master and specialization and 23 PhD courses, targeted to the training of specific professional figures, often in cooperation with external institutions and companies.

Prof. dr. L. Česonienė and assoc. prof. dr. M. Dapkienė presented the VMU Agriculture Academy, Faculty of Forest Sciences and Ecology, Faculty of Engineering, introduced the study programs and research carried out in them. VMU AA scientists gave the lectures for bachelor, master and PhD students in the field of evaluation of surface water quality, water management and wastewater treatment. During the seminars prof. dr. L. Česonienė provided the assessment of the influence of climate change on the surface water status and agricultural activity impact on water quality. Assoc. prof. dr. M. Dapkienė shared experiences on wastewater reuse for soil irrigation: necessities, challenges, methods and technologies.

VMU Agriculture Academy scientists had an opportunity to familiarize with the study process and research at Department of Agricultural, Food and Forest Sciences of University of Palermo, discussed ERASMUS+ mobility perspectives. The gained experience will be useful in adopting the best practices of the studies and research at VMU Agriculture Academy.

UNeECC conference: international interdisciplinary discussions – for strong connections and new partnerships

October 6 the spaces of the Vytautas Magnus University Agriculture Academy (VMU AA) were filled with a pleasant bustle – even before the official opening of the conference “Culture and Nature – Partners in Dialogue” organized by the Academy together with the European Network of Universities of Capitals of Culture (UNeECC), dialogues and acquaintances that inspired cooperation were taking place. Openness to innovative ideas, international interdisciplinary discussions are an excellent medium for the initiation of new projects based on cooperation.

Before the start of the conference, the atmosphere of informal communication in the Academy spaces was created by the presentation and tasting of the products of the creators of the sustainable shopping platform LOKALI, which is located in Kaunas district. LOKALI brings together local producers, growers, developers and community members. In the store, customers find quality products made with love and care by local creators, services for the whole family, home, gifts, leisure time, while cooperating producers have the opportunity to sell their goods and refinance the socio-cultural life of the community.

Welcoming the gathered participants of the conference, the chancellor of the VMU Agriculture Academy prof. dr. Astrida Miceikienė drew attention to the successful example of LOKALI and emphasized the importance of heard and implemented innovative ideas and cooperation. The chancellor was pleased with the conference participants who gathered from many different countries and were ready to share their experiences, ideas and thoughts, and noticed that the Academy is becoming more and more open to cooperation, sharing experience and knowledge, and this event is a great proof of that.

“The world is changing, and we strive to be leaders, we pay special attention to science, research, innovation and – most importantly – people, thanks to whose efforts we can achieve common goals together. This conference is an international platform for exceptional interdisciplinary scientific discussions on the synthesis of culture, nature and technological innovation. This is an opportunity to build sustainable, collaborative relationships. Only by sharing innovative ideas, experiences and scientific research results can we be leaders in a world experiencing changes. We are glad that VMU Agriculture Academy was chosen for this year’s conference. The research carried out by our scientists is extremely important in the current context of the geopolitical situation, we are open to the dialogue between nature and culture, which is reflected in the reports of this conference,” said the chancellor of the VMU Agriculture Academy, prof. dr. A. Miceikienė.

President of UNeECC prof. dr. Flora Carrijn welcoming the audience pointed out that since the network was founded in 2006, the annual conference brings together experienced researchers, budding academics and PhD students to share scientific insights and collaborate with local institutions and artists. Prof. dr. F. Carrijn was pleased that the topics of culture, science, social well-being, as well as the consciousness in cultural consumption consumption of culture, sustainability and nature and new cultural thinking for this conference attracted interest. According to the professor, the selected topics respond to today’s challenges and open opportunities for international interdisciplinary dialogue and cooperation between representatives of different scientific fields.

Speaking about the uniqueness of this event, the chancellor of the VMU Agriculture Academy prof. dr. A. Miceikienė also noticed that international, interdisciplinary conferences that bring together representatives of different fields of science are always distinguished by their productivity and results. “While preparing for them, news about the organizing institutions spread widely, during conferences new innovative ideas are formulated, interdisciplinary groups of scientists come together, and productive cooperation continues even after the event ends – new meetings and other projects are initiated,” about the importance of events that bring together scientists from different fields for joint work speaks Chancellor of the VMU Agriculture Academy prof. dr. A. Miceikienė.

In the plenary part of the conference, the president of UNeECC, prof. dr. Flora Carrijn gave a presentation “Through the Looking Glass – Nature in Art as Cultural Metaphor through the ages”. “Balatorium”, a unique project developed in Hungary, was presented by “Veszprém-Balaton 2023” chief advisor for art and creativity Tan Togay.

During the conference, researchers and cultural representatives from various European countries shared their research results in three presentation sections: European Capitals of Culture, Culture, Science & Social Well-being, and Nature, consciousness and sustainability. The third day of the conference was crowned by the final plenary session and round table discussion. The discussion was moderated by UNeECC vice-president. prof. dr. William John Chambers. Insights were shared by UNeECC president prof. dr. Flora Carrjin, “Veszprém-Balaton 2023” chief advisor for art and creativity Tan Togay, UNeECC vice-president prof. dr. László Imre Komlósi, VMU Agriculture Academy professor dr. Vilma Atkočiūnienė, “Kaunas – European Capital of Culture 2022” representative Lukas Alsys and UNeECC General Secretary dr. Edit Kovari.

“Culture changes people’s attitudes and behavior, helps them learn about natural phenomena. The integration of culture capitals and nature helps to achieve sustainability, but it is important to measure the impact. Scientists, together with the developers of the concepts of cultural capitals, are developing a methodology for measuring the impact, but there is a great lack of data, there is no universally accepted system of evaluation indicators”, – VMU Agriculture Academy professor dr. Vilma Atkočiūnienė commented the highlights of the round table discussion, adding that the organizers of cultural capital activities pursue various goals, choose different means of communication and strategies. “For example, Tartu 2024 has chosen as many as seven Sustainable Development Goals – 6, 7, 8, 11, 12, 13, 15. This is not only a challenge, but also an opportunity to act in a purposeful way by introducing the principles of co-creation to create collective knowledge,” – said prof. dr. V. Atkočiūnienė.

Final TRAPEZIUM event. Free and open

We kindly invite You to the final “Trapezium” event.

12 October, 7 p.m. TRAPEZIUM COMES INTO BEING.

It is a final event of the project with the introduction of the creative results to the local community. A pinhole photography exhibition and a premiere viewing of the shorts will be on the evening’s agenda.

Main guest of the event – alternative music performer Aistė Lasytė.

Event is free of charge and open to the public.

Trapezium comes into being in Vytautas Magnus University Agriculture Academy (VMU AA) Building III (“Aquarium”), Universiteto str. 10, Akademija.

Audiovisual arts project TRAPEZIUM aims at revealing extra-ordinary, unexpected or somewhat clotted under the everyday errands accents of contemporary Akademija by applying creative workshops of pinhole photography and experimental short film. The project sought to actively involve the local youths, as well as the international VMU AA students into the workshops, so that their conveyed multicultural perspectives and openness could enable one to look at Akademija in its quest for identity anew.

Organizer: ECC Akademija leisure hall
Partners: VMU AA, VMU UKG
Project financed by: Lithuanian Council for Culture, Kaunas regional Municipality
Contacts: phone +37064629602, email akademijoskultura@gmail.com (Sandra).

“Facebook” event: Trapecija atgyja I Trapezium comes into being | Facebook