ERASMUS+ teaching visit to University of Rijeka in Croatia

On October 3-7 Vytautas Magnus University Agriculture Academy (VMU AA), Faculty of Bioeconomy Development assoc. prof. dr. Erika Besusparienė visited the University of Rijeka in Croatia under the ERASMUS+ training program.

At the university of Rijeka scientist gave lectures on the subject of environmental taxes to undergraduate students, discussed the differences between these taxes in Lithuania and Croatia and also lectured the importance of environmental costs and their accounting, international sustainability standards and non-financial reports for companies for the disclosure of social accountability, regulation in the European Union (EU). The VMU Agricultural Academy and the Faculty of Bioeconomy Development were presented to students and researchers of the University of Rijeka, and the meaning and importance of bioeconomy was discussed.

Although the existing study programmes at the Faculty of Tourism and Hotel Management at University of Rijekafocus on the tourism sector, specialists, who study economics, accounting, taxes, environmental protection, are trained with broad knowledge. During the visit, the experience of how to ensure the transfer of this knowledge to students, the peculiarities of organizing lectures for full-time and part-time students, and the experience of organizing hybrid lectures was also acquired.

In Croatia contacts have also been established with researchers from the Department of Finance, Faculty of Tourism and Hotel Management, University of Rijeka, who conduct research in the field of public finance. Together with the researchers, the exhibition of scientific journals was visited in the library of the University of Rijeka, and the possibilities of publishing articles were discussed. The possibilities of public finance research, Croatia’s ongoing integration into the EU, the introduction of the euro, and joining the OECD organization were discussed.

12th ICA Rectors and Deans Forum 2022

Association’s for European Life Science Universities (ICA’s) Rectors and Deans Forum 2022 “Bending the Curve for Biodiversity: challenges and opportunities for life science universities” & “Life science universities addressing Knowledge Security” will be held on 20 and 21 October 2022 at Vytautas Magnus University Agriculture Academy (VMU AA), Lithuania.

This annual ICA Forum for Rectors, Deans and senior management of agricultural and life science universities in Europe aims to provide these university decision makers from ICA’s member universities with the opportunity to meet, to discuss current issues in the agricultural and life sciences and to exchange views on issues with relevant stakeholders in industry, government and NGOs. This Forum will address two themes: on Thursday “Bending the Curve for Biodiversity” and on Friday morning “Knowledge Security”.

ICA General Assembly will be held on 19 October 2022 at VMU, where the report “EU Biodiversity strategy – forward looking approach, today relevant more than ever“ will be present by Marius Vaščega, head of the European Commission’s Representation in Vilnius, Lithuania.

Programme

WEDNESDAY 19 October

Location: Vytautas Magnus university (VMU) in the centre of Kaunas: S. Daukanto str. 28

16.15 Coffee & Registration

17.00 ICA General Assembly

18.30 EU Biodiversity strategy – forward looking approach, today relevant more than ever.

Marius Vaščega – Head of the European Commission’s Representation in Vilnius, Lithuania (from 2022 February). Earlier 2019 – 2022 he was the Head of the Cabinet of Virginijus Sinkevičius, the European Commissioner for the Environment, Oceans, and Fisheries

19.30 Forum Welcome Reception & Walking Dinner following the ICA General Assembly

THURSDAY 20 October

Location: Vytautas Magnus University Agriculture Academy (VMU AA), Studentų str. 11, Akademija, Kaunas District.

Session 1. Addressing biodiversity loss

8.00 Transfer by bus from hotels to Agriculture Academy of the Vytautas Magnus University

8.30 Registration & welcome coffee

9.00 Welcome to the Forum

Arthur Mol, President of ICA & Representative from Vytautas Magnus University

9.15 Keynote: Biodiversity policy implementation in Lithuania: challenges and achievements

Simonas Gentvilas, Minister of the Environment, Republic of Lithuania

9.45 Keynote: Bending the curve of terrestrial biodiversity needs an integrated strategy

David Leclère, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA); Laxenburg; AT

10.15 Keynote: The Economics of Biodiversity

Partha Dasgupta, University of Cambridge, UK

10.45 Coffee

11.15 Keynote: Biodiversa+, the European biodiversity partnership: history, objectives and main achievements

Claire Bléry, European Biodiversity Partnership (Biodiversa+), Paris, FR

11.45 Discussion

12.30 Lunch

Session 2. Nature based solutions in Agricultural and Forestry Systems to support the enhancement of biodiversity

13.30 Keynote: Enhancement of biodiversity in agriculture arable and grassland systems

Helen Sheridan, School of Agriculture and Food Science, University College Dublin, IE

14.00 Keynote: Enhancement of biodiversity in forestry systems

Bart Muys, Division of Forest, Nature and Landscape, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, KULeuven, BE

14.30 Panel: Four short interventions from ICA members from different regions of Europe (10 mins each). How my university engages with society through education and outreach to encourage engagement with and enhancement of biodiversity.

15.15 Coffee

15.45 Breakout round table discussions groups

16.15 Plenary Report back

16.45 Closure

19.30 Bus pick from hotels to go to Raudondvaris Castle

20.00 Gala Dinner, Raudondvaris Castle

FRIDAY 21 October

Session 3. Addressing Knowledge Security

8.00 Transfer by bus from hotels to Agriculture Academy of the Vytautas Magnus University

8.30 Introduction: European knowledge security in a polarized world

Arthur Mol, President of ICA & Rector Magnificus Wageningen University and Research, NL

8.50 Knowledge security experiences and practice AgroParisTech

Laurent Buisson, Directeur Général AgroParisTech, Paris, FR

9.05 Knowledge security experiences and practices Estonian University of the Life Sciences

Mait Klaassen, Rector Estonian University of Life Sciences, EE

9.20 Coffee & Breakout round table discussions groups

10.00 Plenary Report back

10.30 Forum Closure

Packed lunch available to pick up

11.00 Depart for Vilnius Airport by bus (the trip to Vilnius airport will take maximum of 2 hours)

11.00 Post Forum Tour “Biodiversity, history and cultural heritage Kaunas Region”

There is no extra charge for this Tour, but must be booked on your registration form or reservation by email after registration to ICASecretariat@icaeurope.org The Tour is offered by Vytautas Magnus University Agriculture Academy,

16.30 Return to Kaunas

“Kaunas is the European Capital of Culture’ 2022” information about the events can be found here: https://kaunas2022.eu/en/about-the-project/.

Registration

Please register online for the ICA Forum here: https://www.ica-europe.info/registration-form.

For ICA members the Registration fee for ICA Members is 500 € for the first registration from a university, the fee for additional registrations from the same university is 450 €.

For non-ICA members the registration fee is 650 € and 600 € respectively. If a registered non-member’s institution becomes a member of ICA in 2023 the membership subscription for 2023 will be reduced by 150 €.

The deadline for registration is Monday 10 October. Registration cannot be cancelled free of charge after 10 October.

The Registration fee includes:

All meals from the start of the Forum with the Reception on the evening of Wednesday 19 October until departure on the Friday.

Registration is managed by the ICA Secretariat. The ICA Secretariat will send you an invoice once the Secretariat has received your online registration form.

More information

Teaching visit in the University of Palermo under ERASMUS+ teaching mobility program

Vytautas Magnus University Agriculture Academny (VMU AA) prof. dr. Eglė Jotautienė and assoc. prof. dr. Antanas Juostas visited the University of Palermo (UNIPA), the Department of Agricultural, Food and Forest Sciences (SAAF) under ERASMUS+ teaching mobility program (Staff Mobility for Teaching). Universities have close collaboration in ERASMUS+ visits exchange, project activities and participation at international conferences.

UNIPA is an acknowledged public academic institution in Central-Western Sicily with 5 schools (Medicine and Surgery; Polytechnic; Law, Social and Economic Sciences; Base and Applied Sciences; Humanities and Cultural Heritage) and 20 departments, which cover the most important domains of scientific and technological knowledge.

Scientists E. Jotautienė and A. Juostas presented study programmes and ERASMUS+ mobility possibilities in VMU AA and gave lectures for bachelor and master degree students on topic “Innovative technologies in agrimachinery”.

During the visit scientists participated at XII AIIA Conference “Biosystem Engineering towards the Green Deal. Improving the resilience of agriculture, forestry and food systems in the post-Covid era”, held in UNIPA, where scientists presented two presentations on the topics “Enviromental Impact Assessment of Hydroponically grown Wheat Green Fodder” and “Legal framework for autonomuos machinery”.

During the visit organization of studies, teaching methodology, methodology of final theses preparation and final results, material study base, communication culture of teachers and students in UNIPA were introduced. The gained experience will be useful in adopting the best practices of the studies at VMU AA.

Professor dr. Eglė Jotautienė

ERASMUS+ teaching visit to the Czech University of Life Sciences

On September 19-23 Vytautas Magnus University Agriculture Academy (VMU AA) professor of Faculty of engineering dr. Algirdas Jasinskas and professor of Faculty of agronomy dr. Kęstutis Romaneckas visited the Czech University of Life Sciences in Prague under the ERASMUS+ training program.

At the university researchers gave lectures to students of various levels on the topics of agricultural sustainability, cyclicality and multi-crop cultivation of biomass for energy. SScientists also gave presentations every three times at the international scientific conference “TAE 2022”. Two papers were published in the CA WOS Conference Proceedings.

During the visit, contacts with researchers and teachers at the university were renewed, English language skills were improved, active participation in the “AgroEco-2022” and “Rural Development-2023” conferences to be held at VMU AA were discussed.

During the visit to the Czech Republic, professors A. Jasinskas and K. Romaneckas were happy to have the opportunity to visit the historical places of Prague.

Distinguished Speakers in 13th international scientific conference “Accounting and Finance for Business 2022: Towards Sustainability”

The 13^th international scientific conference “Accounting and Finance for Business 2022: Towards Sustainability” will be held on 10-11^th of November, 2022 at the Vytautas Magnus University Agriculture Academy (Kaunas, Lithuania), Faculty of Bioeconomy Development. This year, the Conference will be held online. Conference languages – English and Lithuanian.

The conference is intended to bring together accounting and finance researchers to share experience and business-relevant research results. The main aim of the conference is to present and discuss innovative and sustainability-oriented trends in accounting and finance science, to share new approaches that are important for increasing business competitiveness and efficiency and promoting partnerships between small and medium-sized businesses and the public sector.

November 10^th 9 a.m. speakers with extensive experience in scientific and practical activities will give presentations in the plenary session (English language) of the conference:

Prof. Kaja Tampere – BIOTeacher and scientist in the communication field: organisational communication and public relations, health communication and bullying, organisational culture and corporate social responsibility, sustainability and legitimacy. Kaja works as a professor in Jyväskylä (Finland) and in Tallinn University and Tartu University (Estonia). Author of many scientific articles. Presentation topic: Corporate social responsibility developments in post-communist countries: towards organizations social legitimacy.

Prof. Catalin N. Albu – professor of Accounting with the Bucharest University of Economic Studies, Romania, where conducts research and teaches in several areas of accounting, with a focus on the application of western models in emerging economies. Catalin’s research has been published in Accounting, Auditing and Accountability Journal, Critical Perspectives on Accounting, Accounting Forum, Accounting and Business Research, Australian Accounting Review, and Journal of Accounting in Emerging Economies, among others. Professor serves as Associate Editor of the Journal of International Accounting, Auditing and Taxation and as member of the editorial board of Accounting Forum. Catalin is the Chair of the External Relations Committee of the European Accounting Association and acts as Vice-President Conferences for the International Association for Accounting Education and Research (IAAER). Presentation topic: A new role for accountants: the case of NFR reporting in former communist countries.

Dr. Juliette E. Torabian – the author of “Wealth, values, culture & education: reviving the essentials for equality and sustainability” published by Springer. A specialist in comparative higher education, the deputy team leader in H2020 PIONEERED and a Postdoctoral researcher in sociology of education at University of Luxembourg, Faculty of Humanities, Education and Social Sciences. Juliette is also a senior expert in international development and education with 25 years of experience in strategic planning, policy making and analysis, and capacity building. Juliette is on the editorial board of the Journal of International and Comparative Higher Education and the journal of Sustainability and Climate change. She has an interdisciplinary academic background and 15 years of lecturing experience in pedagogy, gender and human rights, environment, sustainable development, and ethics in business in universities in France, Switzerland and Luxembourg. Presentation topic: Ethics and sustainability in business: the role of higher education.

Rolandas Kubilius – the senior project manager of consulting and auditing company PwC. Rolandas has 14 years of experience in consulting business organizations – he advises company managers, shareholders and investors in making business-relevant decisions. Ronaldas is currently leading PwC Lietuva’s ESG services team and helps businesses solve challenges related to this area. Ronaldas also regularly speaks at events and writes articles and insights for the media on ESG. Presentation topic: Sustainability reports and standards: changes in legal regulation.

November 11^th 9 a.m. conference participants are invited to the discussion (Lithuanian language) “What are the risks for a business importing or exporting goods if financial and accounting specialists do not have the necessary customs knowledge?”. During the discussion, Enrika Naujokė (Customs Practitioners Association), Ingrida Kemežienė (Law firm “Ellex Valiūnas ir partneriai”), Monika Bielskienė (UAB “PricewaterhouseCoopers”) will share their insights.

November 11^th 9 a.m. a special session (English language) “A Digital Learning Platform for Generation Z: Passport to IFRS©” will be organized, which will be moderated by prof. dr. Aylin Poroy Arsoy (Bursa Uludag University).

We invite you to register and participate in the conference.

Registration of speakers and submission of abstracts until October 3^rd 2022!!!

Details can be found on the conference website: https://afk.vdu.lt/en

Erasmus Days ’22: International Mobility Possibilities. Erasmus+ with a Cup of Coffee at VMU AA

The International Cooperation Department of Vytautas Magnus University team invites you to participate in the traditional “Erasmus Days’22” events on September 27-29! During them mobility opportunities will be presented, students’ experiences will be shared, competitions and fun initiatives will be held both, virtually and live. Hesitating where to go? Join, listen, and choose your direction! A special meeting and conversation about exchange with a cup of coffee is organized for students of Vytautas Magnus University Agricultural Academy (VMU AA).

Special “Erasmus Days’22” event for VMU AA students

On September 28 from 10.00 to 12.00, there will be an event “Erasmus+ with a Cup of Coffee” specially for VDU ŽŪA students (at VMU Agriculture Academy Central Building 217 auditorium (Studentų str. 11, Akademija, Kaunas district). VMU AA international activity coordinators invite all students to come for a different format consultation about exchange opportunities with a cup of coffee. Each student will receive all the necessary information about exchange opportunities, the best advice and recommendations of the coordinators. The organizers promise interesting conversations, good emotions, great atmosphere and delicacies!

All Erasmus Days’22 events

From the 27th to the 29th of September, Erasmus Days will feature inspiring presentations, helpful consultations, and an introduction to life-changing mobility opportunities worldwide.

VMU ICD invites all students to come for a different consultation format on exchange opportunities. Students participating in “Erasmus+ with a cup of coffee” will be able to learn more about the opportunities offered by Erasmus+ programme while enjoying a cup of coffee. Moreover, each student will get all the information they need about the exchange programmes, the best tips, and recommendations from the coordinators. We promise fun conversations, good emotions, a great atmosphere, and snacks!

During International Fair, you will meet with your peers who have already experienced different exchange programmes abroad. It’s a unique chance to contact current students directly and ask for their advice. Live meetings with other students will help you realize the contexts you have never heard of before. As a result, you will get certainty in your decision and confirm or refute your choice.

Haven’t you decided on your next destination yet? We are here to help you! Join us during the Presentation of Exchange Possibilities and learn about all the opportunities for VMU students. Coordinators of the International Cooperation Department will present the exchange opportunities in EU/EEA and non-EU/EEA countries, international traineeships, and much more!

Thinking about studying exchange abroad, but still have some doubts about which country or university to choose. Then the Presentation of Outgoing Students is just right for you! During this event, you will be able to learn about the former VMU exchange student’s experiences, tips, and tricks on choosing the university and destination for your studies.

Join us in a fun team event about Erasmus mobility while exploring the city and doing various tasks and games during Mobility Hunt with ESN VMU. Whether you have already done, are currently doing, or are interested in going on exchange, this event should be a fun way to test your knowledge or learn something new about the wonderful world of the Erasmus programme. And of course, maybe make some new friends while trying to be the fastest to win a prize.

Programme

More information about exchange studies

VMU AA scientists visited the international conference “EcoMod 2022” and did an internship at the University of Ljubljana

Vytautas Magnus University Agriculture Academy (VMU AA) chancellor prof. dr. Astrida Miceikienė and PhD student Laima Skauronė participated in the international scientific conference on economic modeling and data science “EcoMod 2022” and did an internship at the University of Ljubljana (Slovenia).

The international scientific conference “EcoMod” every year takes place in a different country. The purpose of the conference is to promote the exchange of ideas and experiences among scientists of economics and other scientific fields, PhD students, representatives of international organizations and researchers conducting quantitative studies of policy and decision-making in the public and private sectors. The topics of the conference were focused on several areas of applied modeling and data science research: labor market issues, regional modeling, trade and regional integration, developing countries, optimization models, public finance and tax issues, etc.

The research of co-authors prof. dr. A. Miceikienė, PhD student L. Skauronė, assoc. prof. dr. Remigijus Žalkauskas “Increasing the financial independence of Lithuanian rural municipalities by applying the spatial modeling method” was presented at the conference. The presenter was prof. dr. A. Miceikienė. Scientists appreciate the opportunity to participate in this conference and scientific discussions. “This is a great conference! We had the opportunity to gain an exceptional experience from scientists and researchers from various countries, who presented research in the field of economic science and the latest modeling methods used in them”, says L. Skauronė.

During the visit, competences in the application of econometric methods in scientific research were also improved, and the latest trends in economic modeling in economic and public finance research were familiarized. At the Faculty of Public Administration of the University of Ljubljana, the latest trends in didactics were discussed, and the case study teaching method was examined. The experience of how to ensure the transfer of knowledge and its quality to students in the modern international study environment, focusing on student achievements and learning progress, has also been gain.

During the meeting with the administration of the Faculty of Public Administration, the situation, problems, and possibilities of the preparation of international projects (Erasmus, Horizon Europa, Interreg, etc.) in the topics of financial independence of the government were discussed and preliminary research directions were formed.

4th International Scientific Conference AgroEco2022

We kindly invite You to participate in the 4^th International Scientific Conference AgroEco2022: Agroecosystem Sustainability: Links between Carbon Sequestration in Soils, Food Security and Climate Change which will be held at Vytautas Magnus University Agriculture Academy (VMU AA), Lithuania, on October 26–27^th, 2022.

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

Conference Programme and abstracts

More information about the Conference

Poster template

Template for abstract

REGISTRATION until October 15^th. Late registration until October 20^th.

Abstract submission is extended until 15^th October.

E-mail for inquiries: agroeco@vdu.lt

We are looking forward to seeing you at the conference!

Organisers of AGROECO2022

Forest fire research in Lithuania – what does the synergy of science and nature reveal?

Southern Illinois University professor Charles Ruffner, who visited the Vytautas Magnus University Agriculture Academy (VMU AA), together with the Academy’s dr. Michael Manton and colleagues are researching Lithuania’s forest fire history and show that trees can tell an important story.

“I would say this August trip is a follow on to my earlier spring trip, where dr. M. Manton and I, along with a colleague from the United States had started our second wave of this fire history research. We visited and selected several new forest sites including stands in Anyksiai, Kazlu-Ruda, Varėna, Prienai, and Dubrava with visible fire scars collecting >150 new samples. We have been working all summer to date them and I am really here to conduct what is called cross-dating or cross checking the fire dates and signature years, to validate our research results. You always want to have two sets of eyes, essentially, so there’s a positive check, and that is what we have been doing all morning in the lab. As far as this trip, it is just for quality assurance, really, quality control of our dataset and to continue building our collaboration between SIU and VMU. Over the next couple of months, dr. M. Manton and I will be working on an upcoming presentation at the Natural Areas Conference and a future publication on Lithuania’s forest fire history in these newly sampled areas.

“At the same time, we also want to build for the future. We have plans that include a joint PhD student. We also want to visit a few more sites in Lithuania to assess opportunities for possible future studies as well. Our first study started down in the Dzūkija National Park. From that first sampling, we published a paper on the fire history of the forest landscape and now endeavour to expand our research to other regions of Lithuania. I would hope that dr. M. Manton and I will continue working together over the next decade and have a really nice fire history chronology for the entire country of Lithuania,” said Ch. Ruffner.

Having become a frequent guest in Lithuania, the professor noticed that the condition of our country’s forests is good: the trees look healthy, there are many of them. “From a very cursory look at the forest it looks very healthy. You fly over the country and it just looks beautiful from the air. Being an American, I see things that kind of make me scratch my head because I may not understand why forestry does certain practices here. There are always regional differences in how forestry is practiced. But I fell in love with the country in 2017 because of the wonderful forest, the history of the culture, and, of course, the friendly relations. I do not know if that answers your question, but in my assessment, it appears Lithuanians are very connected to their forests. For instance, there is probably growing concerns with wildfire hazards, and the growing incidence of fire, with climate change. But that’s what we are setting out to do, is to see what role fire has played in the forests of Lithuania in the past. I certainly think there is a current role for fire, but convincing the administration, the ministry, and the foresters, that fire is an appropriate management tool right now is probably a decade down the road before we convince a lot of foresters to put fire on the ground.” And it has taken a long time in America for that shift to change as well. This year wildfires have been devastating in Spain, Portugal, Germany, the Czech Republic and France. Poland even had a couple of fires. It seems like Lithuania is outside of that realm at the moment,“ noticed the professor.

Proposing a question about the future trends regarding forest fires and the fire rate of the broader world, professor Ch. Ruffner questioned whether it is both climate change and/or mismanagement of the forest matrix. He added: “I would say it is probably a synergy of both those factors because you have taken fire as a natural disturbance off of the landscape, by suppressing all the fires since World War II. Across Europe due to both climate and forest management, we have a backlog of missed fires that should have been happening regularly, but have not which has caused an increase in fuel loading. Now all of a sudden, these fires are starting and potentially have high fire risk. And it is not that we are having more fires. The thing is that the effects of those fires are more devastating because we have had 60 years of effective fire control, and fuel build up in the forest., and thus when fire does occur, you have a catastrophic fire instead of just a normal fire that would move through the understory of a forest. I think the conditions are different now as far as the amount of fuel loading. Maybe it is a little bit drier, but yeah, it is hard to say what is driving it.”

“And of course, the differences between southern Europe and northern Europe, they are pretty incomparable in terms of forest types and climate,” added dr. M. Manton.

Prof. Ch. Ruffner showed a sample of what it is called a fire scar cookie which is piece of wood taken as a sample from the living tree. Professor explained further: “The tree is still living, but you look at the tree and you see this dead spot. There is another live piece over here. A fire occurred here in 1947, and it didn’t kill the entire tree. It only kills a certain portion of the growing tissue. And then through time, that tree will heal over that wound. The fire scar and the tree rings can show you what is happening in the forest, in terms of fires and climate. Trees are great storytellers. They capture this in their tree rings. And once you date this stuff, you can identify when the fires occur with the seasonality, and the relative frequency between fires? Is it driven by climate? OR Is it driven by human activities? Those are some of the questions that we can answer about the forest sites we have selected to study.”

“We can say from our first study in Dzūkija that cultural events were responsible for the rich fire history, like World War I, World War II and the Soviet era. You can clearly see there was partisan uprising and subsequent forest disturbances,” said dr. M. Manton.

Professor Ch. Ruffner conducts research on the history of forest fires not only in Lithuania, but also in other countries. “My main research area is North America. But I have been lucky enough to work in places like the Dominican Republic, and Afghanistan. Interestingly, virtually everywhere I have worked, fire is a natural forest component. In some places it is very frequent, other places it is less frequent. But it is a natural component of all the landscapes I have worked on.

According to the scientist, research into the history of forest fires requires a lot of careful work. “It is a big process, kind of understanding where it started out with dr. M. Manton. It’s just like understanding the ecology of the site because the location, topography, weather, soils, they drive natural forest disturbances. There is a natural component of the ecosystem, but then you add humans to that, and you have a human component that drives fires as well. Fire in Lithuania is either caused by lightning, or humans and trying to figure out that interaction is very interesting. That part has always been fun, honestly, this kind of work that we are doing now, is like using a hand lens and microscope. It is not all that exciting work, but it is necessary to make sure that you have good quality control and good statistics,” said Ch. Ruffner.

How did prof. Ch. Ruffner start collaboration with VMU AA? And I hate to say this in an interview but coming to Lithuania was almost an afterthought. It was not on my targeted list of countries to visit, honestly. But our university and VMU have an interesting relationship over the years. A colleague of mine, dr. Andrew Carver had a Lithuanian PhD student during the early 2000s. According to dr. M. Manton, the partnership between Southern Illinois University and VMU spans several decades (1990). “More recently, collaboration between VMU and SUI has become active. In 2017, Professor dr. Gediminas Brazaitis and two PhD students were invited to go to Southern Illinois University and attended a summer school on forest management. Subsequently Ch. Ruffner was presented with the opportunity to visit VMU and Lithuania through the ERASMUS program. Through these visits we have built a strong educational and research collaboration. So I was aware of Lithuanian forestry, but never really got into it until 2016 when prof. dr. Gediminas Brazaitis visited SIU. The very next spring was 2017 and that was my first trip to Lithuania. It just like, pulled the blinders off and I fell in love Lithuania. We have built a great working relationship. I plan to continue my working relationship with Lithuania and VMU for the next decade or so, and it just seems like a very rich place to work as far as the resources here. People are very willing to work with me on Lithuania’s fire history and sustainable forest management,” said prof. Ch. Ruffner. “When prof. Ch. Ruffner first come, everyone says, go to Dzūkija because it is a big dry Pine forest landscape. So that is why our initial fire history research targeted Dzūkija. But then we also did some mapping of the forest site type to look at the soil moisture and soil fertility that gives an indicator of the natural fire frequencies and how often fire should occur. Thus, we have also focused on the driest forest sites spread through Lithuania as they should have the most rich fire histories. In reality, we did have some target areas.

We had our first paper published this year. As a part of the Naturalit Life project lead by Prof. dr. G. Brazaitis at VMU, Prof. Ch. Ruffner was one of the key presenters and panel members for the, Baltic forest fire Conference in Spring 2021” said dr. M. Manton. “More than 500 people from around the world attended this online event. It was a big event, I mean it is like one of the biggest conferences on forest fire that I have attended,” added prof. Ch. Ruffner.

“In 2019, we had a fire meeting down in Dzūkija attended by 75 people from the forest industry. We had an indoor talk and did a workshop in the field. So, we are continuing to keep building our collaboration and research network. Prof. Ch. Ruffner came in April with Brian Van Winkle who is also forester in the US as part of an Erasmus scheme. Brian was here on his own self-funded trip. So that was amazing. And now dr. M. Manton has received ERASMUS funding to visit prof. Ch. Ruffner and SIU this October.

According to prof. Ch. Ruffner and dr. M. Manton the interest of scientific communities in researching the history of forest fires is constantly growing. “Certainly, at our university (SIU), since I teach a lot of fire, a lot of our students are very interested. However, world events of recent years have also affected the plans of scientists. “It has been very difficult actually with COVID-19 and the events in Ukraine. In 2021, prof. Ch. Ruffner had a summer camp arranged for 15-20 students from SIU to visit Lithuania for two weeks. However, that was cancelled due to COVID-19, then in 2022 another summer school was planned, but because of Russia’s attack on Ukraine and the high tension in Europe that was also cancelled. We will endeavour to get this camp happening again. The fact that I’ve gotten two classes full of students to come here, even though they have not actually done shows there is interest in Lithuania and its forest landscape. But it all comes down to funding availability. There is definitely enough in Lithuania for students to see and learn about. Hopefully in October we can generate a bit of interest in Lithuania and VMU with SIU’s students and we can plan another summer school,” said dr. M. Manton.

Finally, we would like to develop a dendrochronology lab here at VMU by continuing to build our research. The study of tree ring growth in time. Currently we are also looking to develop a joint masters and PhD candidate positions to help enable a long-term study program here at VMU and kind of put it on the map. I mean, the university is already on the map, but not from a dendrochronological standpoint,” said prof. Ch. Ruffner. Any prospective PhD candidates should contact Prof. Ruffner or dr. Manton. Eventually we are also hoping prof. Ch. Ruffner can visit VMU for a sabbatical,” said dr. M. Manton.

Greetings from VMU AA Chancellor on September 1st

We welcome September 1st – the Day of Science and Knowledge – with an uplifted mood, excitement in our hearts and determination to achieve our goals with a new strength. Together we can do more – students, feeling the support of a friend and teacher, can achieve better study results, scientists, focused on research teams, can implement even more important projects. We are a unique community, famous for Lithuanian sincerity and hard work. Let’s be proud of it and continue this tradition.

Dear students, be brave and persistent, hardworking and creative! We are happy and trust you, because you are ambassadors, who will carry the name of the Academy and the knowledge gained there far into the future. I believe that studies are not always easy. However, you have repeatedly proven your determination to maintain the chosen direction in pursuit of education in the most needed areas for the future. I wish you the best evaluation for your hard work, sincere cooperation with teachers and fellow students. I congratulate you on your decision to become leaders and innovators and I wish you the best of luck in creating a green, sustainable and rich future!

As we welcome the September 1st holiday, we are with the entire academic community of Ukraine in our hearts, who are not experiencing festive joy, but the tragedy caused by the aggressor. We are happy to welcome first-year Ukrainian students to our community and wish them to use the acquired knowledge for the benefit of Ukraine, a homeland that has won peace!

Chancellor of VMU Agriculture Academy professor dr. Astrida Miceikiene