Education plays a crucial role in helping women and girls achieve equality. Little wonder then that it was chosen as the theme of this year's International Women's Day. In the run-up to this annual day on 8 March, the Parliament is organising several events to highlight access to education in developing countries and the gap between women's high level of education in the EU and the professional opportunities available to them afterwards. Follow the events live on our website.

VU had an honourable guest – Amir Maimon, Israel's first ambassador to Lithuania last week.

There are plenty of digital opportunities waiting to be unlocked to benefit European citizens and companies. From shopping or studying online, to paying bills or using public services over the Internet – the Web is the answer, if the right conditions are in place. This is the conclusion of a new Digital Economy and Society Index developed by the European Commission and released today. Data shows that the picture of how digital countries are varies across the EU and that borders remain an obstacle to a fully-fledged Digital Single Market – one of the top priorities of the Juncker Commission.

Last week Tina Haase, the Professor of München University and the Head of Fine Arts Department, visited Vilnius Gediminas Technical University (VGTU) and conducted creative workshops there. The Professor delivered an intensive course on "Artistic creations as a form of space perception" for VGTU third course students of architecture.

For the 6th year in a row, Lithuania retained its leading position in Europe in terms of the fibre-optic (FTTH) Internet network penetration in 2014. According to the global ranking, Lithuania comes in the 8th place, the annual report of the FTTH Council Europe shows.

Recently Gregory Feifer, GlobalPost European Unit editor and a former Moscow correspondent for National Public Radio visited VU Institute of International Relations and Political Science. Presenting his book, G. Feifer gave a lecture on "Russians: The People behind the Power". US journalist revealed his point of view on the reasons why the Russian population still supports the country's authoritarian leader who has destroyed democracy and has started a new cold war with the West.

On Wednesday, 25th of February, at 6 pm, Asier Blas Mendoza, professor of University of Basque Country, will give a public lecture at VMU Building No. 3 (Donelaičio Str. 52, Room 422) entitled The Eruption of New Political Parties in Spain: the Phenomenon of "Podemos".

Feb. 26th-27th, 2015, in MRU's I-414 aud., the international conference, "Paradigmatic Changes in the Thinking of Society: Lithuania and European Area," will be held on campus.

The UN's International Mother Language Day is marked every 21 February to promote linguistic and cultural diversity around the world. Diversity is the bedrock of Europe's cultural heritage, so the EU is keen to also protect linguistic diversity. The EU boast 24 official languages, but how many of them can you recognise?

BA Education, Science and Culture Committee members together with representatives of the Lithuanian Ministry of National Defence, education institutions, and other experts meeting in Šiauliai University analysed public security and defence matters and considered including the subject into educational programmes of the Baltic States.