News & Events
French Professors of Law and Mathematics have become New Honorary Doctors [2017-05-17]
On 16 of May Vilnius University honoured two outstanding personalities – professor OTMAR SEUL (the Paris Nanterre University) and professor MARIE-CLAUDE VIANO (Lille University of Science and Technology) by awarding them with a degree of Doctor Honoris Causa.
Professor of law Otmar Seul was awarded for the outstanding work in fields of implementation of new legal education methods, improvement of legal studies programmes, development of an open comparative approach to different legal traditions and cultural diversity, solving the issues of European integration and harmonisation of national law as well as for his close collaboration with Vilnius University.
“When I received the delightful news from Vilnius, my thoughts instinctively went back to December 2007: in Prague, I had the opportunity to offer my sincerest congratulations to a freshly awarded Doctor honoris causa of the University of Vilnius: the former President of the Czechoslovakian Republic (1989-1992) and thereafter of the Czech Republic (1993-2003), Václav Havel - one of the most courageous and respected political figures of our times.
This personal memory is beyond a simple anecdote: it signals the great importance that the University of Vilnius places on humanitarianism, as well as on civil rights and civil society activism,” said professor Otmar Seul.
Professor of mathematics Marie-Claude Viano was honoured by the University for her outstanding research achievements in the fields of limit theorems of probability theory, long memory time series and statistical inference as well as for her close collaboration with Vilnius University.
Professor Marie-Claude Viano spoke: "Above all my aknowledgements and I would say my admiration to our two teams: the Lithuanian and the French one. Seven people now. This long and successful cooperation is the fruit not only of heigh scientific value, but also, I think, of a deep real collective spirit, without which nothing is durably possible. I am very proud to have been with Remigijus Leipusat the sarting point of this adventure.”
Vilnius University has 60 Doctor Honoris Causa in total. This award has been given since 1979.
Two Prosperous Scientists from France will join the Community of Vilnius University [2017-05-16]
Vilnius University will honour two outstanding personalities – professor OTMAR SEUL (the Paris Nanterre University) and professor MARIE-CLAUDE VIANO (Lille University of Science and Technology) by awarding them with a degree of Doctor Honoris Causa.
Professor of law Otmar Seul will be awarded for the outstanding work in fields of implementation of new legal education methods, improvement of legal studies programmes, development of an open comparative approach to different legal traditions and cultural diversity, solving the issues of European integration and harmonisation of national law as well as for his close collaboration with Vilnius University.
Professor of mathematics Marie-Claude Viano will be honoured by the University for her outstanding research achievements in the fields of limit theorems of probability theory, long memory time series and statistical inference as well as for her close collaboration with Vilnius University.
The official ceremony will take place at 15.00 on May 16, 2017 at the University Church of St. Johns’.
Novozymes Prize won by researchers behind tools for editing the genes of organisms [2017-02-15]
The 2017 Novozymes Prize is being awarded to Emmanuelle Charpentier, Director and Scientific Member at the Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology in Berlin, Germany, and Virginijus Siksnys, Professor and Head of the Department of Protein–Nucleic acids Interactions at the Institute of Biotechnology of Vilnius University in Lithuania.
Smallpox, once thought an ancient disease, may have emerged in more recent times, raising questions about its role in history [2016-12-12]
New genetic research from an international team including McMaster University, University of Helsinki, Vilnius University and the University of Sydney, suggests that smallpox, a pathogen that caused millions of deaths worldwide, may not be an ancient disease but a much more modern killer that went on to become the first human disease eradicated by vaccination.
The findings, published in the journal Current Biology, raise new questions about the role smallpox may have played in human history and fuels a longstanding debate over when the virus that causes smallpox, variola, first emerged and later evolved in response to inoculation and vaccination.
ESPAnet Baltics is established and invites new members to join! [2016-12-02]
The workshop “Baltic States After the crisis? Transformation of Welfare Systems and Social Problems” was held on 24-25 of November 2016 in Vilnius, Lithuania. The aim of the workshop was to discuss welfare system reforms which have been implemented during the recent financial and economic crisis of 2008/2010 and post-crisis period, and major social problems in the three Baltic States (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania). Another important aim of the workshop was to establish a Baltic social policy association, which would unite all researchers working on social policy issues in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, and others interested in social policy development in the three Baltic States.
Breaking News for Lithuania: VU – Among the Top 500 Universities in the World [2016-09-07]
For the first time in the history of Lithuanian Higher Education Vilnius University has been ranked among the top 500 universities in the world.
VU Opens the 438th Academic Year [2016-09-01]
On 1 September, 2016 Vilnius University opens traditionally the 438th academic year with an official opening ceremony “Renovatio Studiorum”.
Archaeologists from All Over the World Meet at VU [2016-08-31]
The Congress of the European Association of Archaeologists is being held at Vilnius University during 31 August - 4 September. It is expected to attract around 1,500 scientists and researchers from Europe, Asia, North America and Australia.
VU Student Team Aims to "Programme" Intestinal Bacteria [2016-08-11]
VU students develop the method to programme intestinal bacteria, which will facilitate the dietary solution for children with congenital disease phenylketonuria (PKU).
CERN exhibition attracted over 10 thousand visitors [2016-07-25]
CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research) exhibition “Accelerating Science” was recently closed after four months of operation at the National Physical and Technological Sciences Center. It had over 10 thousand of attendees from various Lithuanian and foreign institutions. Residents from more than thirty Lithuanian cities and towns visited the exhibition, organized by VU. They came mainly from the secondary or higher education institutions, non-formal education centers, government and private sector, such as, banks, ministries, municipalities, public institutions, churches and various associations.
VU Closes the Academic Year [2016-07-01]
On 30 June Vilnius University community gathered traditionally for "Finis Anni Academici” – the official closing ceremony of the academic year 2015/2016 at St John’s church.
VU Professor Invited to the World's Elite Scholars' Organization [2016-05-30]
Virginijus Šikšnys, VU professor – the first Lithuanian scientist invited to join the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) as an Associate Member. Outstanding European and world scholars of exceptional life time achievements may be associated to this prestigious organization.
VU Shares its Science Potential with Leading Flemish Universities [2016-05-10]
Flemish delegation (Belgium) visited Vilnius University in the first fortnight of May. Prof. Artūras Žukauskas, VU Rector, together with prof. Danny Pieterse, Vice-rector of the Catholic University of Leuven and prof. Johan Meeusen, Vice-rector of the Antwerp University signed Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) at the Government Office. Documents aim to strengthen international cooperation of the Universities.
The Moon Mission Team Leader from Germany Meets VU Team of Young Scientists [2016-05-05]
This week Robert Böhme, the team leader of AUDI (Germany) mission to the moon, took the opportunity to meet the Lithuanian VU team – the VU startup “NanoAvionics“ upon arrival to Lithuania.
VU Professor Receives a Prestigious Award [2016-04-25]
On 25 April Valentina Dagienė, VU professor of Mathematics and Informatics receives the prestigious Ada Lovelace Computing Excellence Award, bestowed by an international Awards Committee of the European Commission´s DG CONNECT, DG Growth, DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion and the European Centre for Women and Technology (ECWT), in recognition of the significant contribution of women to computing and the Digital Economy.
Swiss Ambassador Nicolas Brühl Visited Vilnius University [2016-04-20]
At the beginning of April, Swiss ambassador Nicolas Brühl visited Vilnius University during his stay at the Baltic States and met with the Lithuanian team of the project ‘Swiss-Lithuanian Ferroelectrics’ (SLIFE). Within the framework of this project, Swiss and Lithuanian scientists study specific materials with a particular focus on a further extension of their functionality in medical diagnostics, microelectronics and communications, as well as energy harvesting. The project is implemented by Vilnius University, Kaunas University of Technology and the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne. The project is part of the research and development programme, supported by Switzerland.
The First University Endowment Set up in Lithuania [2016-04-18]
A new page in the history of cooperation between the VU and business community has been opened – Vilnius University Fund (Endowment) (hereinafter the VUF) has been established by a group of Lithuanian business leaders on the 6th of April.
VU Professor Nominated for the Prestigious Award [2016-04-11]
VU professor Valentina Dagienė, Head of the Department in the Institute of Mathematics and Informatics at Vilnius University, has been nominated for the prestigious Ada Lovelace Computing Excellence Award, bestowed in a number of categories by an international Awards Committee of the European Commission´s DG CONNECT, DG Growth, DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion and the European Centre for Women and Technology (ECWT), in recognition of the significant contribution of women to computing and the Digital Economy.
Further Awards in the CRISP-Cas Field [2016-03-30]
The leading CRISP-Cas scientists received new global awards. Philippe Horvath, based at DuPont’s site in Dangé-Saint-Romain, France, has been honoured together with his partners with the prestigious Canada Gairdner International Award, Canada’s leading science prize, for their ground-breaking work on CRISPR-Cas.
The Third Coin from the Series of "Lithuanian Science" Dedicated to Physics [2016-03-22]
The third 5 euro coin from the series of "Lithuanian science" is dedicated to physics and will be introduced into circulation by the Bank of Lithuania on the 29th of March.
The Dream of Scientists Come True: New Research Centres Opened [2016-03-18]
„Welcome to the future of Lithuania and Europe. Today we open the new era in the history of national science! “ – those were the welcome words of professor Artūras Žukauskas, Rector of the Vilnius University, to the guests of the Grand Opening Ceremony of the two new research facilities – Joint Centre for Life Sciences and National Centre of Physical and Technological Sciences, also the visitors of the CERN exhibition.
