Research reveal that around 80% of graduates applying for job after studies lack soft skills: written and verbal communication skills, team working abilities and even punctuality. This conclusion was made after data analysis of more than 40 thousand employers all over the world. Also, according to researchers, more than 90% of employers think that the greatest challenge of today’s job market is the lack of soft, not technical skills.

“In the past decade, populist parties throughout the world have become major political players. New populist political parties emerged and, at the same time, different variations of nativism and nationalist populist rhetoric have become common among mainstream left- and right-wing parties. In some cases, populist parties have been associated with anti-democratic movements, while in other cases, populists claim to reinvigorate democracy”, Szabolcs Pogonyi, Associate Professor in the Nationalism Studies Program at Central European University (CEU) says.

The importance of science in solving problems of modern society is undeniable. For example, one of the most challenging aspects of contemporary society is ageing. Humanity faces particular challenges with an aging society – from health monitoring and non-invasive diagnosis to improving everyday life of the elderly. Biomedical engineering is a field of science, which is acknowledging these challenges, while trying to find the best solutions. In recent years, numerous new technological solutions have been made in Lithuania.

As authoritative regulator for medicines in Europe, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) ensures that medicines which are prescribed and used across the European Union (EU) are safe, effective and of good quality. The best scientific experts made available through the European regulatory network for medicines carefully evaluate each new medicine and only recommend its authorisation if the benefits for the patients outweigh the risks of possible side effects.

July 27th was the day we had to say goodbye to our dear students from VGTU – CALPOLY summer school of 2017. Students left Lithuania with the best possible memories: not only they passed all of their exams, but also they saw lot of Lithuania‘s beauty! Both American and Lithuanian students had to study a lot! In five weeks they studied computer calculations, programming, technical reporting, analysed statically indeterminate structures using virtual work, slope deflection and the force method, analysed structural systems using approximate methods and influence lines.

An intern from Hong Kong currently working at VMU interviewed a number of international full-time students and asked them to explain the reasons for choosing studies at Vytautas Magnus University. This series of articles, “Why VMU?”, presents their thoughts.

Kaunas University of Technology (KTU) has already received more than 800 applications from overseas students for the academic year 2017/2018. This number grew by almost 30 percent from the last year.

You have probably noticed freshly green-painted portions of pavements and streets across Kaunas centre. This is to signify the new Kaunas municipality initiative – Kaunas is aiming to become the first 100% bike-friendly city in the Baltics.

Burning Man is the biggest festival in the world described as an experiment in community and art with the main focus on creativity. Every year over 70 000 participants from all over the world erect a temporary city in the Black Rock Desert in Nevada. This year Lithuanians will not only be part of the event, but also shall present an art installation “Dance for the Dawn”. The festival provided grants to 75 projects, which were selected from 550 applications. The Lithuanian installation is one of seven to represent Europe.

The Lithuanian installation “Dance for the Dawn" is a 4-meter high and 7-meter wide eye with 300 hands rotating in the centre to portray a hypnotising eye. “Dance for the Dawn" is a joint “Burning Man LT” and VGTU’s “LinkMenų Fabrikas” project. The team of engineers, photo and video professionals, designers and students has been working on this project for four months now at VGTU’s creativity and innovation centre “LinkMenų Fabrikas”.

“The whole concept symbolizes our unity and living in synchronous harmony. Watching the sunrise together brings us closer to the root values and reveals Burning Man 2017 art theme – Radical Ritual,” explained the author of the idea Karolis Misevičius. He shared that that the initial idea for the installation was born during previous festival when meeting sunrise in the desert.

Karolis offered engineers and designers at VGTU’s “LinkMenų Fabrikas” to take on the project together. “We have met each other last autumn, when together with the Lithuanian Burning Man community we organised delivery of 300 used bicycles from the place of the festival in 2016 to Lithuania to give them a second life. Then Karolis shared his ideas for the next year. We had the first sketches in winter and in spring we learned that our application received the Burning Man Art Grant to cover part of the project’s costs,” described Eglė Girdzijauskaitė ‎Vice Director at VGTU "LinkMenų fabrikas" and the project’s representative for communication.

During Burning Man festival, all infrastructure needed for the temporary Black Rock city is created in Nevada desert. But after 7 days the city of 70 000 temporary inhabitants vanishes without a trace of any human activity. Thousands of modern art installations are constructed during the festival. All participants commit to the values of the community. The event starts on the last Monday midnight in August and the epicentre of the event takes place on Saturday after the sunset by burning huge wooden statue of a man.

The authors of the Lithuanian installation admit that this project is challenging in every possible way. “We had overcome many challenges to convert our fantasy into drawings, and then to give a body to a 4-meter high and 7-meter wide installation. Later we had to ensure that it moves and operates the way it should, but most importantly it has to withstand the temperature fluctuations and sand storms,” shares Mykolas Bistrickas the project’s engineering manager from VGTU’s "LinkMenų fabrikas".

In the end of August, the Lithuanian team shall travel from Vilnius to San Francisco and then to the Black Rock desert where they will set up a camp and start construction of the installation. Part of the installation – the metal iris of the eye – has already reached the USA in June. The rest of the installation – the wooden frame and 300 rotating hands – shall be assembled by the team on the desert.

www.vgtu.lt

The latest research on the impact of Erasmus+ programme has revealed that participation in international exchange programmes enhances employability of the participants by 14%. They are able to find jobs faster and easier than students who did not participate in exchange programmes. Also experience of studying abroad gives an advantage for those who want to work for international organisations or multinational companies.