For the fourth year in a row, the Vilnius University Students’ Representation (VU SR) Integration Festival “Ad Astra” invites you to start the new academic year actively. The courtyards of Vilnius University will echo with discussions, various activities, a contact fair and music. We invite you to remember where the stars rise from and get to know the planned activities better.

We’re starting the autumn semester strong with our Boundless Beginnings Welcome Week, which kicks off on Monday, August 28. Welcome Week is the best way to connect with your fellow students and discover resources and organisations across the KTU campus.

29, 30, 32… – these are not random numbers, but the efficiency of solar cells, measured by the percentage of incidental sunlight they convert into electrical power. The ellipsis at the end of the line is also not a coincidence, as the efficiency of tandem solar cells has already exceeded 32%. “There is a kind of race going on among research teams around the world. In the last year, the solar cell efficiency record has been broken three or four times, it’s just the publication of scientific papers that takes time,” says Dr Artiom Magomedov, a researcher at KTU.

Last year, the newly renovated KTU dormitory No.10 opened its doors. At the moment, the renovation of the surrounding area is being carried out – the campus meets the new academic year with a facelift.

For two weeks, participants of the Erasmus+ program project "Makeademy" sought an answer to this question. Students from Lithuania, Latvia, Denmark, Spain, and Italy attended an intensive summer school, where they learned techniques for problem identification, idea generation, and solution finding. Ultimately, utilizing rapid prototyping and using electronic waste provided by the company "EMP Recycling," the students developed solutions to identified problems. The summer school was hosted by Vilnius Gediminas Technical University (VILNIUS TECH) Creative and Innovation Center "LinkMenų fabrikas".

From the 18th to the 21st of July, the Arqus Summer School "Enhancing Students' learning using appropriate assessment strategies" took place in Puvočiai, Lithuania. This event marked the inaugural summer school for teaching staff organized within Arqus, providing an invaluable opportunity for participants from diverse partner universities to convene for three days of learning and exchanging ideas about assessment in higher education. Thirty educators from six universities of the „Arqus“ Alliance attended Summer School.

“The war in Ukraine has already been going on for a year and a half, with the media constantly highlighting possible threats to the nuclear power plants that might arise there. During the first months of the war, they reported how the power plant operators were setting up fortifications in the vicinity of Chernobyl (interestingly, had they realised the possible threats to their own health?), however lately, there are increasing discussions regarding possible preparations to blow up the reactors of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (NPP), the largest nuclear power plant in Europe. Even the relocation of military machinery and its use in such an undertaking is very dangerous, let alone the setting up of explosives. It is hard to comprehend”, said Assoc. Prof. Donatas Austys, a lecturer from the Department of Public Health at the Institute of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, at Vilnius University and a member of certification commission at the Radiation Protection Centre, when discussing the risks of an accident at the Zaporizhzhia NPP.

"VILNIUS TECH – CAL POLY 2023" International Engineering Summer School is currently in full swing at the university. Students from California State Polytechnic University (CalPoly) and Vilnius Gediminas Technical University (VILNIUS TECH) are engaged in intensive studies focused on architectural engineering subjects. The lectures and practical sessions are delivered by professors Edmond Saliklis and Peter Laursen from Cal Poly. We had a chat with the professors about the Summer School and their experiences in Vilnius so far.

Today’s labour market is heavily influenced by various changes and challenges. Companies aim to attract new talents, while universities seek to prepare young people to adapt more quickly to the labour market after graduation. One of such successful examples is the collaboration between KTU and Hostinger. Recently, KTU GIFTed students had to dive deep into the challenges presented by Hostinger and present business solutions on the topics of employer branding, employee experience and Hostinger Academy topics.

On the occasion of Vilnius' 700th Anniversary, Vilnius University Business School presents a gift: an artwork inspired by Lithuanian nature. The piece, created by artist Mykolé, is part of her collection titled "Enveloped Forest" and has been brought to life on the facade of Vilnius University Business School. The inspiration for this artwork comes from the annual spring flooding of the Žalgiriai Forest in the Nemunas Delta.