The 10th of June saw the opening of Saulėtekis (Sunrise) Valley's brand new Technology and Innovation Centre. Scientists in the centre will develop unique inventions and cutting edge technologies for use worldwide.

Recently the results of Lithuanian study and research institutions' assessment by international experts were publicised. Although there can be various interpretations of the results, according to the director of Kaunas University of Technology (KTU) Department of Research Leonas Balaševičius, it adds international visibility to Lithuanian research.

VU has been invited to join the Coimbra Group as of 1 January 2016 – the network of prestigious European universities. The decision to accept VU into the group was approved unanimously by the Coimbra Group members during the General Assembly in Istanbul. The first and the only University from Lithuania also the second in the Baltics after the University of Tartu – the offered membership demonstrates a significant recognition of the VU authority internationally.

Bendable and transparent smart phones, lighter air planes... All this and much more could soon become reality thanks to graphene. On 2 June, MEPs discussed with experts the potential of using the wonder material in various sectors, from electronics to health. Nobel Prize laureate Konstantin Novoselov, who co-discovered graphene, said: "Science is the easy part. To develop a technology, you should know what products you are aiming at, and this should be coming from the industry."

Take part in our new guest photographer contest, inspired by 2015 being the European Year for Development. Every month until September we will be announcing a different topic linked to development. Send us your photo inspired by the theme of that month, along with the submission form and you could be invited to Strasbourg to make a photo reportage.

Here are some questions to you. Are you a student coming to study in Lithuania or are you just interested in Lithuania and the Lithuanian language? Maybe you value the experience of highly qualified professionals and enjoy creative work? Or maybe you are interested in meeting interesting people from other countries?

2015 June 4–5 the kick-off meeting of the project HEALTH-TECH is taking place at Kaunas University of Technology (KTU) Santaka Valley. The project is aimed at founding a centre of excellence for healthy ageing. The scientists from KTU (the project coordinator), Lithuanian University of Health Sciences and Vilnius University together with two Scandinavian institutions – Lund University and VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland – collaborate on the project together. During the first stage the business plan of the centre and the plan for its sustainable activities will be created.

During round table discussions at Vilnius Gediminas Technical University (VGTU), the representatives of business and science decided that business sector should contribute more to the training of young professionals. In order to improve practical skills of young aviation mechanics and avionics technicians, on June 1st, 2015, Vilnius Gediminas Technical University (VGTU) signed a contract with company "Kaunas Aircraft Maintenance Services'', carrying out ''Ryanair'' aircraft maintenance. The Cooperation Agreement was signed by Alfonsas Daniūnas, the Rector of Vilnius Gediminas Technical University and Karolis Čepukas, the Director of ''Kaunas Aircraft Maintenance Services''.

Last Wednesday (3rd June) community of Polish schools in Lithuania attended the Mass in the Church of the Holy Spirit in Vilnius to pray for the protection and development of the Polish education in Lithuania.

After postgraduate studies at Kaunas University of Technology (KTU), job search for Chris James, a graduate from India, did not take long. The talented student is now working in the largest city of one of the world's richest countries – the United Arab Emirates (UAE) – Dubai. According to Chris, KTU diploma added value to his CV and helped him in getting a job he wanted.