The 34th Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Prof. Algirdas Utkus: The Position of Dean Is Not a One-Man Decision

In the history of the Faculty of Medicine at Vilnius University, which is now in its 241st year, a decade is just a piece of a larger puzzle, showing how one or another generation of doctors has changed and what they have lived for. Meanwhile, ten years in a person’s life is a significant period of time. That is how long the Faculty of Medicine has been led by the thirty-fourth Dean of the Faculty of Medicine. To find out what have been the most important changes made in the faculty over the last decade, what challenges its leader had to overcome, where he got his strength from, what, if any superpowers he would wish for, and what advice he would give his successor, we asked the outgoing Dean, Prof. Dr Algirdas Utkus, some questions.

Professor, your second term as Dean for the Faculty of Medicine at Vilnius University is coming to an end. How has the faculty changed during your years of leadership?

Ten years in this position has been a long time. There have been changes and they were varied. I am grateful to my immediate team for all the good things that have happened, and it is only by working together that we have been able to achieve the objectives and goals we set ourselves. First of all, I would like to celebrate the very decisive breakthrough in our field of studies, the addition of the international student programme, which has been getting stronger and stronger every year. This is one of the greatest strengths of our faculty, and requires full commitment and consistent work. Of course, this is not the result of one person, but the work of the whole team, something we can be justly proud of. We started cautiously, with just a few students enrolled in the medical and dental programmes, and we have been growing year on year. I dare say that we have not only grown in terms of the number of students, but we have also improved in ourselves. Teaching in English, the specificity of interculturalism, the interaction with people from other cultures, is very beneficial for the whole community.

Another key focus is the introduction of new study programmes. After many years, the pharmacy undergraduate programme has re-emerged, the bachelor and master programmes in nursing have been revitalised, and there are new master programmes in systems biology, medical genetics, medical biology, and art therapy. The development of these programmes is not only pleasing, but it also strengthens the Faculty of Medicine. It makes it competitive both in Lithuania and internationally.

The third point I would like to mention is the development of our facilities. Of course, at the moment, the most visible is the project for the construction of the new Science Centre building. It has been a long road to the start of construction, and it has taken a great deal of effort. From the initial idea for such a centre, a lot of time has passed, during which enormous efforts have been concentrated on convincing the authorities, obtaining funding and of course starting work. I joke that this project could be known as the construction of the century. Of course, the faculty has changed and grown enormously in those ten years. A large part of the former Faculty of Science premises has been repurposed, and everything has been renovated and improved. A new, modern library has been built for our students. The recently completed premises in Akademija Street has been refurbished to accommodate classrooms for the nursing, rehabilitation, and optometry classes. All this is the result of lot of hard work and effort. And I am delighted to say, that it contributes to an improved quality of life for students, faculty and staff alike.

Of course, it’s not so much the facilities that improve quality, but the people who work there. There have also been changes in staffing. In line with the expansion of the study programmes and in response to the increase in the number of students, the Study Department has grown. Residency specialists and study advisers have joined us. Two new departments, Science and Innovation, and Communication were also created, as well as a Doctoral School. All these changes have strengthened the faculty and make it what it is today.

You have served two terms as Dean. Could you compare them with each other? Was it easier at the start or to continue?

The first term was probably more difficult, because you had to do a lot of things for the first time. It takes time to understand how certain processes work, to understand the situation in the faculty, get acquainted with the community, and for the community to get to know you. The first year was more of a familiarisation year, a getting to know each other, and building a team. I can’t say which one was easier or harder, because they both posed many challenges. They were just different. But I can safely say that the team around me has been excellent throughout. I can only repeat that there is no credit that I can take for myself, alone. It was all done through collaborative work and collegial partnership.

You’ve mentioned challenges, have you often had to face these? Which of them required the most time, effort and other resources to solve?

Probably the most challenging was the Science Centre project. It took a lot of effort to convince the then Ministry of Education and Science leadership of the need for the project and its meaningfulness. It was a lot of effort to prove such a centre was necessary for the development of fundamental research – something that is very important and necessary both in science research and in practice. The moment when the building permit for the Science Centre was finally granted is truly memorable for me, and I am looking forward to seeing the vision become a reality.

Dean, how do you see the Faculty of Medicine in another decade? What changes would you expect?

I think the faculty should become even stronger in the next ten years. I hope that new study programmes will emerge to meet the spirit and needs of the time. I also think that modernisation of the study process is on the horizon; activities in this direction have already started and are gaining momentum. I believe that, within a decade, we will be able to achieve all the goals that we have set today, to change the paradigm of the pedagogical process. And I hope we will have not only built a Science Centre but also that it will be involved in numerous activities, carrying out competitive scientific projects, and be well regarded in Lithuania, and around the world.

You have mentioned new study programmes. Could you guess today what these programmes might be?

It is, of course, difficult to give a concrete answer. But perhaps it could be programmes related to the application of artificial intelligence in medicine, something that is highly relevant in today’s world, and something that many fields are moving towards. I think that we will soon have a wide range of applications of artificial intelligence here in Lithuania. Therefore, it will be necessary to modify existing programmes in this direction, or as I mentioned, to introduce new ones.

While Dean of Vilnius University’s Faculty of Medicine, you also headed the Department of Human and Medical Genetics at the Institute of Biomedical Sciences and the Centre for Medical Genetics at the Vilnius University Hospital Santaros Clinics. Last year, you were appointed Chairman of the National Health Council. What super power do you need to balance so many positions?

I don’t think I need any superpower, but I would like to have more hours in the day, at least 30 would be good. As they say today, the earth is spinning faster and faster on its axis, maybe one day the day will get longer (smiles), and then there will be more time to do different things. But in reality, with the right planning, all activities can be achieved. Of course, as I said before, having a strong team around you is very important, because it is by consulting, trusting and sharing the work with your closest colleagues that you can do more than you can imagine. It is very difficult to achieve something in today’s world, if you are on your own. Teamwork is needed everywhere and always. I am glad that I had a team by my side, with whom, no task was insurmountable.

And what has been the most inspiring and galvanizing in your years of leadership? Where have you drawn your strength from?

That is a difficult question. What inspires and supports, again, is the team. The people who work alongside you are undoubtedly one of the most important pillars of support. It’s a very good feeling when you can trust your colleagues, when you can delegate certain tasks, when you can do things together. Of course, family is also very important here, which is partly affected by the fact that you are giving yourself away every day to different activities, but they always remain supportive and strong. Personal qualities are probably also important, as they help a person to overcome various difficulties. To summarise, I draw inspiration from my team, strength from my family and support from all of them.

You said that personal qualities are also very important. Could you name the three qualities that you think are your strongest?

Well, (laughs), that is probably easier for other people to say...It’s always very difficult to assess oneself. But I would say it would be trust in people, forgiveness and a sense of purpose. These are probably the three main things that help me in this life and in everything I do.

If you could turn back the clock, what advice would you give to yourself as a dean starting your first term? What would you warn yourself about, perhaps?

I would advise me to form a team as soon as possible. As you can see, I mention a team in almost every answer. It cannot be otherwise, because in this kind of work, it is the most important thing. The position of dean is not a one-man decision. The dean is not an institution, but a person. Yes, the final responsibility for decisions lies with the dean, but the way in which we come to certain changes, insights and decisions is a team effort. When you have sincere, talented people working alongside you who know their job, it is not difficult to take on that responsibility. And I would like to advise the new dean to immediately choose people for their team who are good to work with and who they can trust.

What else would you like to wish the new Dean?

I would also like to advise them to be equally fair to all members of the community. I think this is one of the most important responsibilities of a leader. You can’t have some kind of priority towards people, because it is immediately visible. As a dean, the head of a large institution, you have to be equally accepting of all members of the community, regardless of their personal characteristics, attitudes, habits. Certainly, there have been, and there will always be, not only supporters, but also critics and even detractors. But they are all members of the same community, people with whom we have to interact, in a sense, a family.

What is your mind focused on now? What are your plans for the future?

After the end of my term as Dean, I have work ahead of me that I have paid less attention to for a long time. I am both the Head of the Department of Human and Medical Genetics and the Head of the Centre for Medical Genetics at Vilnius University Hospital Santaros Clinics, so it will certainly be possible to devote more time to scientific, clinical and pedagogical activities. On the other hand, as Chairman of the National Health Service, I will definitely be spending more time on health policy issues, which are very important and relate to the training of professionals. These activities will not keep me away, and I will remain close to all the issues and problems that are relevant to the Faculty of Medicine.

You said yourself, you are a supervisor, a lecturer, a researcher, a doctor and a chairman... Which of all your activities is the one that is dearest to your heart?

In giving one specific answer, I would prioritise one area and I cannot do that because all the activities I am involved in form a whole. All my activities are complementary, so I cannot single out one as the most or least favourite (smiles). The variety of activities is useful and I think it helps to avoid monotony and exhaustion. When you have a change of activities, they complement each other and it seems like you get tired of one, but then you move on to the next one and you recover. I find all the activities important and enjoyable.

In any event, one of the activities - leading the faculty - will soon be over. What do you think you will miss most?

I am not sure yet, but ask me in a few months (smiles). Of course, I will be away from the administration of the faculty, the people I used to see every day... I imagine I will miss that.

What are the three things you will do as soon as you close the door of the Dean’s Office?

People say you need to get some sleep. But I don’t feel sleep deprived... So, that one comes off the list. Take a holiday? I don’t plan to. I have teaching and research and all the other activities, so there is no time to stop. I see the end of the dean’s term as a natural transition in life, so I don’t plan to make a big deal of it. Often the end means the beginning of something new. So, most of all, I would just like to express my sincere gratitude to my team, my colleagues and my fellow colleagues who have worked together with me during this decade.