VU Rector Awarded the Order of Academic Palms for His Contribution to Franco–Lithuanian Academic Cooperation

On 26 March, a ceremony for the presentation of the insignia of the Order of Academic Palms (Ordre des Palmes académiques) was held at the French Embassy in Lithuania. During the ceremony, the Order of Academic Palms was conferred on Prof. Rimvydas Petrauskas, Rector of Vilnius University. He was recognised for his distinguished career, marked by unwavering dedication, a decidedly European vision of higher education, and an exceptional commitment to fostering relations between France and Lithuania.

Prof. Petrauskas has made a significant contribution to advancing cooperation between Vilnius University and several leading French institutions, including Sorbonne University and Paris-Saclay University. He has also actively supported the development of bilingual programmes and the promotion of the French language, thereby helping to sustain the vitality of the Francophone world in Lithuania. Serving as a bridge between France and Lithuania, he stands out as an ambassador of knowledge and culture and as an active contributor to European academic dialogue.

The Rector of Vilnius University said that he accepts the award as a sign of Franco-Lithuanian scientific cooperation and as an incentive to strengthen it further.

‘France is a vast, inexhaustible cultural landscape of Europe, one that invites exploration region by region, city by city, and university by university. We – Lithuanians, French, and Europeans – have our different histories of fighting for freedom, yet we share a responsibility to strengthen democracy and build a common Europe, to which we are committed and to which both our complex history and our no less complex present oblige us,’ the Rector emphasised in his speech.

The Order of Academic Palms, established in its current form in 1955 on the basis of distinctions originally created by Napoleon I in 1808, is one of the oldest civil honours in France. It aims to recognise individuals who actively contribute to the spread of education and culture. The Order is awarded to those who are dedicated to disseminating knowledge and promoting the French language and culture, both in France and abroad.