The latest issue (No. 33) of Vilnius University’s (VU) popular science magazine, Spectrum, has just been published.

March 30th, 2021, Mykolas Romeris University (MRU) Rector Prof. Inga Žalėnienė, presented the results of the University's activities in 2020. Among the most important University achievements in 2020 were the smooth transition to distance learning, a growing number of applicants, better research and innovation performance, special attention to the development of the university internationalization, start of implementation of sustainable activities strategy, community well-being and other significant social projects.

Kaunas University of Technology (KTU) hosted the second international teaching week Global Faculty Week 2021 organised by the International Relations Department (IRD), where over 60 lecturers from 25 countries gave lectures to hundreds of students in all the faculties and different study programmes. KTU lecturers gladly agreed to integrate the lectures of foreign professors into the modules they teach.

On 1 April Vilnius University (VU)celebrated its 442nd anniversary. This year, like last year, one of Europe’s oldest universities celebrated its birthday differently than usual due to the threat of coronavirus. It offered virtual celebration initiatives to its community and the public.

Professors Luigi Di Sarno and Alessandro Tarantino who work at University of Strathclyde and are known all over the world for their scientific achievements will give lectures for the students of Faculty of Civil Engineering, VILNIUS TECH.

Considering the importance of science and information technologies, this week the Second Investigation Department (AOTD) under the Ministry of National Defence and Kaunas University of Technology (KTU) signed a cooperation agreement. This is the first such agreement signed by the Lithuanian military intelligence during its thirty years of operation.

The State Security Department of the Republic of Lithuania has recently presented an assessment of national security threats to the public. It states that in 2020 there were many instances of cyber-attacks, with websites of institutions being repeatedly hacked, and fraudulent emails with fake information being sent. Experts from Vilnius University (VU) also note that the threat of cyber espionage has increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. State-supported cyber groups have seized the opportunity of the pandemic to carry out cyber-attacks on national authorities, national security authorities, and energy and other strategic companies of other states.

Employees usually continue their professional development by attending seminars, reading books and registering for various courses, but does all this really help them to advance in their careers? Dr Vytautas Ašeris, Partnership Professor of Vilnius University’s (VU) Faculty of Mathematics, who has been observing employees for a decade now in his role as manager at one of the divisions of Danske Bank in Lithuania, agrees that theoretical knowledge is very important, but there is no point in investing in it if you are not personally effective.

As the second exam session under lockdown shows, studying during the pandemic did not get easier. On the contrary, more and more students have expressed difficulties to concentrate, anxiety, tiredness and general lack of motivation. Some of the students are preparing for the exams step by step throughout the year while for others the time before exams becomes more tense than ever. How to ease it? Where can the motivation to finish the necessary tasks come from?

The third annual Medical Genetics Awareness Week will be celebrated across the world raising awareness of this field of science. Prof. Vaidutis Kučinskas of Vilnius University is the pioneer of Lithuanian human genetics and a world-renowned scientist. He is a member of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences, a habilitated doctor of biomedical sciences, and a prominent employee of the country’s healthcare system who continues to be a dedicated gene researcher. On his initiative, Medical Genetics Awareness Week will be celebrated for the first time in Lithuania in the week of March 22-26. The professor talks about his career, accomplishments and medical genetics.