History

Hinc itur ad astra

On the Vilnius University observatory wall, there is the quote “Hinc itur ad astra”, which means “from here the way leads to the stars”. The university was founded in the 16th century, with the spread of ideas from the Renaissance, Reformation and Catholic Reformation. Vilnius University is considered to be one of the oldest universities in Central and Eastern Europe. There are other aspects of historical significance at the old university. Since the 14th century, and for two centuries after, the University of Kraków held the title of the easternmost university in Europe, but in the 16th century Vilnius took over this role, transcending the borders of both ethnic Lithuania and the multinational and multi-confessional GDL by shining scientific light on the Central and Eastern European region. Some phenomena of the Jesuit university were so significant they affected the whole of Catholic Baroque and even non-Baroque Europe, including the poetry of Maciej Kazimierz Sarbiewski, as well as the logic, rhetoric and theology of Martinus Smiglecius.

The modern university

A new era in the history of the university began in 1990, as Lithuania regained its independence and the university regained its autonomy. The quote “Hinc itur ad astra” symbolised the academic dreams and the aspirations of former times. In the time of the regained independence, such a symbolic function was probably performed by the modern Centre for Physical Sciences and Technology in Saulėtekis, which is conducting research into laser and light technologies, organic materials, chemistry and semiconductor nanotechnology. The facade walls of this building have no writing on them, but the goals and ambitions of a modern university are symbolised by the hexagonal windows, where an ordinary eye would most likely only see fragments of a honeycomb structure, but an expert eye can see the real symbolism – the crystal lattice of graphene, one of the strongest materials, which was created at the beginning of the 21st century.

University DNR

Since the restoration of independence, the university has constantly had to manoeuvre between the demands of global competition and satisfying the local needs of the state, while at the same time making difficult choices between the roles of a university that satisfies the technocratic market and a classical educator of humanity. The strength of the modern Vilnius University and its aspiration to become the academic home of graphene is measured not only by its historical mission but also by various formal assessments. However, what symbolises today’s Vilnius University the most are the two most important threads of its identity that are twisted like a DNA spiral: its passionate efforts to adapt to the needs and trends of the rapidly changing world; and at the same time, the traditions that have survived since its establishment. The first thread represents the technical and life sciences that have replaced (or were derived from) the logic of the 17th century. The second one represents the poets of the 17th century – even if in (post)modern times, they are often called humanitarians. Thus, while the university enjoys the bonuses of its DNA research, the university’s own DNA has not changed since its establishment.