Faculty of Philosophy

Faculty of Philosophy

Sukurta: 17 May 2022

fsf

 

Universiteto 9, LT-01513 Vilnius
Tel. 266 7601
E-mail:
www http://www.fsf.vu.lt
Dean – Prof. Dr Arūnas Poviliūnas

 

STAFF

188 teachers (incl. 138 holding research degree), 42 research fellows (incl. 33 holding research degree), 80 doctoral students.

INSTITUTES OF THE FACULTY
Institute of Asian and Transcultural Studies
Institute of Educational Sciences
Institute of Philosophy
Institute of Psychology
Institute of Sociology and Social Work

RESEARCH AREAS

Educational policy in Lithuania: coherency issues within national and global ranges
Sociological analysis of social structure and change
Psychological factors of society, community and personality development
Research on social policy, innovative paradigms and models of social work and social services in response to societal changes and the aims to create a welfare society
Cultural studies of Asia
Anthropological studies of Asia

DOCTORAL DISSERTATIONS MAINTAINED IN 2021

Simona Balčaitė. Gated communities in Lithuania: the problem of territorial integration.
Ruslanas Baranovas. The problem of determination in Kant, Hegel and Ferraris’ new realism.
Simas Čelutka. The autonomy of politics as an ethical project. A study of H. Arendt's, M. Oakeshott's and C. Schmitt's conceptions.
Goda Gegieckaitė. Risk factors of prolonged grief after the loss of a loved one.
Rasa Genienė. Development and provision of social services to persons with psychosocial disabilities in the perspective of social care reform.
Daina Habdankaitė. Ontologies of the Future in Contemporary Philosophy: Stiegler and Maillassoux.
Aivaras Jefanovas. Cohabitation in shared landscapes in Arctic Yakutia: social relations between reindeer herders/hunters and wolves.
Domantas Markevičius. Philosophy through history as the critique of atheism and secularization in the thought of Augusto Del Noce.
Gintė Martinkėnė. The child in a transnational family: organization of care, family relationships and the child's experiences.
Aistė Noreikaitė. The challenge of R. Dworkin's practical philosophy: the problem of a grounding of morality.
Živilė Pabijutaitė. Classical and contemporary models of indeterministic temporal logic: the approach of semantical compatibilism.
Greta Skubiejūtė. Single-mother families in the context of family policy.
Tadas Snuviškis. On the realist and anti-realist interpretations of Vaiśeṣika: from contemporary scholarship to Ancient Indian and premodern East Asian sources.
Tadas Šarūnas. Pleasures and pains of a changing city: housing choices and symbolic violence in central Vilnius.
Dovilė Šorytė. Children's pro-environmental behaviour and its prognostic factors in primary school age.

MAIN CONFERENCES ORGANIZED IN 2021

International academic conversations’ series Conversations in Anthropology (throughout 2021) (online)
International seminar Defining the Post-Secular Condition, 25–26 February 2021.
International conference Trauma and Mental Health during the Global Pandemic, 17–18 July 2021.
International coneference Religion, Politics and Uncertainty: Shifting Boundaries, 12–13 November 2021
International Doctoral School on Education Research, 8–10 December 2021.

MAIN SCIENTIFIC ACHIEVEMENTS IN 2021

Ancuta, K. and Valančiūnas, D. (eds.). South Asian Gothic: haunted cultures, histories, and media. Cardiff: University of Wales Press, 2021. (Gothic Literary Studies). https://www.uwp.co.uk/book/south-asian-gothic/

Dagys, J., Pabijutaitė, Ž., Giedra, H. Representing Buridan’s divided modal propositions in first-order logic. History and Philosophy of Logic. 2021, first published online. DOI: 10.1080/01445340.2021.1976042.

Prof. E. Kazlauskas was elected President of ESTSS (European Society for Traumatic Stress Studies).

Norkus, Z., Ambrulevičiūtė, A. Claiming a Great Ancient Imperial past as an identity element of a small modern nation. The case of Lithuania. In: Jürgen Barkhoff and Joep Leerssen (Eds). National Stereotyping, Identity Politics, European Crises. 2021, 31–50. https://brill.com/view/title/57145

Baranova, J., Duoblienė, L. Multimodal education: philosophy and practice. Washington: Council for Research in Values and Philosophy, 2021. 334 p. (Cultural heritage and contemporary change. Series IVA, Eastern and Central European philosophical studies; vol. 58).


INSTITUTE OF ASIAN AND TRANSCULTURAL STUDIES

Universiteto 5, LT-01513 Vilnius
Tel. 268 7256
E-mail
http://www.atsi.fsf.vu.lt/en/
Director – Dr Kristina Garalytė (from July 2018)

STAFF

Professors: Prof. Dr A. Beinorius, Prof. Dr D. Brandišauskas (part-time), Prof. Dr V. de Munck.
Associate professors: Dr K. Garalytė, Dr V. Jaskūnas (part-time), Dr R. Pranskevičiūtė-Amoson (part-time), Dr L. Poškaitė, Dr K. Šliavaitė (part-time), Dr D. Švambarytė, Dr D. Valančiūnas.
Associate professor in partnership: H. Ph. N. Diab.
Assistant professors: Dr E. Jančenkas (part-time), Dr K. Jonutytė (part-time), Dr V. Korobov.
Teaching assistants: K. Dolinina (part-time), F. Belafatti (part-time), G. Sereikaitė (part-time), Š. Rinkevičius (part-time), B. Astrauskas (part-time), Irma Kondrataitė (part- time).
Lecturers: M. Ignotas, J. Ignotienė, M. Larbi, A. Litvinas (part-time), I. Nagytė (part-time), N. Statkienė, V. Vidūnas, T. Voicechovič, N. G. Vosyliūtė (part-time), V. Bačianskas (part-time), Han Wang (part-time).
Guest lecturers: Assoc. Prof. Dr K. Andrijauskas, Prof. Dr V. Čiubrinskas, Assist. Prof. Dr M. Lebednykaitė, Assist. Prof. Dr K. Simonson, J. Razumaitė, M. Orechova, J. Kašelionytė-Radet, Assoc. Prof. Dr G. Miškinienė, Assist. Prof. Dr D. Veličkienė, D. Yumru,
Doctoral students: B. Astrauskas, Š. Rinkevičius, D. Sabaliauskienė, I. Kondrataitė, U. B. Starkutė, J. Stankus, G. Sereikaitė, D. Valaitė, D. Lobzang.
Researchers: Dr. Vytis Silius, Vilius Dranseika, Dr. Renatas Berniūnas.

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Traditional sciences and knowledge systems in Asia
Religion and philosophy in Asia
Asian languages and literature
Sociocultural anthropology of Asia
Visual and performative culture in Asia
Asian politics and international relations

RESEARCH PROJECTS CARRIED OUT IN 2021

Projects Supported by University Budget

Cultural Studies of Asia. Prof. Dr Audrius Beinorius.

Main publications:

Ancuta, K., Valančiūnas, D. (eds.). South Asian Gothic: haunted cultures, histories, and media. Cardiff: University of Wales Press, 2021. 288 p. (Gothic Literary Studies). https://www.uwp.co.uk/book/south-asian-gothic/.

Sahoo, A. K., Clini, C., Valančiūnas, D. (eds.). South Asian diaspora. South Asian diasporas and (Imaginary) homelands: mediated exchanges and representations in the 21st century. 2021, 13(1): 120 p. https://www.tandfonline.com/toc/rsad20/13/1.

Berniūnas, R., Silius, V., Dranseika, V. Moralization East and West: Moralizing different transgressions among Chinese, Americans, and Lithuanians. Asian Journal of Social Psychology. 2021, first online. DOI: 10.1111/ajsp.12479.

Anthropological Studies of Asia. Prof. Dr Donatas Brandišauskas.

Main publications:

Brandišauskas, D. Rock art animism in Siberian taiga: Contemporary rituality and materiality of Evenki hunters and reindeer herders. Rock art research. Melbourne: Archaeological Publ. 2021, 38(2): 169–182.

De Munck, V. C., Kronenfeld, D. B., Manoharan, C. A prototype analysis of the cultural and evolutionary construction of romantic love as a synthesis of love and sex. Journal of Cognition and Culture. 2021, 21: 25–48. DOI: 10.1163/15685373-12340095.

Jonutytė, K. Donations inversed: material flows from Sangha to laity in post-Soviet Buryatia. Monks, Money, and Morality: the Balancing Act of Contemporary Buddhism. Brumann, C., Abrahms-Kavunenko, S. and świtek, B. (eds). 2021, 93–107. DOI: 10.5040/9781350213791.ch00-5.

International Research Projects

Between Choice and Determinism: Cultural Variations in Experiencing and Conceptualizing Free Will, Luck, and Randomness (Transcultural Approach: India, China, Mongolia, Thailand, USA, Lithuania). The project was co-funded from the EU Structural Funds (Nr. 09.3.3-LMT-K-712-01-0111). Team: Prof. Audrius Beinorius (team-leader), Dr Vytis Silius, Dr Renatas Berniūnas, lect. Vilius Dranseika. 2018–2022.

The task of the project is to carry out a transcultural textual-historiographical and empirical-anthropological study in order to reveal the connection between the theoretical-intellectual traditions and everyday conceptions of free will, destiny, choice, and luck in different cultural contexts of contemporary Europe and Asia. How the free will issue is conceptualized in various traditions and how it is approached experientially on a popular level. The current project proposes a critical assessment of the possibility to generalize the results of research that was conducted in Western cultures. This way, we seek to include different systems of knowledge and action from different civilizational fields (India, China, Mongolia, USA, Lithuania) into a fruitful intellectual dialogue and to make comparisons on an empirical level by applying the methodologies of Cognitive studies.

Main publications:

Beinorius, A., Berniūnas, R., Dranseika, V., Silius, V., Rimkevičius, P. The weirdness of belief in free will. Consciousness and Cognition. 2020, 87(103054): 1–15. DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2020.103054.

Silius, V. Diversifying academic philosophy: the post-comparative turn and transculturalism. Asian Studies: Confucianism in Vietnam. 2020, 8(2): 257–280. DOI: 10.4312/as.2020.8.2.257-280.

Locally funded projects

Vilnius University research project. Human and Predators’ Relations: Interactions with Animals and Industries in East Siberia. Research leader: Prof. D. Brandišauskas. 2020–2021.

This project deals with the ethnographic analysis showing how humans and predators interact in the context of environmental change in East Siberia and the Far East. It will show how the indigenous people’s life in the taiga is based not only on equal cooperation between humans and other non-human beings but also shaped by the processes of resource exploration, state policies, and changing agency of predators.

National Research Projects

National Research Projects: Researcher Groups Projects

Research Council of Lithuania. P-MIP-21-258. Love Relationships in Contemporary Lithuania and Their Effect on Marriage, Fertility and Family Choices. Research leader: Prof. Victor de Munck. Researcher: Dr J. Charenkova. 2021–2024.

The purpose of the project is to answer the question "are monogamy, marriage and family no longer normative features of the human life cycle?" This project investigates the interaction between three theories explaining this question in a way that has not yet been studied. This study relies on quantitative and qualitative methods to illuminate an anthropological perspective on how the three theories interact. We will start with a "bottom-up" inductive approach to discover what styles of love relations people choose and why they do so. The research will describe the different styles and the values, ideology and behavioural patterns associated with these different relational forms. From these descriptions, we will use top-down approaches to test hypothesis about each of these styles focusing in particular on aspects that facilitate or resist the decision to marry or have children.

Main publication:

Victor de Munck. A Prototype Analysis of the Cultural and Evolutionary Construction of Romantic Love as a Synthesis of Love and Sex. Journal of Cognition and Culture. 2021, 21: 25–48.

Research Council of Lithuania. P-MIP-21-49. Human and Predators’ Interactions: Relations with Animals in the Context of Changing Environment. Research leader: Prof. D. Brandišauskas. 2021–2024.

The main aim of this proposal is to conduct ethnographic field research and contribute to the theoretical discussions of human/animal relations in the scope of "ontological turn" that occurred in anthropology as well as other sociocultural sciences over the last decade. Participant observation will be conducted in different indigenous communities of East Siberia, interacting with wild and domestic animals on their daily level. The research will mainly focus on human interactions with predators and will aim to reveal how these interactions shape economic, ecological, political, or religious practices and experiences.

National Research Projects: Postdoctoral Fellowship Projects

Research Council of Lithuania. Emigration of People of Lithuanian Origin to South America and Their Integration into the Societies of São Paulo, Buenos Aires, and Montevideo according to the KSAK Model. 09.3.3-LMT-K-712-19-0161. Postdoctoral fellow Dr V. Bartochevis, research supervisor Prof. V. Čiubrinskas. 2020–2022.

Isolation or assimilation is a common phenomenon in the process of interaction between immigrants and the host society, but people of Lithuanian descent have managed to avoid it in host societies in São Paulo, Buenos Aires and Montevideo. People of Lithuanian origin, without renouncing their identity, have integrated and become a valuable part of the host societies, contributing to the development and prosperity of those countries both economically and socially and culturally. This is a part of the history of Lithuania, and at the same time Europe, with South America, which is still very little studied. The goal is to analyse the integration of people of Lithuanian descent into the societies of São Paulo, Buenos Aires and Montevideo through the KSAK model.

Research Council of Lithuania. 09.3.3-LMT-K-712-19-0059. Urban Religion and Spatiality in Multi-Ethnic Post-Socialist Ulan-Ude. Postdoctoral fellow Dr K. Jonutytė, research supervisor Prof. D. Brandišauskas. 2021–2023.

This social anthropology research project explores the dynamics of the interrelation between religion and urban space in the Republic of Buryatia (Russian Federation). Buryatia is significant as a multi-ethnic region in Southeast Siberia, which is strongly affected by centre-periphery tensions, resource extraction and changing geopolitics, as well as rapid urbanisation and the revival of religion (mainly Buddhism but also Christianity and shamanism). The project will explore how these processes shape local society in the changing multi-ethnic urban space as well as how the urban space itself influences identity and sociality. It will pay special attention to the cultural-religious revival of Buryat Buddhists, which has significant social and political consequences on local, state-, and international levels.

Research Council of Lithuania. 09.3.3-LMT-K-712-23-0116. Dealing with Traumata: Involvement of Spiritual Beings in Christianity. Postdoctoral fellow Dr E. Liutkevičius, research supervisor Prof. D. Brandišauskas. 2021–2023.

The objective of this ethnographic research project is to examine the relationship between human and spiritual beings within Christianity by studying how religious communities seek to heal people suffering from alcohol and drug abuse. The researcher will have a particular focus on the personal and social stages of trauma, along with the experienced healing strategies and practises. The goal is to conduct an ethnographic research project within the discipline of Anthropology of Christianity, and investigate the interrelations between humans and spirits and how these are expressed during healing processes, that seek to help people recover from drug and alcohol abuse.

MAIN R&D&I (RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, AND INNOVATION) PARTNERS

Institute of Lithuanian Literature and Folklore (Lithuania)
Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre (Lithuania)
Vytautas Magnus University (Lithuania)
Lithuanian Culture Research Institute (Lithuania)
Loughborough University (United Kingdom)
Chulalongkorn University (Thailand)
Northern Illinois University (USA)
Aga Khan University (Pakistan)
University of Delhi (India)
Nepal Sanskrit University (Nepal)
Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology (Germany)
University of Tartu (Estonia)
Peter the Great Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography (the Kunstkamera) (Russia)
Russian Academy of Sciences (Russia)
North-Eastern Federal University in Yakutsk (Russia)
Amur State University (Russia)
University of Tromsø (Norway)
Cultures, Environments, Arctic, Representations, Climate (CEARC)
Arctic Centre, University of Lapland (Finland)

OTHER RESEARCH ACTIVITIES

Prof. Audrius Beinorius –

  • editorial board member of the journal Studia Orientalia Tartuensia https://www.tyk.ee/sot;
  • editorial board member of the International Journal of Indo-Baltic Culture and Studies http://ibj.dsvv.ac.in/editorial-board/;
  • editorial board member of the journal История философии / History of Philosophy https://iphras.ru/hp_board.htm;
  • editorial board member of the journal Liaudies kultūra https://www.lnkc.lt/go.php/lit/Liaudies-kultura/28;
  • editorial board member of the journal Sovijus http://www.sovijus.lt/wordpress/?page_id=1622;
  • member of International Association for the History of Religions (IAHR);
  • member of European Association for the Study of Religions (EASR);
  • member of International Association of Buddhist Studies (IABS);
  • member of American Academy of Religions (AAR);
  • member of European Society for Astronomy in Culture (SEAC);
  • member of European Association for Contemporary Indian Studies (EACIS);
  • member of Central and Eastern European Network for Indian Studies (CEENIS);
  • member of Baltic Alliance of Asian Studies (BAAS).

Prof. Donatas Brandišauskas –

  • editorial board member of the Lithuanian Journal of Anthropology, http://www.anthropology.lt/editorial.html;
  • board member of Lithuanian Association of Anthropologists;
  • member of International Society for Hunter Gatherer Research (ISHGR);
  • member of Canadian Association of Anthropologists.

Prof. Victor de Munck –

  • editor of Journal of Globalization Studies, https://journals.indexcopernicus.com/search/details?id=31857;
  • managing editor of Structure and Dynamics (e-journal), https://escholarship.org/uc/imbs_socdyn_sdeas/editorialboard;
  • editorial board member of EthnoAnthropoZoom Editorial Team | EthnoAnthropoZoom/ЕтноАнтропоЗум (ukim.mk);
  • member of American Anthropological Association (AAA);
  • board member of Lithuanian Association of Anthropologists (LAA);
  • executive board member of Society for Anthropological Sciences (SAS);
  • head of the organising committee of the international conference Old Discipline, New Trajectories: Theories, Methods and Practises in Anthropology, 16–18 June 2022, Vilnius, Lithuania.

Dr Kristina Jonutytė –

  • president and founding member of Lithuanian Association of Anthropologists (LAA);
  • member of European Association for Social Anthropologists (EASA);
  • member of Lithuanian Society for the Study of Religions (LSSR);
  • member of European Association for the Study of Religions (EASR);
  • member of International Association for the History of Religions (IAHR).

Assoc. Prof. Kristina Garalytė –

  • member of European Association for South Asian Studies (EASAS);
  • member of International Association for the History of Religions (IAHR);
  • member of European Association for the Study of Religions (EASR);
  • member of Lithuanian Society for the Study of Religions (LRD);
  • board member of Lithuanian Association of Anthropologists (LAA);
  • member of the Baltic Alliance for Asian Studies (BAAS).

Irma Kondrataitė –

  • member of Lithuanian Association of Anthropologists (LAA).

Assoc. Prof. Dr L. Poškaitė –

  • editorial board member of the journal Sinología hispánica. China Studies Review, http://revpubli.unileon.es/ojs/index.php/sinologia/about/editorialTeam;
  • member of European Association of Chinese Studies (EACS);
  • member of Academie du Midi;
  • member of Baltic Research Center for East Asian Studies (AsiaRes);
  • member of Lithuanian Society for the Study of Religions (LRD).

Assoc. Prof. Dr R. Pranskevičiūtė-Amoson –

  • editorial board member of the journal Cultural and Religious Studies, http://www.davidpublisher.org/index.php/Home/Journal/detail?journalid=42&jx=CRS&cont=editorial;
  • editorial board member of the journal Open Theology, https://www.degruyter.com/view/j/opth;
  • member of Lithuanian Society of Young Researchers;
  • president of Lithuanian Society for the Study of Religion – LSSR;
  • member of International Association for the History of Religions– IAHR;
  • member of International Study of Religion in Eastern and Central Europe Association – ISORECEA;
  • member of European Association for the Study of Religion – EASR; chairman of European Association for the Study of Religions (EASR) Audit Committee;
  • member of European Association of Social Anthropologists – EASA;
  • member of International Society for Ethnology and Folklore – SIEF;
  • member of Working Group of Ethnology of Religion, SIEF;
  • member of SIEF Working Group: Body, Affects, Senses, and Emotions ;
  • member of Lithuanian Association of Anthropologists.

Assoc. Prof. Kristina Šliavaitė –

  • member of European Sociology Association (ESA);
  • member of Lithuanian Association of Anthropologists (LAA);
  • member of Lithuanian Association of Sociologists (LAS).

Assoc. Prof. Dalia Švambarytė –

Assoc. Prof. Dr D. Valančiūnas –

  • member of European Society for the Study of English (ESSE);
  • member of Lithuanian Association for the Studies of Religions (LRD);
  • member of European Association for South Asian Studies (EASAS);
  • member of International Gothic Association (IGA);
  • member of Memory Studies Association (MSA).

Lect. Vytis Vidūnas –

  • member of Baltic Alliance for Asian Studies (BAAS).

Dr Vytis Silius –

  • editorial board member of the Journal of European Association of Chinese Studies;
  • member of European Association for Chinese Philosophy (EACP);
  • member of European Association of Chinese Studies (EACS);
  • board member of Baltic Alliance of Asian Studies (BAAS);
  • member of Baltic Research Centre for East Asian Studies (AsiaRes);
  • member of Lithuanian Society for the Study of Religions (LRD);
  • member of European Association for the Study of Religions (EASR);
  • member of International Association for the History of Religions (IAHR).

MOST IMPORTANT NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL AWARDS RECEIVED FOR R&D ACTIVITIES

  • Assoc. Prof. Dr Deimantas Valančiūnas received Vilnius University Rector's award for research achievements in 2021.
  • Assoc. Prof. Dr Dalia Švambarytė received Japanese government's award "The Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette" for her contribution in promoting academic exchanges and mutual understanding between Japan and Lithuania (the award was officially announced on November 3, 2020 and actually given on June 18, 2021).

MOST IMPORTANT PARTICIPATION CASES OF RESEARCHERS IN WORKING GROUPS OR COMMISSIONS SET UP BY STATE AUTHORITIES, STATE AND MUNICIPAL INSTITUTIONS, ORGANISATIONS, BUSINESS ENTITIES

  • Donatas Brandišauskas - expert at Lithuanian Research Council and Lithuanian Council of Culture.
  • Kristina Jonutytė - expert at Lithuanian Council of Culture.
  • Vytis Vidūnas - member of the Onomastics Sub-Commission at the State Commission of the Lithuanian Language, http://www.vlkk.lt/en/commission/organisation-chart.

CONSULTATIONS PROVIDED BY THE UNIT TO THE PUBLIC OR ECONOMIC ENTITIES

  • Audrius Beinorius. Teaching seminars "Indian Culture and Cultural Communication" for the Executive network Vadovų Klubas (Vilnius) 22 October 2021, "Beantley" (Vilnius) – 10 February 2021, company Tsunami – 15 May 2021.
  • Donatas Brandišauskas. Teaching seminars on the collectivity in Taiga and human animal relations in Arctic Siberia for companies "Tsunami", "Baltneta", "Amber Grid", "Bentley", "IF" and "CVO & Simplika".
  • Vytis Vidūnas. Tutor for PhD programme at Nepal Sanskrit University, NSU, Kathmandu (Nepal).
  • Vytis Vidūnas. Expert in the project "The Archive of the Oral History of Lithuanian Romanis "(by Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania and The Centre of Romani Society), the article "The language of Lithuanian Romanis (litóvska romá) and Sanskrit: a research perspective was given for edition in 2021.
  • Fabio Belafatti. External consultant at DebunkEU.org.

BEST REPORTS DELIVERED AT CONFERENCES ABROAD

  • Audrius Beinorius. KĀLA: Classical Indian Philosophy on Perception of Time (keynote lecture). 5th International interdisciplinary Conference on Time Perspectives, 12–16 July 2021, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0r_s4fd6K8.
  • Victor de Munck. From Courtship to Contingent Intimacies in Lithuania: Love Nomads and Porous Dyads "in the panel "Love Apocalypse. Annual American Anthropological Association conference, Baltimore, 17–21 November 2021.
  • Donatas Brandiškauskas. Enemies or relatives? Human and wolves' interactions among indigenous people of East Siberia. International conference Humans and animals- paradoxes of mutual relationships (Russia/Italy). St Petersburg, Peter the Great Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography (Kunstkamera), Russian Academy of Sciences (Russia), November 29–December 2 2021.
  • Rasa Pranskevičiūtė. Contemporary New Age Field in Lithuania: Overview of the Anastasia Movement in 2005–2021. 18th Annual Conference of the European Association for the Study of Religions (EASR) Resilient Religion, Pisa (Italy), August 30–September 3 2021.
  • Kristina Garalytė. Beef as Anti-Caste Utopia. 26th European Conference for South Asian Studies, Vienna, 26–29 July 2021.

MOST IMPORTANT RESEARCH DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES

 

INSTITUTE OF PHILOSOPHY

Universiteto 9, LT-01513 Vilnius
Tel. 266 7617
E-mail:
Director – Assoc. Prof. Dr Jonas Dagys

DEPARTMENT FOR CONTINENTAL PHILOSOPHY AND RELIGIOUS STUDIES

Universiteto 9, LT-01513 Vilnius
Tel. 268 7189
E-mail:
Head – Prof. Dr Rita Šerpytytė

STAFF

Professors: Dr R. Šerpytytė, Dr K Sabolius, Dr N. Milerius, Dr P. Montani (part-time).
Associate professors: Dr D. Bacevičiūtė (part-time), Dr M. Gutauskas, Dr A. K. Pažėraitė.
Assistant professors: Dr V. Daraškevičiūtė (part-time), Dr S. Maslauskaitė-Mažylienė (part-time), Dr B. Ulevičius (part-time), Dr B. Gelžinytė.
Research fellows: Dr I. Šatkauskas (part-time), Dr J. Saldukaitytė (part-time), Dr G. Mažeikis (part-time), Dr D. Pollefeyt (part-time), Dr E. C Sferrazza Papa (part-time).
Doctoral students: P. Dumbliauskas, J. Grigas, A. Pocius, K. Rybačiauskaitė, E. Skrebė, M. Šulskus, G. Tatarūnaitė, E. Bolšakovas.

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Premises of phenomenological and hermeneutical philosophy and possibilities of its development
Philosophical reflection of everyday world
Philosophy of cinema
Philosophical investigations of imagination
Basic problems of phenomenology
Religion and the challenges of the contemporary world
Philosophy of religion
Nihilism, secularization, postsecularization
Religion and visualization

MAIN RESEARCH ACHIEVEMENTS IN 2021

Monograph. Gutauskas, M. Žmogus ir gyvūnas: antropologinis skirtumas fenomenologinėje hermeneutinėje filosofijoje [Human and Animal. The Anthropological Difference in the Phenomenological Hermeneutical Philosophy]. 2021, 296 p. DOI: 10.15388/vup-book-0012.

Monograph. Andina, T., Baranovas, R., Cecchi, D., Dagys, J., Danowski, D., Habdabkaitė, D., Harman, G., Ferraris, M., Malabou, C., Montani, P., Sabolius, K., Šatkauskas, I., Šerpytytė, R., Viveiros de Castro, E. Apie tikrovę [On the Real] / edited by Kristupas Sabolius; translators: Laurynas Adomaitis, Ruslanas Baranovas, Dainius Būrė, Brigita Gelžinytė, Ignas Šatkauskas. 2021, 477 p.

Monograph. Gutauskas, M., Daraškevičiūtė, V., Cuozzo, G., Bacevičiūtė, D. Gamtos transformacijos: modernybė ir antropocenas [Transformations of Nature: Modernity and the Anthropocene]. 2021, 336 p.

RESEARCH PROJECTS CARRIED OUT IN 2021

Projects Supported by University Budget
Contemporary Research on the Tradition of Continental Philosophy and Religious Studies. Prof. R. Šerpytytė. 2019–2024.
During the year 2021, three articles were published.

Main publications:

Grigas, J. Ambivalencija S. Kierkegaard’o nerimo (Angest) sampratoje [Ambivalence in the Kierkegaardian conception of Angest]. Problemos. 2021, 99: 148–160. DOI: 10.15388/Problemos.99.11.

Sabolius, K. Minds and Milieus. Shared habitats: a cultural inquiry into living spaces and their inhabitants. Ursula Damm, Mindaugas Gapsevicius (eds.). 2021, 69–85. DOI: 10.14361/9783839456477-005.

Šerpytytė, R. On the question of the face of reality: addressing the "Myths" of the new realism and postmodernity. Open borders: encounters between Italian philosophy and continental thought. Silvia Benso and Antonio Calcagno (eds.). 2021, 17: 341–352. http://www.sunypress.edu/p-7027-open-borders.aspx.

National Research Projects

Research Council of Lithuania. Student’s Scientific Research During Semester. Topic The Concept of Time of Henry Bergson in Gilles Deleuze‘S Philosophy of Cinema. The project is supported by the structural funds of the European Union under Grant No. 09.3.3-LMT-K-712- 22-0164, dot. nr. DOTSUT-414. Main coordinator – Jūratė Rubavičienė and Prof. Rita Šerpytytė, student – Gintarė Butkauskaitė. 03 November 2020–30 April 2021.

In 2021, in the framework of this project, the student made the presentation on the topic H. Bergson’s Notion of time in Deleuze’s Philosophy of Cinema in English.

Research Council of Lithuania. The Everyday and the Representation of War Trauma in Late Modernity (no. S-MOD-17-1/LSS-250000-273). Assoc. Prof N. Milerius. 2017–2019.

In 2021, in the framework of this project, one article was published.

Main publication:

Narušytė, A. The architecture of lingering war in everyday life: photography and the double time of military apparatus. Photographies. 2021, 14:2: 241–242. DOI: 10.1080/17540763.2021.1903532.

Research Council of Lithuania. Transformations of Nature in Late Modernity: Ontological and Anthropological Dimensions (No. S-MOD-17-5). Assoc. Prof. Mintautas Gutauskas. 2017–2019.

The aim of this project is to examine, using hermeneutical-phenomenological approach, the transformations of the relationship with nature and representations of nature as well as the human/animal distinction in Modernity. In 2021, on the basis of the project investigations, two monographs were published.

Main publications:

Monograph. Gutauskas, M. Žmogus ir gyvūnas: antropologinis skirtumas fenomenologinėje hermeneutinėje filosofijoje [Human and Animal. The Anthropological Difference in the Phenomenological Hermeneutical Philosophy]. 2021, 296 p. DOI: 10.15388/vup-book-0012.

Monograph. Gutauskas, M., Daraškevičiūtė, V., Cuozzo, G., Bacevičiūtė, D. Gamtos transformacijos: modernybė ir antropocenas [Transformations of Nature: Modernity and the Anthropocene]. 2021, 336 p.

Research Council of Lithuania. The Future of Humanity: New Scenarios of Imagination (DOTSUT-229 (09.3.3-LMT-K-712-01-0078). Prof. Kristupas Sabolius. 2017–2021.

Project is funded by EU Structural Funds programme’s priority axis 9 “Educating the society and strengthening the potential of human resources”, objective 9.3.3 “Strengthen the skills and capacities of public sector researches for engaging high level R&D activities”.
In 2021, in the framework of this project, one journal issue was edited, one collective monograph and four articles were published.

Main publications:

Monograph. Andina, T., Baranovas, R., Cecchi, D., Dagys, J., Danowski, D., Habdabkaitė, D., Harman, G., Ferraris, M., Malabou, C., Montani, P., Sabolius, K., Šatkauskas, I., Šerpytytė, R., Viveiros de Castro, E. Apie tikrovę [On the Real]. Compiled by Kristupas Sabolius; translators: Laurynas Adomaitis, Ruslanas Baranovas, Dainius Būrė, Brigita Gelžinytė, Ignas Šatkauskas. 2021, 477 p.

Habdankaitė, D., Sisto, D. (eds.). Trópos. Rivista di ermeneutica e critica filosofica. Anno XIII, Numero 1: The future as a problem. Between philosophy and cultural studies. (2021) 2020, 300 p. https://www.aracneeditrice.eu/free-download/9791259941442.pdf.

Sabolius, K. Anapus funkcijos: vaizduotė kaip semideterminacija [Beyond function: imagination as semi-determination]. Problemos. 2021, 99: 63–79. DOI: 10.15388/Problemos.99.5.

Research Council of Lithuania (LMTLT). Modernity and Holocaust in Lithuania: Philosophical Analysis of Moral Dilemmas (No S-MOD-21-8). Dr Jolanta Saldukaitytė. 2021–2022.

The idea of historical progress underpins the modern conception of history. What does such a conception have in common with the problem of the Holocaust? Bauman discerns a link between the two in his book Modernity and the Holocaust. Every genocide event challenges the community of a country to reflect on the problem of moral values in history, and raises questions concerning the relationship between different nations, between the individual and the nation or state, between the present and eternity, as well as the social responsibility for historical events. The project investigates the possibility to consider the relationship between the Holocaust and modernity in Lithuania from the perspective of Western moral philosophy. The novelty of this project is an attempt to reflect the relation between modernity and the Holocaust in Lithuania from all possible perspectives of practical philosophy, stressing the theme “Vilnius Gaon’s conception of the wisdom of silence (teshuva) and Levinasian question: “Do I not kill by being?”
In 2021, three articles were submitted and accepted for publication.

Research Council of Lithuania. The Problem of Perspective in Phenomenology and Amerindian Perspectivism (09.3.3-LMT-K-712-19-0065). Postdoctoral fellowship programme. Supervisor Prof. Kristupas Sabolius, postdoctoral researcher Dr Ignas Šatkauskas. Project is funded by EU Structural Funds. 2020–2022.

The aim of the project is a comparative analysis of the notion of perspective in phenomenology and in Amerindian perspectivism. The main point of divergence between these positions is in the treatment of the problem of the world-horizon. Phenomenology assumes the unity of the world, while Amerindian perspectivism theorizes multiple worlds, which results in an inversion of the phenomenological notion of perspective: multiple worlds and unitary perspective of subjectivity.
In 2021, the manuscript of the first post-doctoral research paper “Divergences and Convergences of Perspective: Amerindian Perspectivism and Phenomenology” was finished.

Research Council of Lithuania. The Problem of Experience in Classical German Philosophy (09.3.3-LMT-K-712-23-0135). Postdoctoral fellowship programme. Supervisor Prof. Rita Šerpytytė, postdoctoral researcher Dr Brigita Gelžinytė. Project is funded by EU Structural Funds. 2021–2023.

The project aims to explore the problem of experience and reason in classical German philosophy. The content of this research lies in Schelling-Hegel controversy regarding the possibility of reason’s self-determination, as they approach this issue from different opposing understandings of what they call “the experience of consciousness” (Erfahrung des Bewußtseins). In search for a “synthetic” view to this controversy, this project investigates and employs the connection between noetic activity found in Aristotle’s „Metaphysics“ and the notion of ‘hexis’ characterizing latter's modality. The novelty of the project lies in disclosing the essential role of experience in German idealism, as well as in the attempt to introduce modal dimensions to the discussions of the performativity of reason.

Research Council of Lithuania. Ontology of Law (P-MIP-21-51). Project leader Prof. R. Šerpytytė. 2021–2024.

The project is intended for the ontological research of Law, revealing and substantiating the fundamental connection between Being and Law. This relation with Being will be revealed not in the perspective dictated by the concepts of modern thinking, when the focus is on the search for foundations of positive law, positive norms, but on the origin of Law beyond positive law and positive norms, the origin of the phenomenon of Law itself, revealing the ontological meaning of Law, considering positive laws as a result of a certain thinking of Being. The aim of the project is to answer the question “What is Law?” by a systematic study of the concepts that raised the question of Law ontologically, showing that the “real” basis of Law is negative.
In 2021, in the framework of this project, three articles for publication in national scientific journals were prepared (they will appear in 2022) and two academic events were organised: A research visit of R. Šerpytytė, P. Dumbliauskas, and E., Sferrazza Papa to the University of Salerno and the University of Rome “La Sapienza” (Italy) to present the project to foreign partners and discuss research issues; Discussion and presentation of the project “Ontology of the Law”. Vilnius University, 16–17 December (Šerpytytė, R. “Why Ontology of Law?”, Sferrazza Papa, E. “Political aspects of the project “Ontology of Law”, Dumbliauskas, P. “Juridical aspects of “Ontology of Law” and Law in philosophy of Hegel”, Bacevičiūtė, D. “Ethical aspects of ”Ontology of Law”, https://www.fsf.vu.lt/naujienos/fakulteto-ivykiai/4469-diskusija-istatymo-ontologija.

International Research Projects

The international research project ONLENHER – Ontology. Language. Hermeneutics (under the guidance of Dr. Maria Teresa Oñate Zubia). Prof. Rita Šerpytytė is a member of the international group of investigation ONLENHER at the National Distance Education University (UNED) in Spain.
http://portal.uned.es/portal/page?_pageid=93,8843313&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL&idContenido=5
In 2021, the research was focused on the problems of contemporary hermeneutics.

International research project Seminario de las Tres Culturas, coordinated by the University of Seville (Spain) (under the guidance of Prof. Jacinto Choza, University of Seville, Spain). Prof. Rita Šerpytytė is a participant of this project since 2014.

In 2021, in the framework of this project, one seminar was organised, and one paper was presented:
The international seminar Intercultural Dialogue and Human Freedom. XXII Seminar of the Three Cultures (17–19 May 2021) was organised on-line by University of Malaga, University of Sevilla and Seminar of The Three Cultures http://congreso.us.es/tresculturas/SeminarioTC/ComiteCient.html;
Šerpytytė, R. “Nihilism between East and West”, Intercultural Dialogue and Human Freedom. XXII Seminar of the Three Cultures. 17–19 May 2021. Organised on-line by University of Malaga, University of Sevilla and Seminar of The Three Cultures, http://congreso.us.es/tresculturas/SeminarioTC/SeminarioTC/Programa.html?fbclid=IwAR3cxE5cgUCXR04N-LYc2T6GTr_7A33JbUcZoQEndF9rEaUWRCp6sIZIJTc.

MAIN R&D&I (RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, AND INNOVATION) PARTNERS

Centre for Philosophical and Religious Studies of Luigi Pareyson, Turin (Italy)
University of Turin (Italy)
University of Eastern Piedmont (Italy)
Sapienza – University of Rome (Italy)
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (USA)
University of Lisbon (Portugal)
National Distance Education University (UNED) (Spain)
The Pontifical University of John Paul II Cracow (Poland)
University of Salerno (Italy)

OTHER RESEARCH ACTIVITIES

Prof. Rita Šerpytytė –

Prof. Jūratė Rubavičienė (Baranova) –

Prof. Nerijus Milerius –

Prof. Kristupas Sabolius –

Prof. Pietro Montani –

  • scientific board member of Rivista di Estetica;
  • scientific board member of Carte semiotiche;
  • scientific board member of Agalm;
  • scientific board member of Plexus;
  • scientific board member of Images ré-vues (on-line magazine).

Assoc. Prof. Aušra Kristina Pažėraitė –

  • authoress of Science and Encyclopaedia Publishing Institute;
  • directress of Lithuanian Jewish Culture Research Centre (in Lithuanian Culture Research Institute, former Culture, Philosophy and Arts Research Institute);
  • board member of the Lithuanian Society for the Study of Religion, http://en.religijotyra.lt/members/;
  • member of Association of SIREL (Société internationale de Recherche Emmanuel Levinas), Plateforme de la Société Internationale de Recherche Emmanuel Levinas (SIREL) - Société Internationale de Recherche Emmanuel Levinas (sirel-levinas.org);
  • member of association ISORECEA (International Study of Religion in Eastern and Central Europe Association), Isorecea;
  • member of ISSR/SISR - International Society for the Sociology of Religion, ISSR - International Society for the Sociology of Religion (sisr-issr.org);
  • member of the Lithuanian Philosophical Association, http://filosofai.lt/nariai/.

Assoc. Prof. Mintautas Gutauskas –

Assoc. Prof. Danutė Bacevičiūtė –

Assist. Prof. Benas Ulevičius –

Assist. Prof. Vaiva Daraškevičiūtė –

  • member of the Lithuanian Philosophical Association, http://filosofai.lt/nariai/;
  • member of the Lithuanian Association of Aesthetics, About the IAA (iaaesthetics.org).

Assist. Prof. Sigita Maslauskaitė-Mažylienė –

  • editorial board member of the journal Religija ir kultūra (Religion and Culture), http://www.zurnalai.vu.lt/religija-ir-kultura;
  • member of the Lithuanian Art Historian Society, Lietuvos dailės istorikų draugija | Lietuvos dailės istorikų draugija (ldid.lt);
  • member of the Lithuanian Artists’ Association, http://www.ldsajunga.lt/Nariai-3215-Sigita_Maslauskaite;
  • member of International Council of Museums (ICOM), International Council of Museums - The global museum network - International Council of Museums (icom.museum).

Jolanta Saldukaitytė –

Gintautas Mažeikis –

Didier Pollefeyt –

Ernesto Calogero Sferrazza Papa –

BEST REPORTS DELIVERED AT CONFERENCES ABROAD

MOST IMPORTANT NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL AWARDS RECEIVED FOR R&D ACTIVITIES

MOST IMPORTANT PARTICIPATION CASES OF RESEARCHERS IN WORKING GROUPS OR COMMISSIONS SET UP BY STATE AUTHORITIES, STATE AND MUNICIPAL INSTITUTIONS, ORGANISATIONS, BUSINESS ENTITIES

CONSULTATIONS PROVIDED BY THE UNIT TO THE PUBLIC OR ECONOMIC ENTITIES

  • Consultation (by Assoc. Prof. A. Pažėraitė) for the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Lithuania on some religious communities of Lithuania.
  • Assoc. Prof. A. Pažėraitė, the expert of the best dissertation 2020 competition.
  • Rybačiauskaitė, K. The workshop “Learning from Magic and Its Refrains” for the participants of the 9th Rupert Alternative Education Program. 22–23 July 2021, Rupert Center for Art, Residences and Education, Vilnius, https://rupert.lt/2021-rupert-theme-magic-and-rituals/ https://rupert.lt/about-us/.

MOST IMPORTANT RESEARCH DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES

 

DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY AND ANALYTIC PHILOSOPHY

Universiteto 9, LT-01513 Vilnius
Tel. 266 7617
E-mail:
Head – Prof. Dr Marius Povilas Šaulauskas

STAFF

Professors: Dr N. Kardelis, Dr V. Radžvilas, Dr M. P. Šaulauskas.
Associate professors: Dr J. Dagys, Dr K. Dubnikas, N. Radavičienė.
Assistant professors: Dr R. Bikauskaitė, Dr M. Gilaitis, Dr Ž. Pabijutaitė, Dr A. Noreikaitė.
Lecturers: G. Kurlavičiūtė (part-time).
Doctoral students: A. Alijauskaitė, V. Baranovė, D. Caturianas, S. Čelutka, D. Markevičius, M. Markuckas, E. S. Mikalonytė, M. Morkūnaitė, A. Noreikaitė, A. Plėšnys, V. Sinica, T. Snuviškis, G. Šataitis, A. Šulcas, V. Vyšniauskas.

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Analytical philosophy and hermeneutics
Logic, philosophy and history of logic
Philosophy in classical and modern civilizations
Modern – postmodern controversy
Postmodern philosophy
Social and political philosophy
Contemporary Christian philosophy
Ethics

MAIN RESEARCH ACHIEVEMENTS IN 2021

Dagys, J., Pabijutaitė, Ž., Giedra, H. Representing Buridan’s divided modal propositions in first-order logic. History and Philosophy of Logic. 2021, first published online. DOI: 10.1080/01445340.2021.1976042.

Kardelis, N. Kalba ir tikrovė [Language and Reality]. Acta Linguistica Lithuanica. 2021, 84(2021): 331–337. DOI:doi.org/10.35321/all84-16,
http://journals.lki.lt/actalinguisticalithuanica/article/view/2091/2199

Mikalonytė, E. S., Dranseika, V. The role of teleological thinking in judgments of persistence of musical works. The Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism. 2021, first published online. DOI: 10.1093/jaac/kpab063.

Pabijutaitė, Ž. (trans.). Jonas Buridanas. Dialektikos sąvadas (extract). Problemos. 2021, 99: 174–195. DOI: 10.15388/Problemos.99.13.

Radžvilas V. A City of the Politics of Reason in Aquinas’s Tractatus `On Kingship’. In: Aquinas, Thomas. Political Tractatus. Translated by Gintautas Vyšniauskas. 2021, 4–60.

RESEARCH PROJECTS CARRIED OUT IN 2021

Projects Supported by University Budget

The History of Philosophy and Nowadays: Framework Methodological Controversies. Prof. M. P. Šaulauskas. 2016–2021.

The main research titles accomplished were as follws: analytical philosophy paradigms of science, consciousness, language, and law; essential problems of axiological discourses; methodological controversy of contemporary politics and moral philosophy; the genesis of modern philosophy.

National Research Projects

Research Council of Lithuania. Computer Aided Analysis of Traditional Modal Logic from the Point of View of Contemporary Logical Theories (P-MIP-19-447. Head of research group – J. Dagys, member of the group – Ž. Pabijutaitė. 2019–2022.

The aim of the project is to thoroughly investigate, with the help of contemporary theories of formal logic and information technologies, the most significant and complex medieval system of modal syllogism formulated and published in the fourteenth century by French logician Jean Buridan. The main goal is to determine the relationship between traditional and modern theories of modal logics by developing new and adapting existing models of traditional logic, preparing them for the relevant formal comparison, and running the mechanical comparison of the arguments recognized as valid in each theory with the help of a computer equipped with the software specially designed or adapted for this purpose.

Main publication:

Dagys, J., Pabijutaitė, Ž., Giedra, H. Representing Buridan’s divided modal propositions in first-order logic. History and Philosophy of Logic. 2021, first published online. DOI: 10.1080/01445340.2021.1976042.

Research Council of Lithuania. Preparation of Terminological Dictionary of Modal Metaphysics Based on the Works of S. Kripke, D. Lewis, and A. Plantinga. N. 09.3.3-LMT-K-712-25-0139. Ž. Pabijutaitė (student Pranciškus Gricius), students' scientific research during the semester.

The aim of the project is to develop the competencies required to work in the fields of analytic philosophy and modal logic. The outcome of the project will be a detailed terminological dictionary of modal metaphysics introducing the reader to the most important controversies and ideas of that field.

International Research Projects

Polonica philosophica orientalia. Filozofia w Rzeczypospolitej XVI-XVIII w. i historiografia filozofii w Polsce, Litwie, Białorusi i Ukrainie. 31H 17 0438 84. Živilė Pabijutaitė – member of research group headed by Dr Steffen Huber. 2018–2023.

The project is organized by the Philosophy Department of Jagiellonian University (Krakow) and is part of the program "Narodowy Program Roswoju Humanistyki". The aim of the project is to provide a detailed analysis of manuscripts and printed sources that reveal the state of political, ethical and logical thought in the region of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth during 16–18th centuries. The participants of the project are the researchers of the history of philosophy from Belarus, Ukraine, Poland and Lithuania.

Baltic research programme. Promoting Collaboration for Sustainable and Circular Use of Bioresources across Agriculture, Forestry, and Aquaculture (CIRCLE) No. EEA-RESEARCH-24. Coordinator - Baltic Studies Centre (foundation), Latvia. VU Research group coordinator – Dr Diana Mincytė, researcher – Dr Renata Bikauskaitė. 2021–2024.

The project aims to develop an interdisciplinary perspective on the circular economy in the Baltic-Nordic region by integrating insights from sociology, economics, philosophy, political science, and environmental science. The emphasis is placed on the use of by-products (bio-resources) generated as part of primary production in agriculture, forestry, and aquaculture and across the sectoral boundaries to explore the underlying models of socially- and commercially-driven collaborations, and the factors facilitating and hindering the development and wider use of circular practices and collaborative arrangements thereof.

Contractual Research

The Mythophilosophical Lithuanian Discourse: Mickūnas, Šliogeris, Vyčina” (UAB 3T-Transfers", MTS-250000-839). Prof. Marius Povilas Šaulauskas. 2017–2024.

The project aims to identify basic parameters of the mythophilosophical Lithuanian discourse and thereby to enable the disclosure of its specificity both in terms of (a) Lithuanian philosophical heritage and (b) Lithuanian academic discourse of nowadays. The basic problematics of the project cover (1) methodological principles of mythophilosophical Lithuanian legacy and their enactment in contemporary academic writings as well as (2) vital mythophilosophical attributes in the undertakings of Vincas Vyčinas, Algis Mickūnas and Arvydas Šliogeris.

Translation from Latin of Cicero’s De divinatione with philosophical introduction and commentary (the author of the translation and commentary - Živilė Pabijutaitė):

Pabijutaitė, Ž., Kučinskienė, A., Dikmonienė, J. (translators). Apie pranašavimą. Pirmoji knyga. Markas Tulijus Ciceronas. Transl. from Latin and commentary by Živile Pabijutaitė. Lietuva: Phi knygos. 2021, 272 p.

MAIN R&D&I (RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, AND INNOVATION) PARTNERS

University of Zurich (Switzerland)
Nitra University (Slovakia)
Jagiellonian University (Poland)
Institute of Philosophy at the Nikolaus Copernicus University, Torun (Poland)

OTHER RESEARCH ACTIVITIES

Assoc. Prof. J. Dagys –

Assoc. Prof. K. Dubnikas –

Prof. N. Kardelis –

Assoc. Prof. N. Radavičienė –

Prof. M. P. Šaulauskas –

Assist. Prof. Dr Ž. Pabijutaitė –

Assist. Prof. Dr M. Gilaitis –

BEST REPORTS DELIVERED AT CONFERENCES ABROAD

  • Kardelis, N. The Beginnings of Philosophy in the World-Outlook of the Old Europeans: Reflecting on the Archaeomythological Reconstructions of Maria Gimbutas. Filosofijos užuomazgos Senosios Europos gyventojų pasaulėvaizdyje: apmąstant archeomitologines Marijos Gimbutienės rekonstrukcijas. International Virtual Conference Maria Gimbutas in Lithuania and the World: a Centenary Commemoration, 29–30 April 2021, Vilnius: Lietuvos istorijos institutas, Nacionalinis muziejus – Lietuvos Didžiosios Kunigaikštystės Valdovų Rūmai / Lithuanian Institute of History, National Museum – Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania, https://www.istorija.lt/data/public/uploads/2021/04/2021-04-13-konferencijos-programa.pdf.

MOST IMPORTANT NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL AWARDS RECEIVED FOR R&D ACTIVITIES

  • Ž. Pabijutaitė received the award for the best PhD thesis in the fields of humanitarian and social sciences "Classical and Contemporary Models of Indeterministic Temporal Logic".
  • Ž. Pabijutaitė received the scholarship for the young scientists founded by the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences.

MOST IMPORTANT PARTICIPATION CASES OF RESEARCHERS IN WORKING GROUPS OR COMMISSIONS SET UP BY STATE AUTHORITIES, STATE AND MUNICIPAL INSTITUTIONS, ORGANISATIONS, BUSINESS ENTITIES

  • J. Dagys - member and head of the group for revision of the Descriptor of the study field of Philosophy. Grouped formed by Lithuanian Study Quality Evaluation Center (SKVC).
  • J. Dagys – member of the committee of The Lithuanian National Culture and Art Prizes (Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Lithuania).

CONSULTATIONS PROVIDED BY THE UNIT TO THE PUBLIC OR ECONOMIC ENTITIES

  • Kardelis, N. provided consultations to the Lithuanian Free Market Institute with regard to the interdisciplinary projects carried out by the Institute.
  • Dagys, J. gave a talk at the inaugural session of the State Progress Strategy "Lithuania 2050".

MOST IMPORTANT RESEARCH DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES


DEPARTMENT OF THEORETICAL PHILOSOPHY AND PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE

Universiteto 9, LT-01513 Vilnius
Tel. 266 7617
E-mail:
Head – Prof. Dr Albinas Plėšnys

STAFF

Professors: Dr A. Plėšnys, Dr T. Sodeika.
Associated professor: Dr A. Mickevičius.
Assistant professors: Dr J. Čiurlionis, Dr L. Jakavonytė, Dr M. Stoškus.
Lecturer: Dr J. Tuleikytė (part-time).
Research fellows: A. Fediajevas (part-time), E. Račius (part-time), L. Vidauskytė (part-time), N. Šepetys (part-time).
Doctoral students: A. Buiko, L. Jacevičius, T. Murašov, J. Slipkauskaitė, V. Valinskaitė.

RESEARCH INTERESTS

The impact of metaphysics on the rise of modern natural science
The impact of globalization on culture and transformation of values
Basic problems of philosophy of science
Science and values
The impact of social factors on the process of scientific investigation

MAIN RESEARCH ACHIEVEMENTS IN 2021

Sodeika, Tomas. The birth of post-secularity from the spirit of religious unmusicality. Aftershocks: Globalism and the Future of Democracy, ISSEI – XVI international conference, the University of Zaragoza, Spain, 2–5 July 2019. 2021, p. 605–615.

Vidauskytė, Lina. The rehabilitation of myth, post-ontology, and rhetoric. Aftershocks: Globalism and the Future of Democracy, ISSEI – XVI international conference, the University of Zaragoza, Spain, 2–5 July 2019. 2021, p. 616–626.

Čiurlionis, Jonas. Herakleitas ir Hipokratas: elementų paradigma [Heraclitus and Hippocrates: the paradigm of the elements]. Problemos. 2021, 100: 50–61. DOI: 10.15388/Problemos.100.4.

RESEARCH PROJECTS CARRIED OUT IN 2021

Projects Supported by University Budget

Investigation of Social, Metaphysical, and Methodological Influences for the Formation of Natural Science. Prof. A. Plėšnys.

We continued our research on the history of medieval science. In September, a conference on relevant topics in Philosophy of Science was organized.

National Research Projects

Research Council of Lithuania. Post-secular Condition (DOTSUT – 029/2018). (No. DOTSUT-21 (09.3.3-LMT-K-712-01-0085). Project is funded by EU Structural Funds programme’s priority axis 9 Educating the Society and Strengthening the Potential of Human Resources, objective 9.3.3 Strengthen the skills and capacities of public sector researches for engaging high level R&D activities. Prof. Tomas Sodeika. 2018–2022.

Although the postmodern culture can be considered as a post-secular culture, the character of this post-secularity is not yet sufficiently understood. It is not clear what form, in a changed cultural situation, could and/or should acquire the religious images, experiences and practices. The aim of this project is to find out, what forms are acquired by religious content in such areas of contemporary culture as ethics, aesthetics and political ideology, what role interreligious and inter-confessional dialogue plays (or could play) in the process of globalisation that prevails in contemporary world. A large part of the research is devoted to the analysis of the ontological foundations of above-mentioned manifestations of post-secularity.
In 2021, on the basis of the project investigations, two articles were published and one international seminar was organized.

Main publications:

Fediajevas, A. Death of God Theology as emancipatory thinking. Logos. 2021, 106: 35–42. DOI: https://doi.org/10.24101/logos.2021.05.

Sodeika T. Apie filosofinę praktiką [On the Philosophical Practice]. Logos. 2021, 108: 84–91. DOI: https://doi.org/10.24101/logos.2021.57.

International seminar:
https://www.fsf.vu.lt/naujienos/fakulteto-ivykiai/4111-projekto-postsekliarus-buvis-tarptautinis-nuotolinis-seminaras

MAIN R&D&I (RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, AND INNOVATION) PARTNERS

European Humanities University, Vilnius (Lithuania)
Belarussian State University, Minsk (Belorussia)
University of Zielona Gora (Poland)
Le Moyne College (USA)

OTHER RESEARCH ACTIVITIES

Assist. Prof. J. Čiurlionis –

  • member of Athens Institute for Education and Research, http://www.atiner.gr/;
  • member of ISUD association, Home | isud (worldialogue.org);
  • editorial board member of the journal Studia Philosophiae Christianae, Studia Philosophiae Christianae | Studia Philosophiae Christianae (uksw.edu.pl).

Assist. Prof. L. Jakavonytė –

Assoc. Prof. A. Mickevičius –

Prof. A. Plėšnys –

Dr J. Tuleikytė –

BEST REPORTS DELIVERED AT CONFERENCES ABROAD

  • Ciurlionis J. Mathematical Determinism of Pythagorean Ontology. XIV International Ontology Congress Natural Determinism and Free Will. UNESCO/University of the Basque Country, Spain.
  • (Sodeika T.) Содейка Т. „Понимание медиа: медиа как условия раскрытости смысла (Understanding Media: Media as the condition of disclosure of meaning)“. Конференция "Понимание понимания". International virtual conference Understanding of Understanding, 22–23 January 2021. https://psychiatr.ru/events/972
  • Sodeika T. Sich in dem Freiheistbewusstsein üben mit dem Hegels Text als mit einem Übungsgerät. 33rd Hegel Congress Hegel and Freedom (Practice your consciousness of freedom with the Hegel's text as with a training device). Warsaw, 21–25 June 2021. https://www.hegel2020.uw.edu.pl.
  • Sodeika T. O wolności dramatycznej. Kilka uwag uwzględniających filozofię dramatu Józefa Tischnera (On the dramatic liberty. Some remarks taking into account the philosophy of drama by Józef Tischner). II Międzynarodowy Kongres Tischnerowski Prawda i Dobro (2nd Tischner-Congress Thruth and Good. Jagellonian University Krakow, 25 Ocotober 2011. https://kongrestischnerowski.org/2021/10/06/the-2nd-tischner-congress/.
  • Vidauskytė L. Phonetic Writing as Essential Medium in Hegel’s Concept of Spirit. 33rd Hegel Congress Hegel and Freedom. Warsaw, 21–25 June 2021. https://www.hegel2020.uw.edu.pl.

MOST IMPORTANT RESEARCH DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES

ACADEMIC STAFF OF THE INSTITUTE OF PHILOSOPHY NOT AFFILIATED WITH THE DEPARTMENTS

Lect. Vilius Dranseika

MAIN RESEARCH ACHIEVEMENTS IN 2021

  • Dranseika, V., McCarroll, C. J., Michaelian, K. Are observer memories (accurate) memories? Insights from experimental philosophy. Consciousness and Cognition. 2021, 96(103240): 1–11. DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2021.103240.
  • Piasecki, J., Dranseika, V. Balancing professional obligations and risks to providers in learning healthcare systems. Journal of Medical Ethics. 2021, 47(6): 413–416. DOI: 10.1136/medethics-2019-105658.
  • Lin, Y.-T., Dranseika, V. The variety and limits of self-experience and identification in imagination. Synthese. 2021, 199(3–4): 9897–9926. DOI: 10.1007/s11229-021-03230-4.
  • Berniūnas, R., Silius, V., Dranseika, V. Moralization East and West: Moralizing different transgressions among Chinese, Americans, and Lithuanians. Asian Journal of Social Psychology. 2021, first on line, p. 1–13. DOI: 10.1111/ajsp.12479.
  • Mikalonytė, E. S., Dranseika, V. The role of teleological thinking in judgments of persistence of musical works. The Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism. 2021, first published online, p. 1–16. DOI: 10.1093/jaac/kpab063.

MOST IMPORTANT RESEARCH DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES

Assoc. Prof. Kęstas Kirtiklis –

RESEARCH PROJECTS CARRIED OUT IN 2021

National Research Projects

Research Council of Lithuania. The Notions of Quality in the Humanities: Novelty, Excellence, Knowledge and Impact (No. S-MIP-21-39). Coordinator – Klaipėda University. VU research coordinator – Dr Kęstutis Kirtiklis. 2021–2024.

The project seeks to analyse and reconstruct the notions and conceptions of quality in both global and local humanities as well as their application in practice. This aim is pursued through analysis of the global English-speaking discourse, as well as the local Lithuanian one. Paradoxically, but in these discourses, the notion of quality is neither well defined nor clearly formulated. Applying the tools of philosophy and sociology of science, we are going to fix this academic gap. With the help of academic and applied literature, the researchers are going to analyse the conceptualisations and manifestations of quality in both global and local discourses, and consequently to compare the similarities and difference across these discourses.

The research project began in 2021, therefore the results are still rather scarce: K. Kirtiklis and A. Gedutis presented a keynote lecture "The Humanities as a Martial Art: 14+ Ways of Self-Defence" in the The 8th Baltic Student Conference “Bridges in the Baltics" (22 October 2021). Their paper "Will the Future Humanities be Better?" was accepted to the annual conference of Lithuanian Sociological Society in November 2021, however the conference was postponed to 2022 because of the pandemics.

OTHER RESEARCH ACTIVITIES

  • Guest editor of the scholarly journal Athena. Philosophical studies, thematic issue Technologies: Beyond Nature and Culture? (no. 16), 2021;
  • Member of the Lithuanian Philosophical Society, http://www.filosofai.lt/.

MOST IMPORTANT NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL AWARDS RECEIVED FOR R&D ACTIVITIES

  • In the Finis anni academici ceremony associate professor of the Faculty of Philosophy Kęstas Kirtiklis was awarded for the best scholarly publication in the category of humanities and social sciences.

MOST IMPORTANT RESEARCH DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES

RESEARCH PROJECTS CARRIED OUT IN 2021

National Research Projects

Research Council of Lithuania. Research Subject Ideology and Practical Rationality: Neo-Aristotelian Perspective (09.3.3-LMT-K-712-19-0087). Supervisor Prof. Dr Andrius Bielskis. Research fellow Dr Egidijus Mardosas Postdoctoral fellow September 2020–August 2022.

Project idea and aims: to research the question of ideology and practical reason, taking the philosophical approach of neo-Aristotelian social philosophy. The research seeks to develop the normative ground for the ideology critique in contemporary society, by finding that ground in the neo-Aristotelian conception of practical rationality. The result of the project will be a monograph in English, two conference presentations and a national seminar. In 2021 conference paper „Ideology Critique and the Neo-Aristotelian Account of Practical Reason: towards a Dialogue”, was presented at the conference Practical Rationality and Human Difference, University of Bergamo, 12–15 July 2021 and research visit to the Centre for Platonic and Aristotelian Studies, University of Ioannina, Greece, 1–30 September 2021 was made.

Research Council of Lithuania. Student summer practice project: Ecosophy: Comparting the Conceptions of Arne Naess and Felix Guattari (Nr. 09.3.3-LMT-K-712-24-0072). Project leader - E. Mardosas (student Viltė Zaveckaitė), 2021.

 

INSTITUTE OF PSYCHOLOGY

Universiteto 9, LT-01513 Vilnius
Tel. 266 7605,
Email:
Director – Assoc. Prof. Dr Vilmantė Pakalniškienė

STAFF

Professors: Dr R. Barkauskienė, Dr L. Bulotaitė, Dr G. Gudaitė, Dr R. Jusienė, Dr E. Kazlauskas, Dr I. Laurinaitytė, Dr S. Raižienė, Dr G. Valickas.
Associate professors: Dr A. Adler, Dr D. Bagdžiūnienė, Dr R. Berniūnas, Dr R. Bliumas, Dr D. Čekuolienė, Dr A. Daugirdienė, Dr R. Gedutienė, Dr G. Gintilienė, Dr S. Girdzijauskienė, Dr N. Grigutytė, Dr A. Kairys, Dr A. Laurinavičius, Dr J. Lazauskaitė-Zabielskė, Dr T. Lazdauskas, Dr D. Nasvytienė, Dr V. Pakalniškienė, Dr R. Sargautytė, Dr P. Skruibis, Dr R. Stanikūnas, Dr K. Vanagaitė, Dr P. Želvienė, Dr I. Žukauskaitė.
Associate professors of practice: J. Bajoriūnienė, S. Grudienė.
Assistants professors: Dr D. Barysė, Dr R. Breidokienė, Dr K. Čunichina, Dr J. Eimontas, Dr G. Gegieckaitė, Dr O. Geležėlytė, Dr I. Gabrialavičiūtė, Dr L. Gervinskaitė-Paulaitienė, Dr V. Jurkuvėnas, Dr G. Kaluževičiūtė, Dr J. Kymantienė, Dr V. Klimukienė, Dr E. Mažulytė-Rašytinė, Dr T. Maceina, Dr V. Mikuličiūtė, Dr A. Radzevičienė, Dr L. Rakickienė, Dr M. Skerytė-Kazlauskienė, Dr D. Šorytė, Dr I. Truskauskaitė-Kunevičienė, Dr O. Zamalijeva, Dr T. Stumbrys, Dr A. Žiedelis.
Lecturers: D. Butkienė, K. Dragūnevičius, A. Saikauskienė, Dr G. Ambrulaitienė, Dr R. Dirvanskienė, I. Dulinskaitė, Dr M. Giedraitytė-Guzikauskienė, Dr Ž. Grakauskas, Dr V. Klimaitė, Dr I. Povilaitienė, Dr R. Povilaitis, Dr A. Šimelionienė.
Researchers: Prof. Dr A. Bagdonas, Prof. Dr D. Gailienė, Dr I. Jovarauskaitė.
Doctoral students: E. Baukienė, V. Cimalanskaitė-Kazlauskienė, A. A. Čepulienė, I. Daniūnaitė, A. Dumarkaitė, A. Dzimidienė, V. Ivleva, D. Jančiūrė, L. Jarutienė, K. Jočbalytė, E. Gaudiešiūtė, I. Grauslienė, D. Grigienė, J. Gužas, R. Kanapeckaitė, M. Kvedaraitė, K. Lapinskė, M. Marcinkevičiūtė, D. Mikučionytė, A. Nomeikaitė, Ž. Pečiūra, K. Petraškaitė, E. Rimkus, R. Sadauskaitė, G. Skabeikytė-Norkienė, M. Turlinskienė, M. Vainalavičiūtė, M. Vaštakė.

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY

STAFF

Prof. Dr L. Bulotaitė, Assoc. Prof. Dr D. Bagdžiūnienė, Dr V. Jurkuvėnas, Prof. Dr I. Laurinaitytė, Assoc. Prof. Dr R. Sargautytė, Dr V. Klimukienė. DrV. Mikuličiūtė, Dr A. Žiedelis.

DEPARTMENT OF CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY

STAFF

Prof. Dr R. Barkauskienė, Prof. Dr D. Gailienė, Prof. Dr G. Gudaitė, Prof. Dr E. Kazlauskas, Assoc. Prof. Dr A. Adler, Assoc. Prof. Dr D. Čekuolienė, Assoc. Prof. Dr N. Grigutytė, Assoc. Prof. Dr A. Laurinavičius, Assoc. Prof. Dr R. Sargautytė, Assoc. Prof. Dr P. Skruibis, Dr J. Eimontas, Dr O. Geležėlytė, Dr L. Gervinskaitė-Paulaitienė, Dr E. Mažulytė-Rašytinė, Dr M. Giedraitytė-Guzikauskienė, Dr R. Povilaitis, Dr I. Povilaitienė, doctoral students: A. A. Čepulienė, I. Daniūnaitė, A. Dumarkaitė, E. Gaudiešiūtė, I. Grauslienė, D. Grigienė, M. Kvedaraitė, M. Marcinkevičiūtė, D. Mikučionytė, K. Petraškaitė, G. Skabeikytė, M. Turlinskienė.

DEPARTMENT OF FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGY

STAFF

Prof. Dr G. Valickas, Assoc. Prof. Dr K. Vanagaitė, Dr D. Barysė, Dr K. Čunichina, Dr V. Mikuličiūtė, doctoral student V. Cimalanskaitė-Kazlauskienė.

PERSONALITY PSYCHIDINAMIC RESEARCH CENTRE

STAFF

Prof. Dr G. Gudaitė, Assoc. Prof. Dr N. Grigutytė, Dr M. Giedraitytė-Guzikauskienė.

CENTRE OF ORGANIZATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY RESEARCH

STAFF

Assoc. Prof. Dr J. Lazauskaitė-Zabielskė, Assoc. Prof. Dr I. Žukauskaitė, Dr A. Žiedelis, doctoral student Ž. Pečiūra.

CENTRE OF PSYCHOTRAUMATOLOGY

STAFF

Prof. Dr E. Kazlauskas, Assoc. Prof. Dr N. Grigutytė, Assoc. Prof. Dr P. Želvienė, Dr I. Jovarauskaitė, Assist. Prof. Dr I. Truskauskaitė-Kunevičienė, Assist. Prof. Dr O. Geležėlytė, doctoral students: I. Daniūnaitė, M. Kvedaraitė, A. Dumarkaitė, A. Nomeikaitė.

RESEARCH OF DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOPATHOLOGY CENTRE

STAFF

Assoc. Prof. D. Čekuolienė, Assoc. Prof. Dr A. Adler, Prof. Dr R. Barkauskienė, Dr L. Gervinskaitė-Paulaitienė, doctoral students: E. Gaudiešiūtė, G. Skabeikytė.

CENTRE FOR SUICIDOLOGY RESEARCH

STAFF

Prof. Dr P. Skruibis, Prof. Dr D. Gailienė, Dr E. Mažulytė-Rašytinė, Dr S. Dadašev, Dr V. Klimaitė, doctoral students D. Grigienė, A. Čepulienė, J. Gužas, M. Marcinkevičiūtė.

CHILD DEVELOPMENT AND PSYCHOEDUCATIONAL RESEARCH CENTRE

STAFF

Assoc. Prof. Dr G. Gintilienė, Prof. Dr R. Jusienė, Prof. Dr S. Raižienė, Assoc. Prof. Dr S. Girdzijauskienė, Assoc. Prof. Dr T. Lazdauskas, Assoc. Prof. Dr D. Nasvytienė, Dr L. Rakickienė, D. Butkienė, A. Saikauskienė, K. Dragūnevičius, doctoral students: E. Baukienė, K. Lapinskė.

LABORATORY OF PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGY AND COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY

STAFF

Assoc. Prof. Dr R. Stanikūnas, Assoc. Prof. Dr A. Daugirdienė, Assoc. Prof. Dr R. Bliumas, Dr A. Radzevičienė, doctoral student K. Jočbalytė.

LABORATORY OF APPLIED PSYCHOLOGY

STAFF

Assoc. Prof. Dr A. Kairys, Dr V. Jurkuvėnas, Dr V. Mikuličiūtė, Assoc. Prof. Dr V. Pakalniškienė, Dr D. Šorytė, Dr O. Zamalijeva.

RESEARCH GROUP OF CRIMINAL BEHAVIOUR

STAFF

Prof. Dr I. Laurinaitytė, Assoc. Prof. Dr A. Laurinavičius, Dr K. Čunichina, doctoral student L. Jarutienė.

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Addiction Psychology
Ageing
Clinical psychology
Cognitive science and cognitive psychology
Developmental psychology and psychopathology
Educational psychology
Employee psychology
Family psychology
Health psychology
Intelligence
Internet psychology
Jungian analytical psychology
Learning and teaching environments
Learning, behavioural and emotion problems
Legal psychology
Neuropsychology
Organisational psychology
Personality psychology
Psychological testing and evaluation
Psychophysics and psychophysiology
Psychotraumatology
Criminal behaviour
Social and group psychology
Suicidology
Time perpective
Well-being

RESEARCH PROJECTS CARRIED OUT IN 2021

Projects Supported by University Budget

Children’s and Youth’s Development and Supporting Environment: Assessment, Analysis of Interaction, Education. Prof. R. Jusienė, Prof. S. Raižienė, Assoc. Prof. G. Gintilienė, Assoc. Prof. S. Girdzijauskienė, Assoc. Prof. D. Nasvytienė, Assoc. Prof. T. Lazdauskas, Assist. Prof. L. Rakickienė, D. Butkienė, K. Dragūnevičius. 2021–2025.

The aim of this research is to evaluate the individual and environmental factors that promote the child's development and learning and their interaction. Individual (cognitive, personal) and environmental (teachers' expectations, teaching strategies, parental involvement) factors in the learning achievements of primary and lower secondary school students were studied. In 2021, children’s and adolescents’ academic success and mental health during the prolonged pandemic due to COVID-19, as well as risk and protective factors of these two, were in the scope of research.

Main publications:

Rakickienė, L., Jusienė, R., Baukienė, E., Breidokienė, R. Pre-schoolers’ Behavioural and Emotional Problems during the First Quarantine due to COVID-19 Pandemic: the Role of Parental Distress and Screen Time. Psichologija. 2021, 64: 61–68. https://doi.org/10.15388?Psichol.2021.431.

Breidokienė, R., Jusienė, R., Urbonas, V., Praninskienė, R., Girdzijauskienė, S. Sedentary behavior among 6–14-year old children during the COVID-19 lockdown and its relation to physical and mental health. Healthcare. 2021, 9(6): 756. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare9060756.

Nasvytienė, D., Lazdauskas, T. Temperament and Academic Achievement in Children: A Meta-Analysis. Eur. J. Investig. Health Psychol. Educ. 2021, 11: 736–757. https://doi.org/10.3390/ejihpe11030053.

Factors and Outcomes of Psychosocial Interactions and Decision Making. Prof. Dr G. Valickas., Assoc. Prof. K. Vanagaitė, Assist. Prof. K. Čunichina, Assoc. Prof. V. Mikuličiūtė, Assoc. Prof. D. Barysė. 2021–2025.

The aim of this research is to reveal the factors of psychosocial interactions and decisions made, as well as their possible consequences. In 2021 the lay people’s evaluations of government-imposed restrictions and prohibitions, liabilities and penalties for non-compliance with said restrictions, and the perceived fairness of the behavior of other people during the coronavirus pandemic (shortly after the announcement of the 1st quarantine in Lithuania) were examined. The study also covers the relationships among these evaluations as well as the wellbeing and socio-demographic characteristics of the study’s participants.

Main publication:

Valickas, G., Švedas, G., Vanagaitė, K., Barysė, D. Lay Evaluations of Restraints and Prohibitions during the 1-st Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Lithuania. Teisė. 2021,121: 8–26.

Principles of Cognitive Processing. Assoc. Prof. R. Stanikūnas, Assoc. Prof. R. Bliumas, Assoc. Prof. A. Daugirdienė, Assist. Prof. A. Radzevičienė. PhD student Karolina Jočbalytė. 2021–2025.

Purpose of this research is to study the activity of cognitive processes, determining the principles of information input, storage, processing and use. In 2021, the research was done on colour constancy perception of colors in white and black frame.

Main publications:

Svegzda, A., Stanikūnas, R., Augustinaitė, K., Bliumas, R., Vaitkevicius, H. Veido raumenų reakcijos į skausmo išraiškas kito asmens veide. Psichologija. 2021, 63: 24–39.

Baranauskas, M., Grabauskaitė, A., Griškova-Bulanova, I., Lataitytė-Šimkevičienė, B., Stanikūnas, R. (). Heartbeat evoked potentials (HEP) capture brain activity affecting subsequent heartbeat. Biomedical Signal Processing and Control. 2021, 68: 102731.

Risk and Coping Factors of Psychosocial Stress and Psychological Disorders and the Effectiveness of Support. Prof. G. Gudaitė, Prof. R. Barkauskienė, Prof. D. Gailienė, Assoc. Prof. A. Adler, Assoc. Prof. D. Čekuolienė, Assoc. Prof. N. Grigutytė, Assoc. prof. A. Laurinavičius, Assoc. Prof. R. Sargautytė, Assoc. Prof. P. Skruibis, Assist. Prof. L. Gervinskaitė-Paulaitienė, Assist. Prof. J. Eimontas, Assist. Prof. E. Mažulytė-Rašytinė. 2021–2025.

The aim of the research is to identify the determinants of psychological dysfunctions and adequate means of assistance. Assessment of risk factors for mental health disorders, experience of psychological help and efficiency factors, analysis of coping with psychosocial stress. Research findings on psychological disorders, suicidal behaviour, suicide prevention, and psychotherapy effectiveness were presented in dissertations, conference presentations and scientific articles.

Main publications:

Grigutytė, N., Engesser, K. & Petraškaitė, K. (). Associations Between COVID-19 Difficulties, Well-Being, and Personality Traits, Psichologija. 2021, 64: 69–76. doi: 10.15388/Psichol.2021.42.

Taubner, S., Saliba A., Heinonen, E., Protić, J. Volkert, J., Adler, A., Barkauskiene, R. et al. Mediators and theories of change in psychotherapy with adolescents: A systematic review protocol. BMJ Open. 2021, 1: 042411. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2020-042411.

Volkert, J., Taubner, S., Barkauskiene, R., Mestre, J. M., Sales, C., Thiele, V., Saliba, A., Protić, S., Adler, A., Conejo-Cerón, S., Di Giacomo, D., Ioannou, Y., Moreno-Peral, P., Vieira, F. M., Mota, C. P., Raleva, M., Rangel Santos Henriques, M. I., Røssberg, J. I., Schmidt, S. J., Perdih, T. S., … Heinonen, E. (). Mediators and Theories of Change in Psychotherapy for Young People with Personality Disorders: A Systematic Review Protocol. Frontiers in Psychology. 2021, 12: 703095. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.703095.

Psychological, Social and Organisational Factors of Employee Performance and Well-Being in Contemporary Organisations. Assoc. Prof. D. Bagdžiūnienė, Assoc. Prof. J. Lazauskaitė-Zabielskė, Assoc. Prof. I. Žukauskaitė. 2021–2025.

Aim of the research is to study the factors of activity, forms of behaviour and well-being at work of employees of various organisations and their interactions. The aim for 2021 was to systematically analyse the expression of individual forms of employee behavior in the organisation (performance, innovative, proactive and civic behavior, mastery of work, etc.), their individual and organisational factors in new ways of working.

Main publication:

Urbanaviciute, I., Lazauskaite-Zabielske, J., & De Witte, H. Deconstructing Job Insecurity: Do its Qualitative and Quantitative Dimensions Add Up? Occupational Health Science. 2021, 5(3): 415–435.

Research on the Risk, Manifestation, and Development of Psychopathology in Childhood and Adolescence from the Perspective of Contemporary Developmental Psychopathology. Prof. Rasa Barkauskienė (leader), Assoc. Prof. Asta Adler, Assoc. Prof. Danguole Čekuolienė, Assistant Prof. Lina Gervinskaitė-Paulaitienė, Doctoral students Elena Gaudiešiūtė, Izabelė Grauslienė, Gabrielė Skabeikytė-Norkienė.

The developmental psychopathology approach is used to investigate childhood and adolescent developmental difficulties, behavioural and emotional problems, as well as a variety of risk and protective factors for the latter psychopathology, encompassing a wide range of constructs: children's and adolescents' individual psychological characteristics, family interactions and parenting, communication with peers and the context of school, and traumatic experiences from early childhood through adolescence.

Main publications:

Čekuolienė, D., Gervinskaitė-Paulaitienė, L., Grauslienė, I., Adler, A., & Barkauskienė, R. Maternal Reflective Functioning and Attachment Security in Girls and Boys: A Closer Look into the Middle Childhood. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2021, 18(21): 11261. https://doi:10.3390/ijerph182111261.

Barkauskiene, R., Skabeikyte, G., & Gervinskaite-Paulaitiene, L. Personality pathology in adolescents as a new line of scientific inquiry in Lithuania: mapping a research program development. Current Opinion in Psychology. 2021, 37: 72–76. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2020.08.011.

Adler, A., Gervinskaitė-Paulaitienė, L., Čekuolienė, D., & Barkauskienė, R. Childhood Maltreatment and Adolescents’ Externalizing Problems: Mentalization and Aggression Justification as Mediators. Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma. 2021, 30(1): 54–69. https://doi.org/10.1080/10926771.2020.1783733.

Analysis of the Diversity of Violence: the Phenomenon, Opportunities for Prevention and Intervention. Prof. I. Laurinaitė, Assoc. Prof. A. Laurinavičius, Assist. Prof. K. Čunichina, doctoral student L. Jarutienė.

The aim of the research is to study the phenomenon of violence from different perspectives and to find the most appropriate options for the violence prevention and intervention. Examination of the associations between adverse childhood experiences, health-risk behaviours, and psychological well-being among Lithuanian university students. Exploration of intimate partner violence and stalking behaviour. The research findings were presented in scientific publications and conference presentations as well as disseminated to the public.

Main publications:

Sellbom, M., Liggins, C., Laurinaitytė, I., & Cooke, D. J. (). Factor structure of the Comprehensive Assessment of Psychopathic Personality-Self-Report (CAPP-SR) in community and offender samples. Psychological Assessment. 2021, 33(10): 927–939. https://doi.org/10.1037/pas0001029.

Tomlin, J., Lega, I., Braun, P., Kennedy, H. G., Herrando, V.T., Barroso, R., Castelletti, L., Mirabella, F., Scarpa, F., Völlm, B., Pham, T., Müller-Isberner, R., Taube, M., Rivellini, G., Calevro, V., Liardo, R., Pennino, M., Markiewicz, I., Barbosa, F., Bulten, E., Thomson, L., Pustoslemšek, M., Arroyo, J. M., Seppänen, A., Thibaut, F., Kozaric-Kovacic, D., Palijan, T. Z., Markovska-Simoska, S., Raleva, M., Šileikaitė, A., Germanavicius, A., Čėsnienė I. Forensic mental health in Europe: some key figures. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology. 2021, 56(1): 109–117. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-020-01909-6.

Sellbom, M., Laurinaitytė, I., & Laurinavičius, A. (). Further validation of the Comprehensive Assessment of Psychopathic Personality - Self-Report (CAPP-SR) in Lithuanian offender and nonoffender samples. Assessment. 2021, 28(2): 472–484. https://doi.org/10.1177/1073191120914403.

Factors of Biopsychosocial Functioning of Older age People. Assoc. Prof. A. Kairys, Assist. Prof. V. Jurkuvėnas, Assoc. Prof. V. Pakalniškienė, Assist. Prof. O. Zamalijeva, Prof. A. Bagdonas, V. Ivleva, R. Sadauskaitė.

The aim of the research is to analyse and assess the factors of biopsychosocial functioning of older age people. Particular attention is paid to the analysis of the well-being of the elderly and analysis of detection of fake news. During the year 2021 research and data analysis were conducted, research findings were presented in conference presentations.

Main publications:

Kairys, A., Zamalijeva, O., Liniauskaitė, A. Let’s try something crazy: estimation of future time perspective from data of survey of health, ageing and retirement in Europe. 5th International Conference on Time Perspective. Book of abstracts. 12–16 July 2021, Vilnius, Lithuania, online. 2021, 16: 54. DOI: 10.15388/TimePerspectives.2021.

Zamalijeva, O., Jurgelionytė, M., Tarasevičiūtė, I.,Mitrauskas, M., Petrulėnaitė, K. Lietuviškasis psichikos sveikatos kontinuumo trumposios formos variantas: faktorių struktūros ir patikimumo analizė. Lietuvos psichologų kongresas 2021: Patirtis be sienų [Congress of Lithuanian Psychologists 2021: Experience without Borders]. Book of abstracts. 2021, p. 108.

Current Psychotraumatology: Theoretical and Empirical Studies of Stress- and Trauma-Related Disorders Risk Factors and Internet Interventions Effectiveness. Prof. E. Kazlauskas, Assoc. Prof. P. Želvienė, Dr. I. Jovarauskaitė, Assist. Prof. Dr. I. Truskauskaitė-Kunevičienė, Assist. Prof. Dr. O. Geležėlytė, doctoral students: I. Daniūnaitė, M. Kvedaraitė, A. Dumarkaitė, A. Nomeikaitė.

The current research lines are focused on online interventions for stress-related disorders, effects of abuse and trauma on children and youth, conducting an ICD-11 stress-related disorders studies, analyzes the role of somatic serious illness on stress responses and explores stress in professions exposed to high levels of stressors, such as medical staff. Research findings were presented in dissertations, conference presentations, and scientific publications.

Main publications:

Biliunaite, I., Dumarkaite, A., Kazlauskas, E., Sanderman, R., Andersson, G. ICBT program for improving informal caregiver well-being: a qualitative study. Internet Interventions. 2021, 23: 100361. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.invent.2021.100361.

Daniunaite, I., Cloitre, M., Karatzias, T., Shevlin, M., Thoresen, S., Zelviene, P., & Kazlauskas, E. PTSD and complex PTSD in adolescence: discriminating factors in a population-based cross-sectional study. European Journal of Psychotraumatology. 2021, 12: 890937. https://doi.org/10.1080/20008198.2021.1890937.

Gelezelyte, O., Kazlauskas, E., Brailovskaia, J., Margraf, J., & Truskauskaite-Kuneviciene, I. Suicidal ideation in university students in Lithuania amid the COVID-19 pandemic: A prospective study with pre-pandemic measures. Death Studies. 2021. https://doi.org/10.1080/07481187.2021.1947417.

Psychological Aspects of Health Promotion and Disease Prevension. Prof. L. Bulotaitė, Assoc. Prof. D. Bagdžiūnienė Assoc. Prof. R. Sargautytė Assist. Prof. A. Žiedelis.

The aim of the research is to evaluate the social and psychological determinants of health promotion and disease prevention in different age groups. The aim of the study in 2021 was s to reveal the importance of psychological factors for preventive behavior in the context of COVID-19 and intentions to follow preventive measures in the future.

Main publications:

Bulotaitė, L., Sargautytė, R., Žiedelis, A., Bagdžiūnienė, D. Skirtingus ketinimus skiepytis nuo COVID-19 ir laikytis kitų prevencinių priemonių turinčių asmenų psichologinės charakteristikos. Psychological characteristics of persons with different intentions to vacinate from COVID-19 and follow other preventive measures. Visuomenės sveikata. 2021, 3(94): 75–82.

Bulotaitė, L., Bagdžiūnienė, D., Žiedelis, A., Sargautytė, R. Išgyventi COVID-19 pandemiją: psichologinių veiksnių svarba ketinimams laikytis prevencinių priemonių. To survive COVID-19 pandemic: the importance of psychological factors for the intentions to follow preventive measures. Visuomenės sveikata. 2021, 1(92): 80–90.

NATIONAL RESEARCH PROJECTS

Research Council of Lithuania. Fake News Susceptability among Older Adults: Factors and Possible Consequences No. S-MIP-20-11. Project leader Assoc. Prof. V. Pakalniškienė. 2020–2022.

This Project aims to analyze the factors and consequences of older people's trust in fake news. To achieve the intended goal, a combination of correlational and experimental research strategy and computer modeling will be used in this project. The study will include people aged 50 and over. During this study, we are planning to assess older people's trust in fake news, media and internet usage, personality traits, cognitive functioning, trust in democratic institutions, and the links between all these factors.

Research Council of Lithuania. A Comparative Study of Well-Being and its Determinants among Older Adults in the Baltic States No. S-GEV-20-9. Project leader Assoc. Prof. A. Kairys. 2020–2021.

There is no doubt about demographic ageing being a global mega-trend reshaping contemporary societies. Recent research findings also suggest that for some groups observed decrease of well-being in later life is more profound and is attributed to their life histories. Thus, the aim of this project is to analyze the well-being and its determinants among vulnerable groups of older adults in Lithuania by applying life course and biopsychosocial approaches and utilizing the data collected in The Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) Wave 7 and comparing results to the other Baltic States.
There were two publications and four conference presentations during 2021.

Main publications:

Eimontas, J., Bagdonas, A., Kairys, A., Zamalijeva, O., Pakalniškienė, V., Sadauskaitė, R. Vyresnio amžiaus asmenų psichologinės gerovės sąsajos su šeimos diskriminacijos patirtimi ir gyvenimo aplinkybėmis vaikystėje [The links between childhood life circumstances, family persecution and discrimination experiences, and well-being in later life]. Psichologija. 2021, 63: 118–136. DOI: 10.15388/Psichol.2021.31.

Kairys, A., Sadauskaitė, R., Bagdonas, A., Eimontas, J., Pakalniškienė, V., Zamalijeva, O. Patirto nedarbo sąsajos su vyresnio amžiaus asmenų subjektyvia gerove Baltijos šalyse [Links of previously experienced unemployment to the subjective well-being of older adults in the Baltic States]. Socialinė teorija, empirija, politika ir praktika. 2021, 22: 59–73. DOI: 10.15388/STEPP.2021.29.

Research Council of Lithuania. The Psychosocial and Individual Factors of Optimal Employee Functioning in the Context of Working From Home No. S-MIP-20-1. Project leader Assoc. Prof. J. Lazauskaitė-Zabielskė. 2020–2022.

The project aims to analyse psychosocial and individual factors of optimal employee functioning when working from home. This project sets the following objectives: 1) to identify psychosocial and individual factors of optimal employee functioning when working from home; 2) to develop a research model for an empirical study along with a comprehensive instrument for measuring the study variables; 3) collect empirical data using cross-sectional and daily diary approaches, and to analyse the static and dynamic role of individual and psychosocial factors for optimal employee functioning in terms of employee performance, work-life balance and well-being.

Main publication:

Žiedelis, A., Lazauskaitė-Zabielskė, J. & Urbanavičiūtė, I. Reconciling Home and Work During Lockdown: The Role of Organisational Segmentation Supplies for Psychological Detachment and Work-Home Conflict. Psichologija. 2021, 64: 86–93.

Research Council of Lithuania. Perception of Stable and Moving Image: Quantization Mechanisms No. S-MIP-21-56. Project leader Assoc. Prof. R. Stanikūnas. Researchers Dr R. Bliumas, Dr A. Šoliūnas, Dr A. Novičkovas. 2021–2024.

The nervous system of humans and other animals processes information both in serial and in parallel. Several researchers had put forward the idea that serial processes are discrete and they process information at fixed time intervals, but attempts to determine these time quanta have been unsuccessful so far. Currently the idea is being developed that the brain works by synchronizing the work of neurons at different frequencies, where high-frequency rhythms can be specific for the work of local neural networks, and lower-frequency rhythms can be typical for the work of global processing. Thus, the idea of this project is to determine the quantum nature of perception based on phenomena such as stable image perception during motion and temporal integration of dynamic stimuli.

Research Council of Lithuania. Evaluation of Applicability of Contemporary Theories of Suicidal Behavior and the Significance of Sociocultural Factors to Suicidality in Lithuania No. P-MIP-21-224. Project leader Prof. D. Gailienė. 2021–2024.

In contemporary suicidology the importance of the universal theories of suicidality is acknowledged, but research on sociocultural factors is also emphasized and becoming an important part in recent scientific discussions. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the suitability of the two most prominent theories in suicidology to explain suicidality in a specific culture marked by high suicide rates, Lithuania, and to explore the role of sociocultural factors. The research was started gathering the data. Preliminary data were presented at international conference.

Research Council of Lithuania. A Study of Personality Disorder in Adolescence: Features, Dynamics and its Factors No. P-MIP-21-290. Project leader Prof. R. Barkauskienė. 2021–2024.

Recent studies showing that personality disorders (PD) have an early manifestation in adolescence and a recent change in PD conceptualization and model for diagnostics have constituted a major background for the present project. The aim of this project is to (1) evaluate features of PD in a sample of population group of Lithuanian adolescents (N=800) and high risk for psychopathology group; (2) observe PD features developmental trajectories during adolescence and analyze the factors associated with its course in the sample of Lithuanian adolescents.
Main results in 2021 were as follows: the dataset for the first measurement has been generated, which includes a sample of 964 adolescents from both population and risk for psychopathology groups. This allowed to present the first results at the ISSPD conference (https://www.isspd2021.com) and submit a manuscript for research topic in the Frontiers in Psychiatry.

POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIPS PROJECTS

Vilnius University. Positive Mental Health of Young People and Links with Stress. Postdoctoral fellow Inga Truskauskaitė-Kunevicienė, research supervisor Prof. E. Kazlauskas. 2019-2021.

The aim of the internship study is to analyze the positive mental health of young people and the effects of stress on young people and to investigate the relationship between traumatic experiences and positive mental health. A longitudinal study of two measurements was performed at bvo during the project. Frour scientific publications (journal indexed in the Web of Science database) and one book chapter was prodused.

Research Council of Lithuania / European Social Fund. Advancement of Assessment in Psychotraumatology: A study of Survivors of Complex Trauma (No 09.3.3-LMT-K-712-19-0048). Posdoctoral fellow Dr O. Gelezelyte, research supervisor Prof. Dr E. Kazlauskas. 2020–2022.

The aim of the project is to contribute to the soluton of the complex posttraumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) assessment problem by analyzing the complex traumatic stress reactions and their structure, as well as investigating CPTSD risk factors and correlates. The primary results of the project were presented in two poster presentations (at scientific international conferences) and an oral presentation (at scientific national conference). Furthermore, a manuscript with the results of the research was submitted to a scientific journal indexed in the Web of Science database. O. Gelezelyte also had research visits at Zurich (Switzerland), Coimbra (Portugal) and Porto (Portugal) universities.

Research Council of Lithuania / European Social Fund. Online Psychological Support for Elderly Depressed Individuals: Effectiveness and Involvement (No 09.3.3-LMT-K-712-19-0192). Posdoctoral fellow Dr J. Eimontas, PhD, research supervisor Assoc. Prof. Dr V. Pakalniškienė. 2020–2022.

As the population ages, more psychological problems associated with aging arise. In Lithuania, at least 40% of all people diagnosed with depression are 65 years or older. Even though the extent to how big is the treatment gap in Lithuania is unclear, internet-based psychological interventions can help meet the growing need for psychological help and help overcome barriers to receiving quality treatment for those elderly with limited mobility and living in remote areas. The aims of this study are to investigate the attitudes of depressed elderly to internet-based psychological interventions, the specifics of using such intervention, and the links of these factors with intervention effectiveness. To achieve this aim a randomized controlled trial and a semi-structured interview will be carried out. The results of the study are expected to provide a better understanding of what is needed for older individuals to successfully engage in internet-based psychological interventions and thereby to effectively treat depression. During 2021, one scientific article was published.

Research Council of Lithuania / European Social Fund. Online Investigation of Suicidal Behavior Assumptions in the Lithuanian Armed Forces: Stress, Resistance and Attitudes towards Suicide (No 09.3.3-LMT-K-712-19-0163). Posdoctoral fellow Dr E. Mažulytė-Rašytinė, research supervisor Prof. Dr D. Gailienė. 2020–2022.

The aim of the project is to investigate the premises of suicidal behaviour in the Lithuanian Armed Forces by assessing the Lithuanian soldiers’ exposure to suicide, their attitudes towards suicide, their knowledge of suicide prevention, and the risk and protective factors of suicidal behaviour. In 2021 two presentations at scientific conferences were presented: an oral presentation “Suicidal Behaviour in the Military: the (Un)known Problem” at the national Lithuanian Congress of Psychology and a poster presentation “Exposure to Suicidal Behaviour and Attitudes Toward Suicide in Lithuanian Military in 2003 vs 2020: Preliminary Results” at the International Summit on Suicide Research.

Research Council of Lithuania / European Social Fund. Technology, Law and Justice: Artificial Intelligence or Human? (No 09.3.3-LMT-K-712-19-0116). Postdoctoral fellow Dr D. Barysė, research supervisor Prof. Dr G. Valickas. 2020–2022.

Although the robot-judge is still science fiction and current artificial intelligence is called "weak," legal technologies are creating new ways of accessing and delivering legal services to consumers and changing the role and function of legal practitioners. It is expected that some lawyers will lose their jobs, but at the same time, new staff will be needed to perform data analysis, design legal technology, and more. Paradoxically, with the automation of legal processes and decisions, lawyers may increasingly need exceptionally "human" skills - communication, emotion management, empathy. The idea behind the project is to investigate how people perceive the fairness of legal technologies and how it is related to the adoption or, on the contrary, hostility to technology. The project aims to conduct a research program on the perceived fairness and adoption of automated legal processes.
In the year 2021, two of the three stages of the research program were carried out. Specifically, a taxonomy of human-automation interaction within legal decision-making was created. The results were presented International Psychological Applications Conference and Trends (InPACT) and shared with legal scholars during the academic visits to Bucerius Law School (Germany) and Tilburg University (Netherlands).

Research Council of Lithuania / European Social Fund. An Effectiveness Study of Mentalization Based Parenting Program in Lithuania (No. 09.3.3-LMT-K-712-23-0152). Posdoctoral fellow Dr L. Gervinskaitė-Paulaitienė, research supervisor Prof. R. Barkauskienė. 2021–2023.

The project aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the mentalization-based parenting program “Lighthouse” for the maltreatment prevention in Lithuania. Currently, interest in the program is growing, as evidenced by the emerging research of varying scope (ongoing in the UK, Australia, Germany, planned in Portugal), so the study fits into the emerging field of research, contribute to the collection of significant empirical data on the effectiveness of the program at the international level and the development of research on MGT interventions. In 2021, the conceptual frame for the study has been prepared, including the study methodology and ethical approval. The team of psychologists and psychotherapists for implementation of the programme has been set. In addition, a study protocol has been outlined to develop it further and submit for publication in 2022.

INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH PROJECTS

Bilateral Lithuanian – Japan research project with project partner Hiroshima University. Stress and Resilience among Adolescents and Young Adults: Cross-Cultural Study (No. S-LJB-20-2). Prof. E. Kazlauskas (principal researcher of the Lithuanian team). 2020–2022.

The aim of the study is to explore the psychological well-being of adolescents and young adults and to analyze the effects of adverse experiences for psychological health, stress reactions, and resilience in adolescence and emerging adulthood.

Conference presentations:

Kamite, Y., Abe, K., Hihara, S., Kazlauskas, E., Truskauskaite-Kuneviciene, I., Haramaki, Y. &Sugimura, K. Mental health, PTSD, and Complex PTSD during the COVID-19 pandemic among young adults in Japan. P. Zelviene (Chair) Young adults amid COVID-19 pandemic: Findings from Lithuania and Japan [Symposium]. 17–18 June 2021. In: A. Lotzin, A. A. A. M. J. Djelantik, M. D. Eidhof, A. de Haan & J. Kiralj (Eds.), Trauma and Mental Health during the Global Pandemic p. 26. https://doi.org/10.1080/20008198.2021.1940588.

Kazlauskas, E., Zelviene, P., Kamite, Y., Petrauskaite, G. & Truskauskaite-Kuneviciene, I. ICD-11 PTSD and Complex PTSD in relation to COVID-19-related negative experiences among young adults in Lithuania. P. Zelviene (Chair) Young adults amid COVID-19 pandemic: Findings from Lithuania and Japan [Symposium]. 2021. In: A. Lotzin, A. A. A. M. J. Djelantik, M. D. Eidhof, A. de Haan & J. Kiralj (Eds.), Trauma and Mental Health during the Global Pandemic pp. 25–26. https://doi.org/10.1080/20008198.2021.1940588.

Truskauskaite-Kuneviciene, I., Zelviene, P., Sugimura, K., Hihara, S., Kamite, Y. & Kazlauskas, E. PTSD and CPTSD in Young Adults: Findings from Lithuania and Japan. Trauma in Context: Moving Beyond the Individual, International Society of Traumatic Stress Studies (ISTSS) 37th Annual Meeting. 4 November 2021.

Development of Innovative Stress Analysis and Management Platform (STAMP). Co-funded from the EU Structural Funds. Grant No. 01.2.2-LMT-K-718-03-0072. Main co-ordinator – Prof. E. Kazlauskas. 2020–2023.

The aim of this project is to create a new digital platform for stress analysis and management.

Main publications:

Jovarauskaite, L., Dumarkaite, A., Truskauskaite-Kuneviciene, I., Jovaisiene, I., Andersson, G., Kazlauskas, E. Internet-based stress recovery intervention FOREST for healthcare staff amid COVID-19 pandemic: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. Trials. 2021, 22: 559. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-021-05512-1.

Kazlauskas, E., Gelezelyte, O., Nomeikaite, A. & Zelviene, P. Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Adjustment Disorder in Lithuanian Healthcare in 2018-2020: A Nation-Wide Cohort Study of the Effects of COVID-19 Pandemic. Healthcare. 2021, 9(11): 1422. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare9111422.

Norkiene, I., Jovarauskaite, L., Kvedaraite, M., Uppal, E., Phull, M.K., Chander, H., Halford, K., & Kazlauskas, E. ‘Should I Stay, or Should I Go?’ Psychological Distress Predicts Career Change Ideation Among Intensive Care Staff in Lithuania and the UK Amid COVID-19 Pandemic. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2021, 18: 2660. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18052660.

Erasmus+ KA2 project: Enabling Mental Health Benefits: Resilience, Achievement, Competencies and Engagement in Improved Higher Education Policy and Practice for Student Wellbeing (EMBRACE HE) (No. 2019-1-UK01-KA203-062148). Assit. Prof. V. Klimukienė (coordinator in Lithuania). 2019–2022.

It is a project specially designed to help address problems of mental health and lack of wellbeing in students in higher education. The aim is to enhance innovation in HE response to student mental wellbeing by enabling learning, implementation of projects and practice to address mental wellbeing issues in HE and with this, to increase the evidence base with the highest quality information and materials to allow HEIs to make informed choices about methods to respond to student wellbeing issues.
Two different Toolkits were developed in joint collaboration of the project partners. Both Toolkits as well as the other outputs of the project will be placed in the website https://embracehe.org/, specifically developed for disseminating project results.
Toolkit „Pastoral, counselling and talking support for mental wellbeing of students in Higher Education “, outlines the variety of ways that talking based support is deployed in HEI contexts across Europe, bringing together good practice, along with evidence-based research and evaluation of modes of working.
Toolkit Embedding good student wellbeing practice into institutional processes and teaching and learning “, addresses good student wellbeing practice as an institutional holistic set of practices, focusing upon how strategic, administrative and teaching aspects of HE can work together to create better environments for student mental health and wellbeing.

Horizon 2020 programme. Children Online: Research and Evidence (CO:RE) (No. 871018). Coordinator - Leibniz Institute for Media Research. VU participates as third party, main coordintor Assoc. Prof. V. Pakalniškienė. 2021.

The main aim of this project is to conceptualise, implement and disseminate a comprehensive knowledge base on the impact of technological transformations on children and youth. The CO:RE knowledge base will provide evidence on a broad range of topics related to the impact of technological transformations on children and youth including their health, lifestyles, participation and digital citizenship, wellbeing, safety, and security as affected by ICT. It will refer to research from all EU Member States and a number of other European countries and thus consider relevant cultural, political, and media-related contexts. This knowledge base will help researchers to identify important research gaps and to make use of existing research and data.

Research Council of Lithuania, Bilaterial Lithuania-Poland research cooperation. Factors Modifying the Responses of Cyber Bystanders. A Polish-Lithuanian Research (No. S-LL-21-1), VU coordinator assoc. prof. V. Pakalniškienė. 2021–2024.

The main aim of the project is to analyze the role of present-fatalistic time perspective as a dimension of control and to investigate emotional reactions and causal attributions as factors that can modify the response of bystanders to the act of cyberbullying. Moreover, we want to examine the importance of culture in the behavior of cyberbullying bystanders. In both countries, differences in two age groups will be tested - adolescents and young adults, which will allow us to grasp not only cultural but also developmental differences. The project consists of three stages: meta-analysis, experiments, and a daily diary study conducted in Poland and Lithuania.

European Social Fund Employment and Social Innovation programme. SHARE main data collection of Wave 9 and preparation of Wave 10 in 12 countries to maintain EU coverage (SHARE EUCOV). VU – partner, coordinator – Assoc. Prof. A. Kairys. 2021–2023.

The project is aimed to ensure the collection of the data of Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement (SHARE) in Lithuania. During the year 2021, the collection of Wave 9 main data was carried out.

COST action European Network on Individualized Psychotherapy Treatment of Young People with Mental Disorders. CA16102. Main coordinator: Randi Ulberg, Oslo University, Norway. VU – coordinator – Prof. R. Barkauskienė. 2017–2021.

The main aim of the Action is to establish a sustainable European multidisciplinary researcher network focusing on individualized psychotherapy for young people with mental disorders.The Action reviews the state of the art and identifies putative specific markers and mechanisms of change in different psychotherapy modalities, as well as suitable psychotherapy process and treatment measures, and study designs.

COST action Multi-Sectoral Responses to Child Abuse and Neglect in Europe: Incidence and Trends. CA19106. Main coordinator: Andreas Jud, Ulm University, Germany. VU – coordinator – Prof. E. Kazlauskas. 2020–2024.

In Europe, millions of children experience abuse or neglect at the hands of those who should care for them. Yet, how many of these children get help, which services they receive by which agency remains largely unknown. The proposed project addresses this gap by creating a network of experts in child maltreatment and relevant stakeholders and links them in working groups, in order to promote the development of a rigorous, consistent, and comparable methodology for the collection of surveillance data on child maltreatment and maltreatment-related fatalities.

COST action European Network for Problematic Usage of the Internet. CA16207. Main coordinator Prof. Naomi Finberg, University of Hertfordshire. VU – coordinator – Prof. R. Jusienė. 2017–2021.

Problematic use of the internet (PUI) and its impact on the health and wellbeing of European citizens represents an emerging challenge for mental health research. The aim of this Cost Action is to bring together a multidisciplinary and geographically diverse group of experts and opinion leaders under one European-led Network, to leverage the existing funded research into a more coherent programme to advance the understanding of PUI from a bio-psycho-social perspective, clarify the brain-based undergirdings and develop effective interventions.

COST action Cultures of Victimology: Understanding Processes of Victimization across Europe. Main coordinator Dr Simon Green, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, CA18121. VU – coordinator – Prof. I. Laurinaitytė, Dr A. Čepas. 2018–2023.

This Action intends to develop an innovative, functional and overarching theoretical framework for cultural victimology. Understanding the mediating and moderating influence of cultural constructs on victimology will improve understanding of the extent to which the current victimological knowledge base can be generalized from the types of victimization and geographical locations that have been relatively extensively studied to elsewhere. A greater grasp of this complexity in return will offer greater insight into the underlying causal factors of this current research base, as well as offer new perspectives and lines of inquiry. It is, therefore, not only to the benefit of understanding the current grey and dark areas of victimological research, but will also shed further light on those fields of knowledge that have already been more heavily illuminated.

CONTRACTUAL RESEARCH

Lithuanian Governmental Public Health Fund. Long-Term Screen Use Effects on Children’s Health, no. (1.80 E) SU-2498). VU coordinator (principal researcher) Prof. R. Jusienė. 2020–2022.

There is a lack of studies researching the long-term effects of excessive screen-based media use on the mental and physical health of children. Thus this project aims to: 1) research whether and how the duration of screen-based media use and the specific activities while using it affects the development and health of children aged 2 to 14 years old; 2) provide the comprehensive reccomendations on the pros and cons of children‘s screen-based media use for health care providers, educators, parents and children.
Part of results of this research was published.

Main publication:

Jusienė, R., Baukienė, E., Breidokienė, R. Risk of Behavioural and Emotional Disorders in Lithuanian School Aged Children as Assessed with SDQ During the Second Lockdown due to COVID-19. Psichologija, 2021, 64: 77–85. https://doi.org/10.15388?Psichol.2021.43

State Public Health Promotion Fund (LR SAM VVSSF) Project: Adaptation of Beck Scales to Diagnose Mental and Behavioral Disorders in Lithuania (No. (1.78 E) SU-2499). VU coordinator Asoc. Prof. N. Grigutytė. 2020–2022.

The project aims at five Beck scales - the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II), the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), the Clark-Beck Obsession-Compulsion Inventory (CBOCI), the Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS) and the Beck Suicidal Thinking Scale (BSS) - application for use in Lithuania when collecting clinical sample data. These scales were prepared and research started in 2021.

A Study of the Effectiveness of the Suicide Prevention System in Municipalities (No. S-172/(1.78)SU-1732). VU coordinator Assoc. Prof. P. Skruibis. Funded by State Fund for Strengthening Public Health at the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Lithuania. 2019–2021.

The aim of this study was to analyse the readiness to respond to the suicide crisis in ten Lithuanian municipalities with the highest suicide rates and to provide practical recommendations for improving the existing system.

Bilaterial agreement with KU Leuven, Belgium. The Effect of Teacher-Student Interaction on Children's Working Memory Performance: A Microtrial Study. VU coordinator Dr L. Rakickienė. 2021–2022.

The overall aim of the research project is to investigate the effectiveness of particular teacher-student interaction techniques for improving working memory (WM) performance in primary school children. In 2021, thirty pairs of second-grade teacher and one of her students have been recruited to participate in the study.

Bilaterial agreement with University of Jyvaskyla, Finland. Research project Learning in Primary School: GET INVOLVED! funded by Academy of Finland, principal investigator - Gintautas Silinskas, Assoc. Professor, Department of Psychology, JYU, Finland, VU coordinator – D. S. Raižienė. 2021–2023.

The aim of this project is to investigate the role of parents and teachers in the development of children’s academic achievement, motivation, and behavior across primary school. We seek to identify the mechanisms (direct and indirect longitudinal paths) and the combined effects of home and school learning environments (moderating effects) in promoting the most favorable outcomes for children’s learning (achievement, motivation and behavior). In 2021, 523 participants (second grade children, their parents and teachers) were recruited and the first measurement was implemented.

Bilaterial agreement with EPSM Lille-Métropole WHO Collaborating Centre, Lille, France. Recommendations for Empowerment of Users and Carers in Mental Health: an International Survey. (No. (1.79) SU-1702). VU coordinator Assoc. Prof. N. Grigutytė. 2021–2023.

The long-term objective is to assess whether users, cares, and health professionals agree with recommendations for the empowerment of users and carers in mental health and, if so, how they prioritize them. The international survey was developed in 10 languages, and the research started in 2021.

Development of the Instrument for Dyslexia Diagnosis and Assessment according to the contract No. (5.74 E) SU-2582 with National Agency for Education in the framework of the project “Development of Inclusive Education Opportunities” Phase 1, No. 09.2.2-ESFA-V-707-03-0001“. VU coordinator Assoc. Prof. G. Gintilienė. 2021–2022.

The main goal of this project is to construct reliable and valid standardized instrument for the recognition of early symptoms of reading disability of primary schoolchildren at grade 2. In 2021, the pilot study for item analysis of measures for screening children with reading difficulties was conducted.

Restandardization of Child Development Scales (2014) according to the contract No. (5.74) SU 2465 with National Agency for Education (in the framework of the project “Development of Inclusive Education Opportunities”, Phase 1, No 09.2.2-ESFA-V-707- 03-0001). VU coordinator Assoc. Prof. D. Nasvytienė. 2019–2021.

In 2021, the intended objectives were achieved, namely, to set the norms of child typical development 0–3 years as well as for children of the same age with specific developmental disorders, in order to update Manual of the Child Development Scales.

Contractual Research with Blue Bridge. The Development of Spotiself Career Assessment System (No. (1.57) 15600-INS-91). VU coordinator Assoc. Prof. A. Kairys. 2020–2021.

The research was aimed to create a personality assessment instrument and to modify and further develop career interests and cognitive functioning instruments of Spotiself career assessment system. The test items were developed, the normative sample was collected, norms were developed and validity and reliability of the tests were assessed.

MAIN R&D&I (RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, AND INNOVATION) PARTNERS

Cardiff University School of Medicine (UK)
Hans-Bredow-Institut (Germany)
KU Leuven (Belgium)
Linköping University (Sweden)
National Taipei University of Education (Taiwan)
Oslo University (Norway)
Ruhr-Universität Bochum (Germany)
Saint-Petersburg State University (Russia)
Special Education and Psychology Centre (Lithuania)
University of Akureyri (Iceland)
University of Latvia (Latvia)
University of Manchester (UK)
University of Southern Denmark (DK)
University of Zurich (Switzerland)
Vilnius city municipality (Lithuania)

OTHER RESEARCH ACTIVITIES

Assoc. Prof. Asta Adler –

  • member of the Lithuanian Psychological Association, http://www.psichologusajunga.lt/;
  • member of International Association for Analytical Psychology (IAAP) http://www.iaap.org;
  • member of the Lithuanian Association of Analytical Psychology (LAAP), http://www.lapa.lt;
  • member of the European Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (ESTSS), www.estss.org/;
  • member of Lithuanian Society of Traumatic Stress Studies, www.traumupsichologija.lt;

Assoc. Prof. Dalia Bagdžiūnienė –

Assist. Prof. Dovilė Barysė –

Prof. R. Barkauskienė –

  • member of the European Society for the Study of Personality Disorders (ESSPD);
  • member of the Global Alliance for Prevention and Early Intervention for Borderline Personality Disorder (GAP);
  • member of the International Academy for Research in Learning Disabilities (IARLD);
  • member of the Lithuanian Psychological Association (LPA).

Assoc. Prof. Remigijus Bliumas –

Assist. Prof. Rima Breidokienė –

Prof. Laima Bulotaitė –

Assoc. Prof. D. Čekuolienė –

Assist. Prof. Ksenija Čunichina –

Assoc. Prof. Aušra Daugirdienė –

Prof. D. Gailienė –

Assist. Prof. Odeta Geleželytė –

  • member of the Lithuanian Psychological Association, www.psichologusajunga.lt;
  • member of the Lithuanian Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, www.traumupsichologija.lt;
  • member of the European Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (ESTSS), www.estss.org;
  • national co-ordinator in Lithuania of ESTSS research consortium for the pandemic of COVID-19 psychosocial consequences. https://estss.org/:
  • member of Association EMDR Lithuania.

Assist. Prof. Lina Gervinskaitė-Paulaitienė –

Assoc. Prof. Gražina Gintilienė –

  • member of Lithuanian Psychological Association, http://www.psichologusajunga.lt/;
  • member of the Board of Assessment of the European Federation of Psychologists’ Associations, EFPA - Assessment - Board of Assessment;
  • member of International School Psychology Association, www.ispaweb.org/.

Assoc. Prof. Sigita Girdzijauskienė –

  • member of the Lithuanian Psychological Association, http://www.psichologusajunga.lt/;
  • member of the World Council for Gifted and Talented Children, WCGTC - World Council for Gifted and Talented Children (world-gifted.org);
  • member of the European Association of Psychological Assessment, European Association Of Psychological Assessment (omicsonline.org).

Assoc. Prof. Neringa Grigutytė –

  • member of the Lithuanian Psychological Association, http://www.psichologusajunga.lt/;
  • member of the European Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (ESTSS), www.estss.org/;
  • member of the Lithuanian Association of Analytical Psychology, http://www.lapa.lt;
  • board member of Lithuanian Society of Traumatic Stress Studies, www.traumupsichologija.lt;
  • member of the European Association of Clinical Psychology and Psychological Treatment, EACLIPT.

Prof. Gražina Gudaitė –

  • member of Executive committee of International Association for Analytical Psychology, co- chair of Academic Committee of IAAP, chair Research and Evaluation working group in IAAP, regional organizer for Eastern Europe, www.iaap.org;
  • member of Lithuanian Psychological Association, www. psichologusajunga.lt;
  • member of the Lithuanian Association of Analytical Psychology, http://www.lapa.lt.

Assist. Prof. Vytautas Jurkuvėnas –

Prof. Roma Jusienė –

Assoc. Prof. Antanas Kairys –

  • executive secretary of the journal Psichologija (Psychology), Editorial Team | Psichologija (vu.lt);
  • chair of Committee of Policy of Science and Study of Lithuanian Association of Psychologists, Psichologijos mokslo ir studijų politikos komitetas (psichologusajunga.lt);
  • corresponding member of EFPA Board of Scientific Affairs, EFPA - Science - Members.

Assist. Prof. Greta Kaluževičiūtė –

Prof. Evaldas Kazlauskas –

  • president of the European Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (ESTSS), www.estss.org/;
  • editorial board member of the European Journal of Psychotraumatology, https://www.tandfonline.com/toc/zept20/current;
  • national representative, European Association of Clinical Psychology and Psychological Therapies (EACLIPT), http://www.eaclipt.org/;
  • member of the European Society for Research on Internet Interventions (ESRII), https://esrii.org/;
  • president of the Lithuanian Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, www.traumupsichologija.lt;
  • member of ARQ National Psychotrauma Center in Europe, European collaborative | ARQ Nationaal Psychotrauma Centrum.

Assist. Prof. Virginija Klimukienė –

Prof. Ilona Laurinaitytė –

Assoc. Prof. Alfredas Laurinavičius –

Assoc. Prof. Jurgita Lazauskaitė-Zabielskė –

  • member of the European Association of Work and Organizational Psychology, www.eawop.org;
  • board member of Baltic Area Alliance Board at European Association of Work and Organisational Psychology;
  • board member of National Awarding Committee of Europsy, www.efpa.eu;
  • member of International Society for Justice Research, www.isjr.org;
  • member of the Lithuanian Psychological Association, www.psichologusajunga.lt;
  • associate member of European Academy of Occupational Health Psychology, http://www.eaohp.org;
  • member of Lithuanian Catholic Academy of Science, www.lkma.lt;
  • member of European Network for Positive Psychology, www.enpp.eu;
  • member of Lithuanian Society of Young Researchers, www.ljms.lt;
  • Editor-in-Chief of the journal Psichologija (Psychology), Editorial Team | Psichologija (vu.lt).

Assoc. Prof. Tomas Lazdauskas –

Assist. Prof. Eglė Mažulytė-Rašytinė –

Assoc. Prof. Dalia Nasvytienė –

Assoc. Prof. V. Pakalniškienė –

  • member of the Lithuanian Psychological Association, http://www.psichologusajunga.lt/;
  • member of EU Kids online network www.eukidsonline.net (lse.ac.uk);
  • member of European Association for Research on Adolescence, www.earaonline.org;
  • editorial board member of the journal Psichologija (Psychology);
  • expert of the Lithuanian Centre for Quality Assessment in Higher Education;
  • scientific committee member of the Conference of Young Scientists in Psychology, Vilnius.

Assist. Prof. Aldona Radzevičienė –

Prof. Saulė Raižienė –

Assist. Prof. Lauryna Rakickienė –

Lect. Albina Saikauskienė –

Assoc. Prof. Rūta Sargautytė –

Assist. Prof. Monika Skerytė-Kazlauskienė –

Assoc. Prof. Paulius Skruibis –

Assoc. Prof. Rytis Stanikūnas –

Assist. Prof. Dovilė Šorytė –

Assist. Prof. Inga Truskauskaitė-Kunevičienė –

  • member of the European Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (ESTSS);
  • member of the Society for Internet-based Psychological Support (SIPS);
  • member of the European Society for Research on Internet Interventions (ESRII);
  • member of the Society for the Study of Emerging Adulthood (SSEA);
  • member of the Student and Early Career Network (SECNET);
  • member of the International Society for the Study of Behavioral Development (ISSBD);
  • member of the Lithuanian Trauma Psychology Association (LTPA);
  • member of the Lithuanian Psychological Association (LPA).

Prof. Gintautas Valickas –

Assoc. Prof. Kristina Vanagaitė –

Assist. Prof. Olga Zamalijeva –

Assoc. Prof. Paulina Želvienė –

  • member and expert of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences Young Academy (LMAJA);
  • member of the EMDR Europe board and Research Committee;
  • President of the EMDR Lithuania Association;
  • Vice-President of the Lithuanian Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (LSTSS);
  • member of the European Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (ESTSS);
  • member of the Lithuanian Psychological Association (LPA).

BEST REPORTS DELIVERED AT CONFERENCES ABROAD

  • Barkauskiene, R. & Skabeikyte-Norkiene, G. Levels of personality functioning among Lithuanian adolescents: A comparison between community and clinical samples. In K. Goth & K. Schmeck (Chairs). Dimensional assessment of personality disorders in young people: Personality functioning from early adolescence to young adulthood in different cultures and clinical settings. 17th World Congress of the International Society for the Study of Personality Disorders (ISSPD): Kaleidoscope Perspectives. Virtual. Oslo, Norway.
  • Gailienė, D. Traumatische Erfahrungen der litauischen Bürger und Quellen der Resilienz: Was zeigen die wissenschaftlichen Untersuchungen? Oral presentation at Wissenschaftliche Tagung zum 40. Jubiläum des Litauischen Kulturinstituts, Huettenfelde, Germany.
  • Kazlauskas, E. The importance of professional networks in the times of crisis: European Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (ESTSS) response to the pandemic. EMDR Europe conference “EMDR challenges of this decade”.
  • Pakalniskiene, V. Children and young people’s mental health in the digital age. Invited symposium, 32nd International Congress of Psychology, Czech Republic, Prague.
  • Truskauskaite-Kuneviciene, I. Mental Health of Adolescents and Young Adults amid the COVID-19 Pandemic. International Webinar - Towards Responsible Pandemic Adaptation: Cross Cultural Sharing on What Is Going On, Panjab University, India.

MOST IMPORTANT NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL AWARDS RECEIVED FOR R&D ACTIVITIES

  • Prof. Albinas Bagdonas for his long-term work in the name of the Vilnius University in Lithuania and abroad was awarded by the diploma of professor emeritus.
  • Assoc. Prof. Rūta Sargautytė was awarded by the title of Honorary Member of the Lithuanian Psychological Association.

MOST IMPORTANT PARTICIPATION CASES OF RESEARCHERS IN WORKING GROUPS OR COMMISSIONS SET UP BY STATE AUTHORITIES, STATE AND MUNICIPAL INSTITUTIONS, ORGANISATIONS, BUSINESS ENTITIES

  • Prof. Rasa Barkauskienė is a member of the Qualification Assessment Committee for School Psychologists / Ministry of Education, Science, and Sport, Lithuania.
  • Assoc. Prof. Sigita Girdzijauskienė is a member of a working group to revise guidelines for setting levels of special educational needs of students carried out by the National Agency on Education.
  • Prof. Ilona Laurinaitytė is an expert of the Research Council of Lithuania; expert and supervisor of the court psychologists of the National Court Administration.
  • Assoc. Prof. Jurgita Lazauskaitė-Zabielskė is the representative of Lithuanian Psychological Association at European Association of Work and Organizational Psychology (EAWOP, www.eawop.org); expert at Governmental Agency for Science, Innovation and Technology (https://mita.lrv.lt/en/); expert at Research Council of Lithuania (lmt.lt/en) and expert Member of Change Initiation Group established by Minister of Health of The Republic of Lithuania (regarding the formation of the Change Initiation Group).
  • Prof. Evaldas Kazlauskas and PhD candidate Monika Kvedaraitė were members of a working group of the Department of Public Health to develop a plan of action to support and enhance the long-term mental health consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic for the maintenance and mental health of public and individual health professionals initiated by Ministry of Health of the Republic of Lithuania.

CONSULTATIONS PROVIDED BY THE UNIT TO THE PUBLIC OR ECONOMIC ENTITIES

  • Assoc. Prof. Antanas Kairys and the researchers of the Laboratory of Applied Psychology, using the data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement (SHARE) carried out an analysis and provided consultation to the M. Čiuželis charity fund. This fund is coordinating the telephone helpline “Sidabrinė linija” for the elderly. The analysis of researchers of the Laboratory helped the Fund to understand the peculiarities and needs of their clients.
  • Assoc. Prof. Odeta Gelezelyte and PhD candidate Monika Kvedaraite participated in a consultation on the need for rehabilitation and psychological services for the defenders of freedom against Soviet military attach on January 13th.
  • Assoc. Prof. Asta Adler: Consultations for the State Child Rights Protection and Adoption Service under the Ministry of Social Security and Labour.
  • Assoc. Prof. Jurgita Lazauskaitė-Zabielskė. The proposal for amendment of the 2020–2022 action plan for improving psychoemotional climate and psychological (emotional) well-being in the healthcare system, delivered for Ministry of Health of the Republic of Lithuania.
  • Prof. G. Valickas. Consultations provided to the Lithuanian National Courts Administration (due to psychological wellbeing of judges and courts employees) and to the Trade Union of Public Prosecutors (due to psychological wellbeing of prosecutors and employees of Prosecutorial Offices).

MOST IMPORTANT RESEARCH DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES

 

INSTITUTE OF SOCIOLOGY AND SOCIAL WORK

Universiteto 9, LT-01513 Vilnius
Tel. 266 7610
E-mail:
Director – Assoc. Prof. Dr Eglė Šumskienė

DEPARTMENT OF SOCIOLOGY

Universiteto 9, LT-01513 Vilnius
Tel. 266 7626
E-mail:
Head – Prof. Dr. Zenonas Norkus

STAFF 

Professors: Habil. Dr Z. Norkus (head), Dr A. Poviliūnas, Dr I. Juozeliūnienė. 
Associate professors: Dr R. Žiliukaitė, Dr L. Žilinskienė, Dr L. Kraniauskas, Dr P. Ragauskas, V. Rosinaitė.
Assistant professors:  Dr D. Čiupailaitė, I. Budginaitė-Mačkinė, A. Širvinskienė. 
Lecturers: I. Gaižauskaitė, A. Girkontaitė, M. Pivoriūtė, R. Juras. 
Postdoctoral fellows: Dr D. Stumbrys, Dr I. Gečienė-Janulionė, Dr I. Budginaitė-Mačkinė. 
Doctoral students: G. Martinkėnė, V. Urbonaitė-Barkauskienė, D. Galdauskaitė, G. Januševskaitė, J. Litvinaitė, R. Žilinskaitė, L. Daukšaitė. 

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Social change in Lithuania in the comparative perspective
Comparative historical sociology
Sociology of science and education
Sociology of family and intimate lives
Urban sociology
Sociology of health and illness
Sociology of migration

RESEARCH PROJECTS CARRIED OUT IN 2021

Projects Supported by University Budget

Sociological Analysis of Social Structure and Change. Prof. A. Poviliūnas. 2017–2021.

Research in the field of the history of sociology and analysis of the theoretical discourse was continued. The catching-up development of post-communist countries was analysed in the long-run synchronic and diachronic comparative perspective. Comparative historical sociological research was continued. The Lithuanian social policy and social policy discourse were critically analysed. Analysis of dynamics of value orientations conducted. Research of trends in migration and transnationl families was continued.

Main publications:

Žilinskiene, L. and Ilic, M. (Eds). Soviet and Post-Soviet Lithuania: Generational Experiences. Series: Routledge Studies in the History of Russia and Eastern Europe. Routledge, 2021.

Juozeliūnienė, I. Visual Family Research Methods. In: The Palgrave Handbook of European Family Sociology. London: Palgrave McMillan, 2021, pp. 133–156. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-73306-3.

Juozeliūnienė, I., Martinkėnė, G., Budginaitė-Mačkinė, I, ir L. Žilinskienė. Judumo ribojimai ir transnacionalinės šeimos: kaip COVID-19 pandemija paveiks šeimas ir šeimos narių globą? Filosofija. Sociologija. 2021, 32(4): 325–334.

National Research Projects

European Social Fund according to the activity Improvement of researchers’ qualification by implementing world-class R&D projects of Measure. Historical Sociology of Modern Restorations: a Cross-Time Comparative Study of Post-Communist Transformation in the Baltic States (Contract No Nr. DOTSUT-31 (09.3.3-LMT-K-712-01-0006). Prof. Z. Norkus. 2018–2022.

The aim of the project is to construct and empirically apply a new sociological theory whose subject matter is social restorations in the modernising and modern societies. The fruitfulness of new theory is explored by the comparative study, comparing the economic, demographic, social, and political development of Baltic countries during post-communist and interwar periods. The similarities and differences between two periods, disclosed by cross-time comparisons, are explained by causal hypotheses which are tested by comparisons with other cases of modern restorations. Baltic countries are most conspicuous cases of post-communist restorations, because they comprised here the restoration of independent states. https://lida.dataverse.lt/dataverse/HistatData_Baltic://lida.dataverse.lt/dataverse/HistatData
Completing the project, the manuscript of the monograph was written, three presentations made at international scientific conferences, 1 paper and 200 data sets of historical statistics data were published in the Lithuanian online data in human studies and social archive LiDA. https://lida.dataverse.lt/dataverse/HistatData
Two national seminars (in Kaunas and Vilnius) were organized to present main findings of the project and to discuss the manscript of monograph.

Main publication:

Norkus, Z., Ambrulevičiūtė, A. Claiming a Great Ancient Imperial past as an identity element of a small modern nation. The case of Lithuania. In: Jürgen Barkhoff and Joep Leerssen (Eds). National Stereotyping, Identity Politics, European Crises. 2021, 31–50. https://brill.com/view/title/57145.

Research Council of Lithuania. Growing up in Independent Lithuania: Life Courses of 1980–2000 Cohorts, Behavioural Strategies and their Contexts, No. P-MIP-21-267. Project leader Assoc. Prof. L. Žilinskienė. 2021–2024.

In the context of global mobility, economic and structural transformations, a generation is emerging who is important to Lithuanian society in terms of demographic trends, formation of family forms and practices, intergenerational relationships and responsibilities for children and elderly parents. The project aims to investigate how in the socio-economic contexts after the restoration of Lithuania's independence in 1990 the structural features of life course of generation, born in 1980–2000, it’s behavioural strategies, family and intergenerational relationships are formed, how family memory participates in these processes to highlight the new generation.

Research Council of Lithuania. Studentų moksliniai tyrimai semestro metu. Žalinga alkoholio vartojimo kultūra Lietuvoje: standartizuoto Europos alkoholio tyrimo duomenų analizė [Students’ Study during the Term. Harmful Alcohol Consumption Culture in Lithuania: Analysis of Standardized European Alcohol Research Data], No. 09.3.3-LMT-K-712-24-0204. Student - G. Sugaudytė, research supervisor – Dr D. Stumbrys. 2021.

Research Council of Lithuania. Lietuvos migrantai: reprezentacijų viešojoje erdvėje ir kasdienių reikšmių tyrimas [Migrants from Lithuania: Representations in Lithuanian Public Discourse and Everyday Contexts], No. 09.3.3-LMT-K-712-23-0155. Postdoctoral fellow Dr. I. Budginaitė-Mačkinė, research supervisor prof. I. Juozeliūnienė. 2021–2023.

The project aims to reveal the changes in the representations of Lithuanian migrants in public discourse and how the new unsettling situation connected to Covid-19 pandemic affects the meanings attributed to migration in everyday contexts, as well as social interactions of Lithuanian migrants in the country of origin. In 2021, postdoctoral fellow carried out literature review for the first publication, prepared the methodological guidelines for the analysis of public discourse, collected empirical data and initiated data analysis, made an oral presentation ‘Changing Representations of Lithuanian Migrants in the Public Discourse in the Context of Covid-19 Pandemic’ at the 15th European Sociological Association conference and visited a research institution abroad – University of Sussex – to deepen knowledge and skills in migration research.

Research Council of Lithuania. The Civic and Political Contribution of the Lithuanian Diaspora: Modes of Expression and the Role of Public Space, No. 09.3.3-LMT-K-712-19-0189. Posdoctoral fellow Dr I. Gečienė-Janulionė, research supervisor - Assoc. Prof. R. Žiliukaitė. 2020–2022.

The aim of the project is to improve the scientific competence of the posdoctoral fellow in the field of civil and political contribution of emigrants to civil society and democratization and to comprehensively study the contribution of the Lithuanian diaspora to the political and civic life of Lithuanian society, identifying its modes of expression, identities and public space. Results of 2021 were two presentations: Transfer of Political Values, Attitudes and Patterns of Behaviour by (Re)migrants to Country of Origin: Case of Lithuania in 18th IMISCOE annual conference Crossing borders, connecting cultures 7–9 of July 2021 (online); Political Contribution of (Re)migrants in Lithuania, Poland and Croatia in 15th ESA (European Sociological Association) conference 30 August- 3 October 2021 (online).

Research Council of Lithuania. Demographic Loss Related to Mental Health in the Context of Changing Health Policy in Lithuania, No. 09.3.3-LMT-K-712-19-0152. Posdoctoral fellow Dr D. Stumbrys, research supervisor - Prof. D. Pūras. 2020–2022.

Presentations at international conferences:
Stumbrys, D. Pūras, D. Health paradigms in political discourse: analysis of the Lithuanian parliament’s debates on mental health issues in 2012-2020. 8th Qualitative Research on Mental Health Conference, 9–11September 2021, Valletta, Malta, (online).

Stumbrys, D. Pūras, D. Suicide Mortality in Lithuania 2007–2019: Sociodemographic Differences, Social Suffering and Mental Health Policy. 15th European Sociological Association Conference August 31–September 3, 2021. Barcelona, Spain (online).

Internship in Max Plank Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, 2021 November-December.

Research Council of Lithuania. The Last Soviet Generations in the Context of Changing Modernity Implemented in 2017–2019, No. S-MOD-17-14. Project leader assoc. Prof. L. Žilinskienė.

Main publications:

Zilinskiene, L., Ilic, M. Time, Generation, Memory (Introduction). In: Laima Zilinskiene and Melanie Ilic (Eds.) Soviet and Post-Soviet Lithuania: Generational Experiences. Series: Routledge Studies in the History of Russia and Eastern Europe. 2021.

I. Šutinienė. Identifying the 1970s generation (Chapter 06). In: Laima Zilinskiene and Melanie Ilic (Eds.) Soviet and Post-Soviet Lithuania: Generational Experiences. Series: Routledge Studies in the History of Russia and Eastern Europe. 2021.

Ivanauskas, V. and Kareniauskaitė, M. Lithuania’s cultural elite, born from 1970 to 1980: Group, class and generational identities (Chapter 08). In: Laima Zilinskiene and Melanie Ilic (Eds.) Soviet and Post-Soviet Lithuania: Generational Experiences. Series: Routledge Studies in the History of Russia and Eastern Europe. 2021.

International Research Projects

Baltic Research Programme. Quantitative Data about Societal and Economic Transformations in the Regions of the Three Baltic States during the Last Hundred Years for the Analysis of Historical Transformations and the Overcoming of Future Challenges, No. EEA-RESEARCH-174. Project leader prof. Z. Norkus. 2021–2024.

The aim of the project is to create a depository of quantitative data about societal and economic transformations in the regions of the three Baltic states during the last hundred years and provide a quantitative analysis of the long run trends (since 1920) in regional disparities.
The implementation of the project will include two tasks: (1) creation of data depository with data on economic and social differences between regions of Baltic countries and (2) analysis of long run trends (since 1920) in cross-regional economic and human development disparities.
A presentation was made at an international conference, one workshop was arranged to coordinate the work of research team, including Lithuanian, Latvian, Estonian, Norwegian scholars.

Erasmus+ Knowledge Alliance. SHOUT Social Sciences and Humanities in Intersectoral Outreach for Better Education and Sustainable Innovations, ID: 612364-EPP-1-2019-1-LT-EPPKA2-KA. Project leader Prof. A. Poviliūnas. 2019–2022.

The SHOUT consortium aims to strengthen SSH students and professionals innovation capacity and transformational role of HEIs, SMEs and NGOs when dealing with complex problems presented in Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and developing innovative sustainable solutions through inter-sectoral cooperation model and enhanced sharing of knowledge between different stakeholders, increasing, consequently, SSH graduates and researchers employability.

Nordplus programme. The Nordic Summer University: Sharing and Developing Experience of 70 Years of Democratic Education, No. NPHZ-2021/10091. Main coordinator Nordic Summer University. VU project leader Dr. I. Budginaitė-Mačkinė. 2021–2022.

The Nordic Summer University (NSU) and its partners organise four cross-sectoral symposia to develop partnerships in broader Baltic Sea region to support the development of emerging research initiatives and communities through the NSU traditions of democratic education and folkbildning. At the heart of this project lies the strengthening of an inclusive and transnational research network and the symposia provide a space for exchange between participants from the Nordic-Baltic regions. One of the Winter Symposia 2022 will be organised at Vilnius University: ‘Whiteness, Racialisation and Post-Soviet Pasts’ (31 March–1 April, 2022). In 202,1 project team launched the project and initiated the call for proposals for presentations, available on NSU website here.

COST action. European Network on International Student Mobility: Connecting Research and Practice (COST CA20115). Main coordinator Dr. Christof van Mol, Stichting Katholieke Universiteit Brabant, Tilburg, the Netherlands, VU coordinator Dr I. Budginaitė-Mačkinė. 2021–2025.

This Action responds to the pressing need for systematic interdisciplinary and international exchange of knowledge on theoretical frameworks, research methodologies, findings, and best practice examples, and for translating scientific findings into recommendations for ISM practice.
In 2021, the network was launched by organising the first management committee meeting in October 2021, electing leadership positions, confirming the work plan and initiating working groups. VU coordinator Dr I. Budginaitė-Mačkinė is a member of the management committee, as well as three working groups (WG2, WG3 and WG5) and is involved in the teams set up to prepare literature reviews for WG2 and WG3.

MAIN R&D&I (RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, AND INNOVATION) PARTNERS

  • East Carolina University, Department of Sociology (USA)
  • Tartu University, Institute of Social Studies (Estonia)
  • University of Lodz, Department of Sociology (Poland)
  • Maria Curie-Skłodowska University, Institute of Sociology (Poland)
  • Institute of Sociology, University of Warsaw (Poland)
  • Institute for Social Transformations, School of Advanced Social Studies, Nova Gorica (Slovenia)
  • Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences, Valmiera (Latvia)

OTHER RESEARCH ACTIVITIES

Asist. Prof. I. Budginaitė-Mačkinė –

Prof. I. Juozeliūnienė –

  • member of the Family Research Committee (RC 06) of the International Sociological Association (ISA), www.rc06-isa.org;
  • member of the Sociology of Families and Intimate Lives (RN 13) of the European Sociological Association (ESA), www.europeansociology.org;
  • member of the Science Council of the Lithuanian Social Science Centre, http://www.dsti.lt;
  • member of Lithuanian Sociological Association, http://www.sociology.lt;
  • associate editor at the Journal of Comparative Family Studies, http//utp journals/press/loi/jcfs;
  • evaluation commission member of the competition of the best master’s theses arranged by the Lithuanian Academy of Young Scientists;
  • Session “Strengths” and “Limitations” of New/Classical Concepts, Methods and Methodologies to Study Inequality and Intersectionality in Family Life across Borders and Cultures organizer (co-organizer Ria Smit, South Africa) at the IV-th ISA World Forum of Sociology, Brazil, Porto Alegre, 23–28 February 2021. IV ISA Forum of Sociology (isa-sociology.org).

Prof. Z. Norkus –

Prof. A. Poviliūnas –

  • ember of the Commission of Research Infrastructures, Lithuanian Research Council,
    http://www.lmt.lt/lt/apie-taryba/komisijos-ir-darbo-grupes/moksliniu-tyrimu-infrastrukturu-komisija/175;
  • expert in H2020 programme Committee Research Infrastructures;
  • editorial board member of the journal Sociologija: Mintis ir veiksmas (Sociology: Thought and Action), Atsakingi redaktoriai | Sociologija. Mintis ir veiksmas (vu.lt);
  • editorial board member of the journal Kriminologijos studijos (Studies in Criminology), Atsakingi redaktoriai | Kriminologijos studijos (vu.lt);
  • member of European Sociological Association, European Sociological Association | European Sociological Association (europeansociology.org)
  • member of Lithuanian Sociological Association, http://www.sociology.lt;
  • member of Lithuanian Association of Criminologists, kriminologija.lt | Lietuvos kriminologų asociacija.

Assoc. Prof. L. Žilinskienė –

  • editor-in-Chief of the journal Kriminologijos studijos (Studies in Criminology), Atsakingi redaktoriai | Kriminologijos studijos (vu.lt);
  • member of the British Association for Slavonic and East European Studies (BASEES), British Association for Slavonic and East European Studies | UIA Yearbook Profile | Union of International Associations;
  • member of Lithuanian Sociological Association, http://www.sociology.lt;
  • member of Lithuanian Association of Criminologists.

Assoc. Prof. R. Žiliukaitė –

BEST REPORTS DELIVERED AT CONFERENCES ABROAD

  • I. Budginaitė-Mačkinė. Changing Representations of Lithuanian Migrants in the Public Discourse in the Context of Covid-19 Pandemic. Reordering of Borders and Mobilities, RN35 – Sociology of Migration, RN35_T05_02, 15th ESA conference Sociological Knowledges for Alternative Futures, Barcelona (online), 31 August–3 September 2021.
  • I. Juozeliūnienė ir I. Budginaitė-Mačkinė. What is seen to be ‘troubling’: portraying parenting in migration in academic publications. ‘Strengths’ and ‘Limitations’ of New/Classical Concepts, Methods and Methodologies to Study Inequality and Intersectionality in Family Life across Borders and Cultures RC06, IV ISA Forum of Sociology, Porto Alegre (online), Brazil, 23–27 February 2021.
  • I. Juozeliūnienė and G. Martinkėnė. Covid-19 Pandemic and Transnational Families: Challenges and Changes of Family Display. 15th Conference of the European Sociological Association Sociological Knowledges for Alternative Futures, Barcelona, Spain, 31 August–3 September 2021.
  • Z. Norkus. Life Expectancy in Lithuania 20th Century: New Research Findings. Session RN36_T05: Social policies and outcomes in transforming societies, XV European Sociological Conference Sociological Knowledges for Alternative Futures, Barcelona, 31 August–3 September 2021.
  • Z. Norkus. On the Success and Progressiveness of (Some) Modern Restorations. Session 131 “Events and Crisis in Concept and Practice I Macrohistorical Dynamics” at the Social Science History Association (SSHA) annual meeting in Philadelphia (U.S.), 11–14 November 2021.

MOST IMPORTANT NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL AWARDS RECEIVED FOR R&D ACTIVITIES

  • Z. Norkus. The medal of the Lithuanian Academy of Science for research in comparative historical sociology.

MOST IMPORTANT RESEARCH DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES


DEPARTMENT OF CRIMINOLOGY

Universiteto 9/1, LT-01513 Vilnius
Tel. 266 7623
E-mail:
Head – Prof. Dr A. Dobryninas

STAFF 

Professor: Prof. Dr A. Dobryninas.
Associate professors: Dr L. Žilinskienė, Dr A. Čepas, Dr S. Nikartas. 
Assistants professors: Dr J. Aleknevičienė, Dr A. Pocienė, Dr M. Šupa, Dr M. Lankauskas, Dr M. Švedkauskienė. 
Postdoctoral fellow: Dr Sigita Černevičiūtė.  
Doctoral students: E. Visockas, R. Gaičevskytė-Savickė, J. Žekaitė, V. Kalpokas, G. Damašavičiūtė.  

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Theoretical analysis of deviation and social control
Punishment and reintegration policy
Violence and its perception in the society
Methodological innovations in criminology
Corruption and anti-corruption activity

RESEARCH PROJECTS CARRIED OUT IN 2021

Projects Supported by University Budget

Social Control and Construction of Criminological Discourses. Dr Prof. Aleksandras Dobryninas. 2019–2021.

Analysis of theoretical aspects of deviation and social control, philosophical and sociological problems of criminal justice; analysis of punishment and reintegration policies, research on problems of urban security, media crime, violence and its recipe in society; application of methodological innovations in criminology, etc.).

Main publications:

Šupa, M. Socialiniai tyrimai apie elektroninius nusikaltimus: globalus temų diapazonas ir Lietuvoje atliktų tyrimų sisteminė analizė [Social Research about Online Crime: Global Range of Topics and a Systematic Analysis of Research in Lithuania]. Kriminologijos studijos. 2021, 9: 8–46.

Šupa, M., Kruopštaitė, I. Deviance and Ethical Considerations in Online Biohacking Communities. Deviant Behavior. 2021, online first.

Šupa, M. Socialiniai tyrimai apie elektroninius nusikaltimus: globali paradigmų takoskyra bei jos raiška Lietuvoje [Social Research about Online Crime: Key Global Paradigms and the State of Research in Lithuania], Informacijos mokslai. 2021, 91: 41–58.

Vilnius University Research Fund. Geopolitics, formal social control, and popular culture in online hacking forums. Project No. MSF-JM-13/2021, project leader - Dr M. Šupa. 2021–2022.

The aim of this exploratory project is to analyse global geopolitical, cultural, and social aspects of online crime as they are represented in online hacking forums. In a transdisciplinary combination of criminology and computer linguistics, quantitative methods of big text analysis of a large dataset of multiple forums will be combined with qualitative analysis and online ethnography to fill gaps in the knowledge about the non-technical background of online crime. The main results in 2021 were analysis of the state-of-the-art, development of the research methodology, pilot runs of data analysis.

National Research Projects

Homicides and Punishments in Lithuania in 1918–1940, No. 09.3.3-LMT-K-712-19-0144. Postdoctoral fellow Dr S. Černevičiūtė, research supervisor - Prof. A. Dobryninas. 2020–2022.

Cerneviciute Sigita. Critical Analysis of Statistical Data of Homicides of Lithuania in 1920s – 1930s: Limitations and Potential. 2021 American Society of Criminology Annual Meeting. Science and Evidenced-Based Policy in a Fractured Era. Chicago, United States of America, 17–20 November 2021.

Research Council of Lithuania. Summer Research Internship for Students. A Criminological Analysis of Online Crime Court Cases in Lithuania, No. 09.3.3-LMT-K-712-24-0144. Student A. Rinkevičiūtė, research supervisor - Dr M. Šupa.

The aim of the project is to critically assess how online crime targeting computer systems is constructed and selectively persecuted in the criminal justice system in Lithuania. During the project, quantitative and qualitative methods were applied to analyse court cases pertaining to chapter XXX of the Criminal Code of Lithuania (offences against information systems), available from the national court case registry LITEKO. The results consist of a detailed analysis of the typology of offences, offenders’ and victims’ characteristics, modus operandi, case outcomes and selectivity factors.
The main results in 2021 were analysis of the state-of-the-art, development of the research methodology, data collection.

Research Council of Lithuania. Research Internship for Students. Factors Affecting Public Trust in Machine Learning Applications in Criminal Justice in Lithuania, No. 09.3.3-LMT-K-712-25-0188. Student V. Žiogaitė, research supervisor - Dr M. Šupa.

The aim of the project is to assess the potential of developing public trust in machine learning applications in criminal justice in Lithuania. During the project, qualitative data about factors contributing to public trust will be collected during focus groups, organised separately with members of civil society organisations, representatives of law enforcement agencies, and policy-makers. The results are expected to contribute to policy-making and engagement of the public in decisions related to adopting machine learning solutions in criminal justice.
The main results in 2021 were analysis of the state-of-the-art, development of the research methodology, data collection.

International Research Projects

LINKS: European Prison and Criminal Justice Statistics (Council of Europe). Prof. A. Dobryninas. National Coordinator for Lithuania.

European Commission’s Rights, Equality and Citizenship programme action project Sexual Harassment in Nightlife Entertainment Spots: Control and Prevention (SHINE), No. 881652. Main coordinator: The Center for Crime Prevention in Lithuania, VU coordinator - Prof. A. Dobryninas. 2020–2022.

The SHINE project aims to create a common culture among nightlife stakeholders and give them appropriate tools to prevent sexual harassment in nightlife venues. One of the project’s main foreseen achievement will be the creation of a multipliable working model through the following planned activities: a) introduction of quality management systems in nightlife entertainment venues; b) training programmes and awareness-raising sessions for the staff of nightlife venues, local elected officials, mediators and representatives of the municipal police; c) networking and joint cooperation between municipal institutions, law enforcement agencies, local businesses and other stakeholders; d) awareness-raising and education of potential victims and witnesses of sexual harassment.

European Commission’s Justice programme project. Improving Enforcement at the Intersection of Mobile Banditry and Exploitation (IMOBEX), No. 101003531. Main coordinator Stichting Katholieke Universiteit Brabant, VU coordinator - Prof. A. Dobryninas. 2021–2023.

The aim of IMOBEX is to enhance EU policies and operational law enforcement actions in the 27 Member States and 7 Southeast European third countries to combat property crimes at the intersection of mobile banditry and human trafficking. The project aims to develop novel investigation methods, address training needs, and enhance cross-border and multi-agency cooperation. The project should thus benefit a wide range of stakeholders by improving and disseminating knowledge about modi operandi and enforcement problems at the intersection of mobile banditry and human trafficking; developing creative and feasible interventions for enforcement agencies; developing a roadmap to close the gaps at national and EU levels in the legal and policy infrastructures; addressing the dilemma of dealing with perpetrators who are also victims of human trafficking for criminal purposes; and promoting, in the long term, preventative effects of better inclusion of the socially and economically deprived communities from which itinerant criminal groups often originate.

International Self-Report Delinquency Study -ISRD4 https://web.northeastern.edu/isrd/lithuania/ Participants: Aušra Pocienė, Jolanta Aleknevičienė, Vaidas Kalpokas.

The ISRD is an ongoing project, currently beginning its fourth sweep (ISRD4), allowing patterns of offending and victimization to be tracked over time. The fourth data collection wave is planned for 2020–2022. ISRD data enable tests of many prominent delinquency theories. The sweep-specific focus ISRD4 is online offending and victimization, perceptions of violence, and minority groups and identity. Besides the core international questionnaire – the national Lithuanian module focuses on youth experiences during pandemic time, their obedience to quarantine constraints, attitudes towards vaccination.
In 2021, research methodology was coordinated with foreign partners, a research plan was prepared, and a national questionnaire module was designed. Questionnaires were translated from English into Lithuanian.

Contractual Research

Economic Measures for the Prevention of Smoking (2019–2021). Ministry of Health of the Republic of Lithuania. A. Dobryninas.

The implementation of the project was extended until 2021. On 26 February 2021, members of the research group organized the scientific seminar Measures of Economic Impact in Smoking Prevention - Presentation of Research Results for representatives of academia, governmental and non-governmental organizations. The project report was submitted to the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Lithuania and accepted without comments on 2 April 2021.

MAIN R&D&I (RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT AND INNOVATION) PARTNERS

  • Utrecht University, School of Law, Willem Pompe Institute for Criminal Law and Criminology (Netherlands)
  • University of Lausanne, Faculty of Law, Criminal Justice and Public Administration (Switzerland)
  • University of Nebraska, School of Criminology and Criminal Justice (USA)

OTHER RESEARCH ACTIVITIES

Prof. A. Dobryninas –

  • President of European Society of Criminology, European Society of Criminology (esc-eurocrim.org);
  • participant in the organization of European Society of Criminology 21st annual conference Criminology in the time of Pandemic, 8–10 September 2021, https://eurocrim2021.secure-platform.com/a/;
  • Commission for the „2021 European Society of Criminology Best Article Award Award“– Chair.
  • member of the Board of Lithuanian Association of Criminology, kriminologija.lt | Lietuvos kriminologų asociacija;
  • editorial board member of the journal Archiwum Kryminologii (Warsaw, Poland), Zespół redakcyjny | Archiwum Kryminologii (pan.pl);
  • editorial board member of the journal Sociologija. Mintis ir veiksmas (Vilnus, Lithuania), Atsakingi redaktoriai | Sociologija. Mintis ir veiksmas (vu.lt);
  • editorial board member of the journal Teisės problemos (Vilnus, Lithuania), Redaktorių kolegija | LTI (teise.org);
  • editorial board member of the journal Kriminologiojs studijos (Criminological Studies) (Vilnius, Lithuania), Atsakingi redaktoriai | Kriminologijos studijos (vu.lt).

Assoc.Prof. A. Čepas –

Dr A. Pocienė –

Dr J. Aleknevičienė –

  • member of the Board of Lithuanian Association of Criminologists, kriminologija.lt | Lietuvos kriminologų asociacija;
  • member of Lithuanian Sociological Association;
  • member of the European Society of Criminology.

Dr M. Šupa –

  • member of the Lithuanian Association of Criminologists;
  • European Group for the Study of Deviance and Social Control, member since 2013, national contact person;
  • member of the European Society of Criminology.

Dr S. Černevičiūtė –

Doct. Student R. Gaičevskytė – Savickė –

  • member of the Board of Lithuanian Association of Criminologists, kriminologija.lt | Lietuvos kriminologų asociacija.

BEST REPORTS DELIVERED AT CONFERENCES ABROAD

  • Dobryninas, Aleksandras. President Address. 21st Annual Conference of the European Society of Criminology, 8–10 September 2021. https://escnewsletter.org/storage/summaries/4e0a0281-723d-4541-9f48-0bf7a0c1bc8c.
  • Aleknevičienė, Jolanta. Instruments and Challenges of Measuring the Outcomes of Imprisonment in Lithuania, 21st Annual Conference of the European Society of Criminology, 8–10 September 2021.
  • Pocienė, Aušra. Sexual harassment at nightlife entertainment spots: legal conceptualization, social perception and premises for prevention in Lithuania. 21st Annual Conference of the European Society of Criminology, 8–10 September 2021.
  • Šupa, Maryja. Theoretical paradigms and the thematic range of online crime research. 21st Annual Conference of the European Society of Criminology, 8–10 September 2021.
  • Cerneviciute Sigita. Critical Analysis of Statistical Data of Homicides of Lithuania in 1920s–1930s: Limitations and Potential. 2021 American Society of Criminology Annual Meeting. Science and Evidenced-Based Policy in a Fractured Era. Chicago, United States of America, 17–20 October 2021.

MOST IMPORTANT PARTICIPATION CASES OF RESEARCHERS IN WORKING GROUPS OR COMMISSIONS SET UP BY STATE AUTHORITIES, STATE AND MUNICIPAL INSTITUTIONS, ORGANISATIONS, BUSINESS ENTITIES

  • Dobryninas, Aleksandras - member of the Judicial Court of Honour

CONSULTATIONS PROVIDED BY THE UNIT TO THE PUBLIC OR ECONOMIC ENTITIES

  • Šupa, Maryja. GovTechLab Challenge working group on crime prediction application for the police, consultant.
  • Pocienė, Aušra. Government Strategic Analysis Centre (STRATA), The project of the State Progress Strategy “Lithuania 2050”, consultation on methodological issues.

MOST IMPORTANT RESEARCH DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES


DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL WORK AND SOCIAL WELFARE

Universiteto 9, LT-01513 Vilnius
Tel. 266 7627
E-mail:
Head – Dr Donata Petružytė

STAFF

Professor: Prof. Dr L. Žalimienė. 
Associate professors: Dr J. Buzaitytė Kašalynienė, Dr I. Gajdosikienė, Dr V. Gevorgianienė, Dr L. Gvaldaitė, Dr D. Petružytė, Dr E. Šumskienė, B. Švedaitė-Sakalauskė. 
Assistants professors: Dr J. Mataitytė-Diržienė, Dr I. Bankauskienė, Dr R. Genienė, Dr J. Charenkova.
Lecturer: E. Ruschhoff. 
Doctoral students: M. Seniutis, U. Toleikytė, I. Brazauskas. 
Postdoctoral fellows: Dr. J. Charenkova, I. Adomaitytė-Subačienė.

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Social inclusion, social support for vulnerable people
Social prevention, rehabilitation and integration
Community development and empowerment
Migration, intercultural learning and communication
Quality of social work
Development of personal social services
Human rights in mental health
Disability, stigma, stereotypes and discrimination
Development of social work education and profession
Gender equality and social work
Quality of life and older age
Social innovations and social entrepreneurship
Wellbeing of family and children
Moder technologies’ impact on social work profession and studies

RESEARCH PROJECTS CARRIED OUT IN 2021

Projects Supported by University Budget

Research into Innovative Paradigms and Models for Social Work and Social Services. Dr E. Šumskienė. 2019–2023.

Research on innovation in social work and the organisation of social services, covering the most pressing areas of social work such as the development and development of the social work profession, studies on the integration, inclusion, empowerment of disadvantaged groups, human rights, social exclusion and ways of overcoming it, quality of life, family and youth welfare, psychosocial welfare factors, social services system, long-term care of the elderly and disabled.

Main publications:

Buzaitytė Kašalynienė, J. Lithuanian Social Work’s Claim to Professional Autonomy vs Authoritarianism in Popular and Political Culture. In: Lorenz W., Havrdová Z., Matoušek O. (Eds.) European Social Work After 1989. European Social Work Education and Practice. 2021. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-45811-9_5.

Šumskienė, E., Daunienė, E., Žalimienė (comp.). Keisti ir keistis: adaptyvioji lyderystė socialiniame darbe. Vilnius University Press. 2021, p. 305.

Šumskienė, E., Gevorgianienė, V., Genienė R. Bridging yesterday and tomorrow: Responses to the new disability rights paradigm in the post-socialist region. Disability Studies Quaterly. 2021, 41(3): 1–20. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.18061/dsq.v41i2.7289.

National Research Projects

Research Council of Lithuania. Manifestation of Aggression in the Process of Removing a Child from Family: General Discourse, Institutional Environment, and Different Actor’s Perspective. No. S-MIP-19-37. Prof. Laimute Žalimienė. 2019–2021.

The project revealed a holistic, multi-layered picture of the process of taking a child out of the unsafe family environment from the perspectives of four types of actors (child rights protection workers, persons who have experienced the removal in their childhood, parents from whom children were taken, and police officers). Five theses and presentations at international and national conference were provided; 6 publications were submitted and 5 have been already published in international and national journals.

Main publications:

Petružytė, D., Gevorgianienė, V., Charenkova, J., Seniutis, M., Žalimienė, L., Šumskienė, E., Gvaldaitė, L. Manifestations and Preconditions of Child Rights Protection Specialists’ Aggression towards Clients. Sustainability. 2021, 13(20): 11276.

Žalimienė, L., Gevorgianienė, V., Petružytė, D., Seniutis, M., Gvaldaitė, L., Šumskienė, E., Charenkova, J. Navigating the Context of Uncertainty in Child Protection Practice. Journal of Public Child Welfare. 2021, first online. DOI: 10.1080/15548732.2021.1997874.

Research Council of Lithuania. People and Places: Transformations of Communities’ Welfare in the Process of Deinstitutionalization of Care Services No. P-GEV-20-4. Asoc. Prof. Egle Sumskiene. 2020–2021.

Main aim of this project is to analyse how understanding of community welfare and practices of its development are being transformed in the process of deinstitutionalization and development of community services. Quantitative and qualitative research methods will be used. Persons with disabilities, their carers, community members will participate in the research. Public discourse will be also analysed. Dissemination of the new knowledge will take place in the academic community (at conferences, in scienƟfic arƟcles), and will be shared with various stakeholders. Recommendations for Ministry of Social Security and Labour on how to integrate community welfare perspective into the process of the reform will be developed.

Main publications:

Genienė, R., Šumskienė, E., Gevorgianienė, V. & Mataitytė-Diržienė, J. The Deinstitutionalization of Persons with Psychosocial Disabilities from the Perspective of Ecological Systems Theory. Socialinė Teorija, Empirija, Politika ir Praktika. 2021, 22: 28–43. https://doi.org/10.15388/STEPP.2021.27

Gevorgianienė, V., Šumskienė, E., Mataitytė-Diržienė, J. & Genienė, R. People and places: social and physical aspects of life experienced by persons with disability after their relocation to community. Special Education. 2021, 1(42): 7–59. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.21277/se.v1i42.586.

Research Council of Lithuania. Reactions to Juvenile Delinquency and their Consequences in Lithuania: from Scandalising in the Media to Professional Performance, No. S-MIP-20-15. Assoc. Prof. G. Sakalauskas. 2020–2022.

Juvenile delinquency often provokes an inadequate and disproportional reaction in the media, especially connected with violence. Media systematically escalates and distorts the true picture of juvenile delinquency, its severity, and trends. Hence, it puts tremendous pressure on professional performance, encouraging distrust and offering self-righteous, perhaps less proper, measures. The impact of this scandalizing can be so significant (most recently Jurbarkas case) that it not only interferes with professional performance but can even lead to hasty political decisions, institutional transformations, or poorly prepared, ill-conceived legislative changes.
This scientific research focuses specifically on the analysis of reactions to juvenile delinquency – what are they, how they arise, what determines their content, how well they meet the needs of minors, how they influence the performance of professional systems, and what effects they have on society.

Research Council of Lithuania. Delevopment of the Researcher’s Academic Competences through the Analysis of the Social Work Professional Field, No. 09.3.3-LMT-K-712-19-0197. Posdoc fellow Dr I. Adomaitytė-Subačienė, research supervisor Prof. A. Poviliūnas. 2020–2022.

The project aims to analyze how various global changes can redistribute social capital in a new changing field of social work, what social agents influence this redistribution. Based on P. Bourdieu theory, an attempt would be made to structure the analysis of the social work field by identifying agents, capital, power relations, and different habitus that may lead to change in the field, taking into account the impact of technology and innovation on the social work field. A comparative analysis of different cultural contexts (USA, Japan and Lithuania) based on the habitus concept will be performed. Three different cultures, Eastern (Japan), Western (USA) and post-Soviet, were selected for the analysis in order to reveal the peculiarities of the field of social work under the influence of different cultural and socio-political factors.

Research Council of Lithuania. Preconditions, Motives and Process of (In)Formal Care Choices: the Perspective of Informal Carers, grant agreement no. 09.3.3-LMT-K-712-23-0192. Postdoct fellow Dr J. Charenkova, research supervisor Prof. Dr L. Žalimienė. 2021–2023.

The aim of the project is to improve the scientific competence of a post-doctoral fellow by conducting high-level qualitative international research on preconditions, motives and process of (in)formal care choices of informal carers. The results of the research will reveal the influence of factors affecting (in)formal care choices not only on the individual level (for example, social support network, work-life balance, financial opportunities, subjective assessment of the social care system) but also cultural and social factors (for example, peculiarities of the organization of social care services and functioning of residential care system, public expectations about acceptable care standards for aging relatives). The main findings of the project will be presented to the communities of academicians and non-academics at the national and international levels.

International Research Projects

Horizon 2020, Twinning project. Developing a New Network of Researchers on Contemporary European Motherhood – MotherNet, No. 952366. VU Faculty of Philosophy coordinator Dr E. Šumskienė. 2020–2023.

The proposed MotherNet network aims to support researchers from the Vilnius University. Thinking Motherhood group – a group of 18 VU researchers, including 4 early-stage researchers – to develop their research networks, collaborate on high-quality interdisciplinary research projects and publish the results of their research in high-ranking peer-reviewed journals of international standing. Research groups at two highly ranked European universities will work with VU researchers to enhance their research capacity and improve the visibility of their research.

Erasmus+ KA2 project. Experiential Knowledge in Higher Education, No. 2021-1-NL01-KA220-HED-000035868. Main coordinator Stichting Hogeschool Utrecht, VU project leader Dr Jolita Kašalynienė. 2021–2024.

This project will create a cooperation partnership between 12 higher education institutes in 10 different countries, and their local partners, sharing and developing approaches of personalised learning and inclusive education, with an emphasis on experiential knowledge.
The project intends to implement the following activities: Creating a structure for cooperation: digital and physical meetings, working groups, teaching and training, communication and knowledge resources. Using this structure for sharing and developing knowledge: working on different activities leading to the outcomes and outputs below, by having transnational meetings, organising multiplier events, learning, teaching and training events and working together on seven work packages.

Contractual Research

European Social Fund Agency. Evaluation of Project Proposals under the ESFA Scheme Alternative Investment Detector. Dr E Šumskienė, Dr J. Mataitytė-Diržienė. 2020–2021.

MAIN R&D&I (RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, AND INNOVATION) PARTNERS

  • University of New England, School of Social Work (USA)
  • University of Jyvaskyla, School of Social Work (Finland)
  • University of Gävle, Department of Social Work and Psychology (Sweden)
  • School of Social Work, Evangelische Hochschule Dresden (Germany)
  • Department of Sociology, Università Catt. Di Milano (Italy)
  • Essex University (UK)

OTHER RESEARCH ACTIVITIES

Assoc. Prof. V. Gevorgianienė –

  • editorial board member of the journal STEPP Socialinė teorija, empirija, politika ir praktika (Social Theory, Empirics, Policy and Practice), Editorial Team | Socialinė teorija, empirija, politika ir praktika (vu.lt);
  • member of the Executive Commitee of the Lithuanian Association of Schools of Social Work; https://www.journals.vu.lt/STEPP/article/view/25509/24917;
  • member of European Social Work Research Association, ESWRA.

Assoc. Prof. L. Gvaldaitė –

  • member of the Lithuanian Catholic Academy of Science, www.lkma.lt.

Assoc. Prof. J. Buzaitytė-Kašalynienė –

Assist. Prof. Dr J. Mataitytė-Diržienė –

Assoc. Prof. D. Petružytė –

Assoc. Prof. E. Šumskienė –

  • member of the Global Young Academy, https://globalyoungacademy.net/egle-sumskiene/;
  • member of Lithuanian Social Sciences Forum, http://www.socforumas.lt;
  • editorial board member of the journal STEPP Socialinė teorija, empirija, politika ir praktika (Social Theory, Empirics, Policy and Practice), Editorial Team | Socialinė teorija, empirija, politika ir praktika (vu.lt);
  • member of World Psychiatric Association Stigma Section, WPA STIGMA SECTION - World Psychiatry Association - Stigma Section (weebly.com);
  • member of an informal NGO association “Mental Health 2030”;
  • member of the Board of an informal NGO association “Child Rights Coalition”;
  • member of the board of the Society for Persons with Intellectual Disabilities „Viltis“
  • member of the European Social Work Research Association Board on Prizes and Awards, ESWRA;
  • member of the European Network of Independent Living, ENIL – European Network on Independent Living | Meet the Team - ENIL - European Network on Independent Living.

Assoc. Prof. B. Švedaitė-Sakalauskė –

  • member of the National Association of Supervisors, www.supervizija.lt;
  • editorial board member of the journal Socialinis darbas: patirtis ir metodai (Social Work: Experience and Methods), http://socialinisdarbas.vdu.lt/lt/socialinis-darbas-patirtis-ir-metodai;
  • editorial board member of the journal STEPP Socialinė teorija, empirija, politika ir praktika (Social Theory, Empirics, Policy and Practice), Editorial Team | Socialinė teorija, empirija, politika ir praktika (vu.lt).

Prof. Dr. L. Žalimienė –

Assist. Prof. and Postdoct Fellow J. Charenkova –

  • executive secretary of the journal STEPP: Socialinė teorija, empirija, politika ir praktika (STEPP: Social Theory, Empirics, Policy and Practice), Editorial Team | Socialinė teorija, empirija, politika ir praktika (vu.lt).

Assist. Prof. and Postdoctoral Fellow I. Adomaitytė-Subačienė –

  • Board member at Lithuanian Social Work Association, www.lsda.lt;
  • Member of international Project Management Association www.ipma.lt;
  • International Project Excellence Award Judge https://awards.ipma.world/about/.

BEST REPORTS DELIVERED AT CONFERENCES ABROAD

  • V. Gevorgianienė. A road less travelled: participation of persons with disabilities in designing maps of their daily experiences. ICSW 2021: XV. International Conference on Social Work, 16–17 September 2021, Zurich. https://waset.org/social-work-conference.
  • E. Šumskienė. The active role of people with disabilities during the process of deinstitutionalization of care services. Co-creating Citizen Science conference in Granada University, 6 May 2021.
  • V. Gevorgianienė. Searching for dignity in a conext of pandemic. Mokslinėje konferencijoje Sarajevo universitete DRUŠTVENA KRIZA I SOCIJALNI RAD, 16 March 2021.

MOST IMPORTANT PARTICIPATION CASES OF RESEARCHERS IN WORKING GROUPS OR COMMISSIONS SET UP BY STATE AUTHORITIES, STATE AND MUNICIPAL INSTITUTIONS, ORGANISATIONS, BUSINESS ENTITIES

CONSULTATIONS PROVIDED BY THE UNIT TO THE PUBLIC OR ECONOMIC ENTITIES

  • Report on social work during Covid-19. https://www.lsda.lt/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/SOCIALINIU%CC%A8-DARBUOTOJU%CC%A8-TYRIMAS_final.pdf Lietuvos socialinių darbuotojų asociacija, VU. Adomaitytė Subačienė I, Gajdosikienė I.
  • Expertise and research services on the right to education of children with disabilities to the Department for the Affairs of Disabled under the Ministry of Social Security and Labour. V. Gevorgianienė, E. Šumskienė.
  • Evaluation study of Youth Voluntary Service: impact on studies of former volunteers, Department of Youth Affairs at Ministry of Social Security and Labour. J. Buzaitytė Kašalynienė, J. Bogdzievič.
  • Evaluation study of the project "JUDAM" on NEET integration to education or labour market, Department of Youth Affairs at Ministry of Social Security and Labour. J. Buzaitytė Kašalynienė, J. Charenkova, E. Dunajevas, J. Bogdzevič.
  • Experiences of People with Disabilities and Their Families During the Pandemic. Eglė Šumskienė, Jurga Mataitytė – Diržienė, Violeta Gevorgianienė, Gintaras Šumskas. Commisioned by Monitoring Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

MOST IMPORTANT RESEARCH DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES


DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL POLICY

Universiteto 9, LT-01513 Vilnius
Tel. 266 7627
E-mail:
Head – Assoc. Prof. Dr Daiva Skučienė

STAFF 

Professors: Dr B. Gruževskis, Dr R. Lazutka. 
Associate professors: Dr E. Dunajevas, Dr R. Brazienė, Dr D. Skučienė, Dr J. Navickė. 
Assistant professor:  Dr L. Šumskaitė .
Lecturer: T. Vencius. 
Doctoral students:  O. Suprun, U. Kaklauskaitė.

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Policy analysis of social inclusion
Social economy
Analysis of social policy, social security, pensions
Labour market and employment policy
Family policy
Youth policy
Gender equality
Equal opportunities policy
Housing policy
Social dialogue
Demography, ageing, migration

RESEARCH PROJECTS CARRIED OUT IN 2021

Projects Supported by University Budget

Social Policy Challenges and Opportunities for Its Improvement. Assoc. Prof. Daiva Skučienė. 2019–2023.

Analysis of the experience of Lithuania and other countries in solving the fundamental problems of the social policy and welfare state: poverty and inequality, unemployment and social exclusion, population ageing, social insurance, social assistance, etc.

Main publications:

Skučienė, D., Markevičiūtė, J. Social risks and class in the Baltic States: insights for social investment strategy. Journal of Developing Societies. 2021, 37(1): 83–97. DOI: 10.1177/0169796X21999306.

Silva, S. M. d, Silva, A. M., Cortés-González, P., Braziene, R. Learning to Leave and to Return: Mobility, Place, and Sense of Belonging amongst Young People Growing up in Border and Rural Regions of Mainland Portugal. Sustainability. 2021, 13: 9432. https:// doi.org/10.3390/su13169432.

Lazutka, R. and Navickė, J. Country chapter Lithuania, In: Spasova S., Ghailani D., Sabato S. and Vanhercke B. Social protection of non-standard workers and the self-employed during the pandemic. Country chapters: Belgium, France, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Brussels, ETUI. 2021, 63–75.

National Research Projects

Model of the interaction of labour market and social assistance policies and development of methodologies for its implementation. EU Structural funds under measure no. 01.2.2-LMT-K-718 Targeted research in the field of smart specialization. Project team leader - R. Lazutka, member - B. Gruževskis.

International Research Projects

EEA and Norway Grants Fund for Youth Employment. Tr@ck-IN: Public Employment Services Tracking Effectiveness to Support Rural NEETs, No. 2020-1-0011. Main coordinator Iscte - Instituto Unversitario Lisboa, VU coordinator – Prof. R. Brazienė. 2021–2024.

Aim of the project is to deliver an evaluation model of the effectiveness of Public Employment Services (PES) tracking support types - digital, human-mediated or mixed - in improving employability among rural NEETs aged 25–29. Project goal is to broaden knowledge of the effects of employment initiatives targeting rural NEETs, by creating a cross-country model of how policies influence PES tracking deliverance. Another goal is to enlarge the capacity of evaluating effects of employment initiatives for NEETs in rural areas, by validating impact assessment protocols for the most replicable programs of on-the-ground PES tracking support types, considering overall and specific groups of NEETs.

COST action. Rural NEET Youth Network: Modelling the Risks Underlying Rural NEETs Social Exclusion. CA18213. Prof. R. Brazienė. 2019–2023.

This Action encompasses the creation of a European-led multidisciplinary network from countries showing higher NEET youth rates in rural areas. Rural NEETs’ Youth Network (RNYN) aims at developing a model of comprehension for rural NEETs’ social exclusion risk and protective factors based on the bioecological model. It focuses on three specific goals: (1) upholding future research capability, with an emphasis on Early Career Investigators (ECI) and Inclusiveness Target Countries (ITC); (2) creating a rural NEETs’ online observatory; and (3) fostering knowledge use by policy makers and practitioners.

COST action. The Pan-European Family Support Research Network. A bottom-up, evidence-based and multidisciplinary approach. CA18123. Assoc. prof. D. Skučienė. 2018–2023.

The Action proposes the creation of a Pan-European family support network, under which family support and parenting policies are included, combining both common goals across countries and the recognition of the specificities of cultural and families’ contexts.
The Action will build collaborative pathways between researchers, practitioners, policy-makers, children and families, public and private agencies, and general society to create the necessary framework that allows informing family policies and practices with the underlying goal of ensuring children’s rights and families’ well-being.

European Commission. EUROMOD - Microsimulation Tool for Modelling the Impact of Policy Measures. Dr J. Navickė (principal researcher). From 2017 to present.

The project aims to regularly update and maintain EUROMOD – a tax-benefit microsimulation tool for the 28 EU member states. As an output of the project in 2021, an annual report on Lithuania was prepared, the Lithuanian component of the model and data updated up to 2021.

Flexibility in Industrial Relations and Labour Market Inequality. S-LL-19-3. Prof. Romas Lazutka. 2018–2021.

The project contributes to the understanding of labour market in three respects: it provides a wide battery of tests to an important hypothesis concerning the origins of labour market inequality in a wide, comparative context across countries; application of several methodological innovations (concerning estimation techniques and identification strategies) as well as methodological diversity (econometrics, simulations and experiments); it will separate the role of the supply-side factors (on the side of the employers) from demand-side factors (the working time flexibility to combine personal and professional life).

MAIN R&D&I (RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT AND INNOVATION) PARTNERS

Essex University (UK)
The University of Southern Denmark, Department of Political Science and Public Management (Denmark)

OTHER RESEARCH ACTIVITIES

Assoc. Prof. R. Brazienė –

Prof. B. Gruževskis –

Prof. R. Lazutka –

Assoc. Prof. D. Skučienė –

  • editorial board member of the journal STEPP Socialinė teorija, empirija, politika ir praktika (Social Theory, Empirics, Policy and Practice);
  • COST Action CA18123 OST Action CA18123, The European Family Support Network. A bottom-up, evidence-based and multidisciplinary approach;
  • COST Action CA18213 COST Action CA18213, Rural NEET Youth Network: Modeling the risks underlying rural NEETs social exclusion;
  • ECDN Scientific group member http://ecdn.eu/covid-19-and-debt-scientific-group /.

Assoc. Prof. E. Dunajevas –

Dr Jekaterina Navickė -

Dr L. Šumskaitė –

BEST REPORTS DELIVERED AT CONFERENCES ABROAD

  • D. Skučienė and G. Skubiejūtė. Mothers’ work-to-family strain in single mother families. Motherhood and Work: An Interdisciplinary Conference. Maynooth University, Ireland.
  • Braziene R., Skuciene D., Vysniauskiene S. Paid Parental Leave, Labour Market Participation and Gender Equality in Lithuania. Work-Family Balance in the XXI Century: Challenges, Opportunities and New Perspectives from Innovative Practices and Policies. IV ISA Forum of Sociology, Porto Alegre, Brazil (virtual), 23–28 February 2021.
  • Sumskaite L., Gedvilaite-Kordusiene, M. Beyond the boundaries of the Nuclear Family: Childless Women's Relationships with Children of Others in Lithuania. 15th Conference of European Sociological Association: Sociological Knowledge for Alternative Future, Barcelona (virtual), Spain, 31 August–3 September.
  • Gruževskis B., Miežienė R. Migration and Labour Market Integration of Caucasus Nationals in Lithuania. International Conference “Immigrants from the Caucasus in Europe. Between a Vision of Freedom and Alienation“, Warsaw, Poland, 2–3 September 2021.
  • Navickė, J. The role of gender and flexible working arrangements in formation of labour market inequalities in the EU. 27th annual Conference of the Foundation for International Studies on Social Security, 03 July 2021.

MOST IMPORTANT PARTICIPATION CASES OF RESEARCHERS IN WORKING GROUPS OR COMMISSIONS SET UP BY STATE AUTHORITIES, STATE AND MUNICIPAL INSTITUTIONS, ORGANISATIONS, BUSINESS ENTITIES

  • D. Skučienė - member of examination committee of Compulsory Mediation for families during divorce process. Ministry of Justice of LR
  • L. Šumskaitė - member of Researchers Network on Equal Opportunities. Ministry of Social Security and Labour of LR.
  • Romas Lazutka - an expert in the Round Table discussion on the New Generation Lithuania Plan, expert assessment of the draft integrated plan. Invitation - Minister of Finance Gintarė Skaistė. Distance discussion 23 April 2021.
  • Gruževskis B. & Navickė J. - members of the Working Group on the Implementation of the Social Rights Pillar; Ministry of Social Security and Labour.
  • Gruževskis B. - member of the working group for the preparation of the National Progress Program, Office of the Prime Minister.

CONSULTATIONS PROVIDED BY THE UNIT TO THE PUBLIC OR ECONOMIC ENTITIES

  • Gruževskis B. Priorities for improving employment policy. Improving unemployment social insurance. Ministry of Social Security and Labour.
  • Gruževskis B. Strengthening the design of the tax, social security contributions and social benefits system in Lithuania to reduce inequality and poverty and stimulate economic growth. DG REFORM/OECD FRAMEWORK GRANT AGREEMENT (project 20LT01 REFORM/im2020/004). Lithuanian Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour. 10.1.1-ESFA-V-912-01-0019. Role: expert.
  • Romas Lazutka. The evaluation of the Social Support System for the professional organization “Solidarity” was presented on 10 October 2021.
  • Jekaterina Navicke & Romas Lazutka are the experts for the European social policy network (ESPN, Contract n° VC/2018/0463). European Commission DG Employment and Social Affairs. Commissioned by the European Commission.
  • Jekaterina Navicke & Romas Lazutka. National policies for the extension of social protection to non-standard employees and self-employed during the Covid-19 pandemic. European Social Observatory (OSE) on behalf of the European Trade Union Institute (ETUI). National expert for a case study.

MOST IMPORTANT RESEARCH DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES

  • Skučienė, Daiva. Lithuania after year of Covid-19 pandemic. Money Matters: ECDN. 2021, 8: 21–22.
  • Romas Lazutka. Presentation: The problem of inequality. Association of International Youth Debate Alumni https://jaunimodebatai.eu/. Jugend debattiert international Alumniverein Litauen. Erasmus + project Debate Your Issue (DYI) workshop, 27 March 2021.
  • Romas Lazutka. Presentation: Old age and incapacity pensions. National Network of Poverty Reduction Organizations, 24 March.
  • Gruževskis B. Meeting of youth coordinators and youth mentors network. The report was about the subjective well-being of young people.
  • Navickė, J., Čižauskaitė, A., Gabnytė, V. Skurdo ir nelygybės prognozės 2021 m. Trumpraštis 2021-09-22 [Nowcasts of poverty and inequality 2021. Policy brief 22 September 2021]. Ministry of Social Care of LR, https://socmin.lrv.lt/uploads/socmin/documents/files/pdf/Trumprastis_Skurdas_nelygybe_2021.pdf.
     

INSTITUTE OF EDUCATIONAL SCIENCES

Universiteto 9, LT-01513 Vilnius
Tel: 268 7099
E-mail:
Director – Assoc. Prof. Dr Irena Stonkuvienė until October and Dr Sandra Kairė from October 2021

STAFF

Professors: Dr Habil. V. Dagienė (part-time), Dr L. Duoblienė, Dr I. Kestere (part - time), Dr I. Zaleskienė (untill May 2021), Dr. Habil. R. Želvys, Dr R. Bilbokaitė (part-time).
Associate professors: Dr J. Abramauskienė (part-time), Dr B. Autukevičienė (part-time), Dr M. Brėdikytė (part-time), Dr E. Jasutė, Dr A. Juškevičienė, Dr A. Meškauskienė, Dr V. Grabauskienė, Dr R. Makarskaitė-Petkevičienė, Dr E. Sakadolskis, Dr V. Schoroškienė, Dr I. Stonkuvienė, Dr A. Žemgulienė.
Assistant professors: Dr V. Venslovaitė, Dr S. Kairė, Dr D. Lepaitė (part-time), Dr G. Stupurienė (part-time), Dr Š. Nagrockaitė.
Research assistants: J. Labokas, R. Bružienė (maternity leave), O. Mockaitytė-Rastenienė, I. Ivanavičė.
Lecturers: J. Sidabrienė, J. Garbauskaitė-Jakimovska, N. Venskuvienė, Dr. S. Neifachas (part-time), J. Vaitekaitis (part-time), K. Viršulienė, S. Boguckienė (part-time), R. Aškinytė, J. A. Marijus (part-time).
Professor of practice: K. Kaminskas (part-time).
Associate professor of practice: V. Būdienė (part-time).
Doctoral students: K. Alshinbayeva, R. Bružienė (maternity leave), A. Giniotaitė, I. Ivanavičė, J. Labokas, M. Orechova, K. Levanaitė, V. Voidogaitė, E. Vilčinskaitė.

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Education policy
Globalization and localization in education
Education management in Lithuania
Higher education
Culture of education
Studies of Lithuanian educational heritage
Dialogue between cultures in education
Problems of personal identity
Philosophy of education
Research of curriculum development
Childhood education and didactics
STEAM
Gender differences in education and science

RESEARCH AREAS AND MAIN RESULTS

Education and Training Culture for Sustainable Development. Leader - Prof. L. Duoblienė.

This research agenda focuses on the national education and training culture in the context of sustainable development, specialising in:
a) Theoretical and practical studies of the philosophy, anthropology and history of education and training in the light of intercultural dialogue, identity formation, and school cultures; b) Problems of Eurocentric and global approaches to general education in local contexts.

Main publications:

Baranova, J., Duoblienė, L. Multimodal education: philosophy and practice. Washington: Council for Research in Values and Philosophy, Cultural heritage and contemporary change. Series IVA, Eastern and Central European Philosophical Studies. 2021, 58: 334 p.

Duoblienė, L. Machining the bird. Machinic assemblages of desire: Deleuze and artistic research 3. Paulo de Assis and Paolo Giudici (Eds.). Leuven: Leuven University Press. 2021, 155–162.

Kairė, S. Max van Manen’s Phenomenology of Practice: Relation with Education Sciences and Philosophy [Maxo van Maneno praktikos fenomenologijos santykis su edukologija ir filosofija]. Problemos. 2021, 99: 118–130. https://www.zurnalai.vu.lt/problemos/article/view/23919.

Development of Global and Local Education Policy. Leader - Prof. R. Želvys.

This research agenda focuses on the development and compatibility of global and national education policies, specializing in:
a) Shifts in education policy and education development in Lithuania;
b) Transformations of higher education institutions;
c) Comparative analysis of international studies in education.

Main publications:

Leišytė, L., Rose, A.-L., Želvys, R., Peksen, S. The role of universities in the knowledge-based society in Lithuania. In: Aarrevaara, T., Finkeslstein, M., Jones, G. A., Jung, J. (Eds.) Universities in the Knowledge Society. 2021.

Želvys, R., Leišytė, L., Peksen, S., Bružienė, R., Rose, A.-L. From Collegiality to Managerialism in Lithuanian Higher Education. Acta Paedagogica Vilnensia. 2021, 46: 27–42.

Navickienė, V., Dagienė, V., Jasutė, E., Butkienė, R., Gudonienė, D. Pandemic-induced qualitative changes in the process of university studies from the perspective of university authorities. Sustainability. 2021, 13(17): 9887. DOI: 10.3390/su13179887.

Changes in Educational Curricula and Teacher Training. Leader - Assoc. Prof. R. Makarskaitė-Petkevičienė.

This research agenda focuses on changes in education curricula and methods and their incorporation into teacher training. Focal research themes include:
a) Aspects of creating and implementing education curricula;
b) Theoretical and practical challenges of integrating educational curricula;
c) Possibilities of applying teaching innovations, especially within STEAM education;
d) Issues in early childhood education;
e) Challenges and their solutions in teacher training.

Main publications:

Nedzinskaitė-Mačiūnienė, R., Juškevičienė, A., Daunienė, E. On the way to collective professionalism: a systematic review on the effect of lesson study on teachers’ professional development. Sodobna pedagogika [Journal of contemporary educational studies]. 2021, 72(3): 196–213.

Dagienė, V., Jasutė, E., Dolgopolovas, V. Professional Development of In-Service Teachers: Use of Eye Tracking for Language Classes, Case Study. Sustainability. 2021, 13(22): 12504. https://doi.org/10.3390/su132212504.

Gorghiu, G., Costin, P., Manea Iuliana, V. M., Lamanauskas, V., Makarskaitė Petkevičienė, R. The usefulness of online learning during the Covid19 pandemic as perceived by engineering education students: a multidimensional model. Journal of Baltic Science Education. 2021, 20(5): 716–728. DOI: 10.33225/jbse/21.20.716.

RESEARCH PROJECTS CARRIED OUT IN 2021

National Research Projects: Researcher Groups projects

Research Council of Lithuania. Futuristic Scenarios of Lithuanian General Schools. S-MIP-20-58. Research leader - Prof. Dr Lilija Duoblienė, researchers: Dr S. Kairė, Dr S. Kontrimienė, PhD students J. Garbauskaitė-Jakimovska, J. Vaitekaitis. 2020–2022.

This project pays attention to the future of Lithuanian school as a foundation of creating and development of the state. The main aim is to research the changes of the school of general education not by diagnosing the past, but by projecting the future. This research is aiming to grasp the potentially and/or virtually projected insights for the future – conscious or subconscious – by raising the following questions: where the Lithuanian school of general education will turn, to which extent it will follow the existing trajectories of other countries, and to which extent it will choose a distinctive way that depends on the sociocultural context of Lithuania.

Main publications:

Duoblienė, L., Vaitekaitis, J. Posthumanist approach to human/child-centered education. Journal of Futures Studies. 2021, first online. https://jfsdigital.org/posthumanist-approach-to-human-child-centred-education/

Duoblienė, L. Garbauskaitė-Jakimovska, J. Anthropocene in Education and Education in Anthropocene: public and academic discourses about the Future [Antropocenas švietime ir švietimas Antropocene: viešasis ir akademinis diskursai apie ateitį]. Filosofija. Sociologija. 2022, 33(1).

Duoblienė, L., Kairė, S., Vaitekaitis, J. The Anthropocene in Educational Discourse: moving from academic insights towards official documentation. Journal of Environmental Education. 2021, 7528. doi: 10.21125/edulearn.2021.1461.

Research Council of Lithuania. Effectiveness and Efficiency Analysis of Education Systems in EU Countries Employing Secondary Big Data. Research leader Prof. Dr A. Jakaitienė. Partner from the Institute of Educational Sciences VU – Prof. R. Želvys, PhD student J. Vaitekaitis. 2018–2021.

The aim of the project is to assess the effectiveness and efficiency of EU countries’ education systems. An integrated secondary analysis of the data of international studies of educational achievements (PISA, TIMSS, PIRLS, 2003–2018) and macro-data of the EU countries is being planned. For a more thorough analysis of Lithuanian education merging the databases of the assessment of achievements in lower secondary education (PUPP) with the state maturity examination (VBE) is to be done.

Main publications:

Jakaitienė, A., Želvys, R., Vaitekaitis, J., Dukynaitė, R., Raižienė, S. Centralised Mathematics Assessments of Lithuanian Secondary School Students: Population Analysis. Informatics in Education. 2021, 20(3): 439–462.

Želvys, R., Raižienė, S., Vaitekaitis, J., Dukynaitė, R., Jakaitienė, A. Centralised Lithuanian Language and Literature Assessments of Secondary School Students: Population Analysis. Pedagogika. 2021, 141 :125–145.

Želvys, R., Raižienė, S., Vaitekaitis, J., Dukynaitė, R., Jakaitienė, A. Comparison of Centralised Lithuanian Language and Literature Assessments of Students in Secondary Schools. Proceedings of EDULEARN 2021 Conference. Palma de Mallorca. 2021: 3957–3963.

Research Council of Lithuania. Raising of the "New Man" in Soviet schools: the case of Lithuania, (S-LIP-19-68). Research leader: Assoc. Prof. Dr Irena Stonkuvienė. Researchers: Prof. Dr Iveta Kestere, Dr Akvilė Naudžiūnienė, PhD student Ingrida Ivanavičė. 2019–2022.

The aim of the project is to research a process of raising a "New Man" in the Lithuanian schools during the late Soviet period. It seeks with the assistance of interdisciplinary approach (combining history, anthropology, educational sciences etc.) to present the notion of "New man" and its genesis both in theoretical and comparative contexts. The analysis of textbooks, education programs, plans and methodical documents, pedagogical press and other historical sources will be implemented, and then in the scope of this project we will analyse how formation of the "New Soviet Man" was influenced by the ideological clichés and educational ideals of that time, which are reflected in the organisational process of educational system, in the educational content, its principles and methods. While analysing transformation of Soviet school we aim to determine, if educational elements, which have formed Soviet Man, were transferred to educational practices of post-Soviet schools in Lithuania.

Main publications:

Ķestere, I., Fernández González, M. J. Educating the New Soviet Man: Propagated Image and Hidden Resistance in Soviet Latvia. Historia scholastica. 2021, 7(1): 11–32. DOI 10.15240/tul/006/2021-1-001.

Naudžiūnienė, A. „Naujasis žmogus“ iki pareikalavimo: mokinys vėlyvojo sovietmečio (1964–1988 m.) Lietuvos mokyklose. [“The New Man” On-Demand: A Student in Lithuanian Schools of the Late Soviet Years (1964–1988)]. Lietuvos istorijos studijos. 2021, 47: 99–117. DOI: https://doi.org/10.15388/LIS.2021.47.5.

Vilnius University. Informatics for Integrated STEM Education, MSF-LMT-7. Coordinator Prof. V. Dagienė. Researcher: Dr V. Dolgopolovas, Dr A. Juškevičienė. 2019–2021.

The project aims to implement the STEM education reform by integrating modern digital technologies in the development of STEM and transforming the STEM subject model into an integrated STEM (iSTEM) model. This approach to the development of STEM education is based on the following assumptions: the importance of multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary research and science-based educational activities; pragmatist attitude to schooling and the relevance of project and problem teaching methods; the continuing digitalization of the social and scientific space and the use of effective methods of informatics education in STEM.

Main publication:

Juškevičienė, A., Dagienė, V. & Dolgopolovas, V. Integrated activities in STEM environment: methodology and implementation practice. Computer Applications in Engineering Education, 2021, 29(1): 209–228. doi:10.1002/cae.22324.

National Research Projects: Posdoctoral Fellowship Projects

Research Council of Lithuania. "Like the Ocean We Rise": Learner-Education Relation in the Epoch of Anthropocene, 09.3.3-LMT-K-712-19-0162. Posdoc. Fellow Dr S. Kairė, research supervisor Assoc. Prof. I. Stonkuvienė. 2020–2022.

The main task of postdoctoral research is to reveal the relation of young people who participate in youth activism movements to education and identify essential changes in educational processes of the children of the Anthropocene. The research fellow will accomplish comparative qualitative research (cases of Lithuania, Germany and Austria) that aims to combine the posthuman and the ethnographic research methods. The fellowship research project is intended to develop inquiries into educational sciences by focusing on the most relevant, albeit underexplored themes in educational sciences not only in Lithuania, but also internationally, namely, the Anthropocene and youth activism on climate change. The empirical research focuses on educational practice, i.e. on teaching and learning, thus the project will contribute to broadening the understanding of educational practitioners of the change of education in the Anthropocene epoch and especially of the change in a learner’s identity.

Main publications:

Kairė, S. Youth activism and education in the epoch of Anthropocene: formation of ecohumanism or learning to suvive? IAIE International conference Intercultural Education in an Age of Information and Disinformation, Tel Aviv (online), 27–30 June 2021.

Kairė S. International EERA conference Education and Society: expectations, prescriptions, reconciliations Geneva (online). Presentation "Like the Ocean we Rise": learner-education-non-human Relation in the Anthropocene. 6-10, September 2021.

Research Council of Lithuania. P. Freire and Z. Bauman: Education as (De)Humanisation, 09.3.3-LMT-K-712-19-0227. Posdoc Fellow Dr J. Tuleikytė, research supervisor Prof. L. Duoblienė. 2020–2022.

The prostdoctoral research aims at comparing Freire’s and Bauman’s social philosophies of education, humanisation and dehumanisation and checking the hypothesis that Bauman’s "humanisation through metaphors" is the critical pedagogy of liquid modernity. The postdoctorate fellow’s research focuses on the role of education in terms of humanisation and/or dehumanisation in Paulo Freire and Zygmunt Bauman’s social conceptions. The research aims at comparing Freire and Bauman’s critique of social relations (banking model of education (Freire) to adiaphorisation (Bauman)) and their methods of critical pedagogy (“conscientização” (Freire) to “humanisation through metaphors” (Bauman)), as well as at verifying the hypothesis that the contemporaneity and philosophical implications of Bauman’s “humanisation through metaphors” allow it to be implemented in education as a method of Freire’s „conscientização“, overcoming the latter one’s modern drawbacks in the face of postmodern perspective of social reality.

Research Council of Lithuania. Integrated Informatics Education: Attitudes and Digital Competences of Primary School Teachers, 09.3.3-LMT-K-712-23-0083. Posdoc Fellow Dr G. Stuputienė, research supervisor Prof. V. Dagienė.

The aim of the postdoctoral project is to increase the scientific competencies of postdoctoral fellowships by analyzing and identifying the factors that influence primary school teachers 'attitudes and intentions to include the subject of Informatics in primary education, to identify relationship with teachers' digital competences. The main task is to carry out qualitative and quantitative surveys of primary school teachers' attitudes towards the integration of Informatics. In 2021, scientific literature analysis was performed. Questionnaires of qualitative and quantitative research instruments were designed and their content validity was performed by experts.

Contractual Research

Research Council of Lithuania. Integrated Science Education in Lithuania: Achievements and Future Perspectives, S-REP-21-3. Research leader: Dr Aušra Kynienė. Researchers: Assoc. Prof. Rita Makarskaitė-Petkevičienė, Assoc. Prof. Asta Meškauskienė, Dr Jurga Turčinavičienė, Dr Grita Skujienė, PhD student Vytautas Kavaliauskas. 2021–2022.

A major overhaul of the education system is under way, including the upgrading of the pre-school, primary and general education environment and content, adapting it to students with different educational needs, integrating sustainable development, creativity, entrepreneurship and STEAM competencies. During the project, it is planned to single out the best models of integrated science education, the impact of STEAM / STEM activities on the quality of education, to find out the need to improve competencies relevant to teachers and to recommend adjusting the qualification programs, trainings and seminars offered to them.
The results of the research were presented to the Ministry of Education, Science and Sports, Lithuania on 9 November 2021.

Research Council of Lithuania. Improving Mathematical Reasoning at School, S-DNR-20-7. Research leader: Prof. Rimas Norvaiša. Researchers: Assoc. Prof. Jonas Dagys, Assoc. Prof. Vaiva Grabauskienė, Prof. Alfredas Račkauskas, lecturer Antanas Augaitis, Assoc. Prof. Bronė Narkevičienė, PhD students Oksana Mockaitytė-Rastenienė, Ieva Kilienė and Vytautas Miežys. 2021–2022.

In this project, we aim for grounding the urgency of improving mathematical reasoning at school, to define necessary conditions for it and to develop the tools in accordance to these findings. The project includes concrete updating, readjusting and supplementing the descriptive list of mathematical concepts used at school. In addition, it contains deepening school mathematics’ contents in fields of creating problem solving tasks and boosting intellectual motivation. Moreover, here, the methods for proper preparing of teachers and improving their qualification are being set.
The results were preparation of methodological material: developing mathematical reasoning at school; methodological material; guidance for developers of the mathematics module; explanatory guide to school mathematics concepts.

Computing II: Reviewing Computational Thinking in Compulsory Education: State of Play and Practices from the Field. Researchers from Vilnius University: Prof. Dr. V. Dagienė (leader), Dr E. Jasutė, Dr G. Stupurienė.

Contract funded by the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission, conducted together with partners: CNR-ITD (Italy) and European Schoolnet (EUN). Tender reference Ares(2021)2442977 of the 09.04.2021. https://computhink2study.eu/; https://www.itd.cnr.it/en/research/projects/computhink-ii.html A Publication detailed research report developed and accepted by JRC. The report will be published in February 2022.

Analysis of Competence Acquisition in Non-Formal Education Programs in Lithuania. Research funded by the Department of Youth Affairs under the Ministry of Social Security and Labour, Lithuania. Garbauskaitė-Jakimovska, J. 2021. https://www.jrd.lt/informacija-dirbantiems-su-jaunimu/informacija-apie-jaunima/tyrimai/kompeteciju%20ugdymas.pdf

Impact of European Solidarity Corps Solidarity Projects for Young People. Research funded by the National Agency of Youth Cooperation, Lithuania. Publication: Kairė, S. 2021 (with S. Zaidova): https://www.jtba.lt/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Solidarumo-projektai-ka-ir-kaip-jie-keicia.pdf

International Research Projects

EU Research and Innovation programm HORIZON 2020 project. Project no. 770045. Dialogue and Argumentation for Cultural Literacy Learning in Schools (DIALLS) http://dialls2020.eu/. National project coordinator: Prof. Dr I. Zaleskiene, Institute of Educational Sciences, Vilnius University. 2018–2021.

The aims of the DIALLS project were to teach children in schools from a young age to engage together in discussions where they may have differing viewpoints or perspectives, to enable a growing awareness of their own cultural identities, and to be sensitive not only to their own identities and cultures but also to empathise with those of others. The DIALLS project has focused on teaching children the dialogue and argumentation skills needed to engage together using tolerant, empathetic and inclusive behaviours. In spring 2021, the project launched open-access resources for teachers and researchers in 12 languages. The open-access resources DIALLS developed for teachers and researchers include:
a Teacher Resource Bank, including the Cultural Literacy Learning Programme (CLLP), which uses specially licensed short, wordless films as stimuli for discussions about cultural themes related to living together, social responsibility and belonging;
a vast, open-access multilingual corpus of more than 100 discussions in pre-primary, primary and secondary classrooms recorded during CLLP lessons.

Main publications:

Duoblienė, L., Zaleskienė, I., Kairė, S. Social responsibility through the lens of agenda for cultural literacy learning: analyses of national education policy documentation. In: Dialogue for Intercultural Understanding: Placing Cultural Literacy at the Heart of Learning. Fiona Maine, Maria Vrikki (Eds). 2021, 27–45. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-71778-0.
Maine, B., Brummernhenrich, M., Chatzianastasi, V., Juškienė, T., Lähdesmäki, J., Luna, J. Peck. Children's exploration of the concepts of home and belonging: Capturing views from five European countries. International Journal of Educational Research. 2021, 110: 101876. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2021.101876.

Horizon 2020 (871155 MOST). MOST Meaningful Open Schooling Connects Schools To Communities. Coordinator – Pädagogische Hochschule Freiburg. VU institutional coordinator – Assoc. Prof. Eglė Jasutė. 2020–2023.

MOST supports European school students and citizens in developing science knowledge, transversal skills and competences in working scientifically. MOST enables and encourages its target groups to pursue scientific careers and long-term, will raise the numbers of scientists in Europe. To achieve this, our Consortium of 23 partners from 10 European countries (higher education institutions, schools, non-formal education providers, ministries, municipalities and enterprises) proposes a powerful Open Schooling idea. The project opens up formal science education and establishes partnerships between schools and their communities (families, science education providers, citizens, businesses, etc.) to work jointly on environmental school-community-projects (SCPs).
Main results were: preparation of Instructions for schools on how to organise SCP, collecting and preparing learning/teaching materials of SCPs, visiting schools, consulting and evaluate SCPs.

Horizon2020-DT-TRANSFORMATIONS-21-2020. iHub4Schools. Accelerating Digital Innovation in Schools through Regional Innovation Hubs and a Whole-School Mentoring Model Start. Coordinator - Tallinn University. VU institutional coordinator – Prof. Valentina Dagienė, Vilnius University. 2021–2023.

The overall objectives of the project are:1) To establish Regional Innovation Hubs as sites of moderating and multiplying school-to-school mentoring structures (dyads or triads) to scale up the digital innovation on local, regional, and national level and across the countries. 2) To establish co-creation teams and national stakeholder networks to enhance the collaboration between the universities, schools, industry partners and policy stakeholders to address the challenge of bringing rapidly developing technologies to schools. 3) To build a knowledge base of evidence-informed pedagogy-grounded technology-enhanced learning (TEL) strategies and whole-school peer-learning methodologies. 4) To develop a locally, methodologically and technologically adaptable whole-school mentoring model that embraces both inter- and intra-school levels and that integrates continuous monitoring methodology including novel evaluation approaches and the Learning Analytics Toolbox. 5) To co-create an incentive scheme as part of the model for schools and teachers to support them in acting as mentors and mentees. 6) To integrate the results of the project into an elaborated policy recommendations package.

Nordplus Horizontal programme (NPHZ-2018/10063). Culturally Diverse Approaches to Learning Mathematics and Computational Thinking (CDMathCT). Coordinator – Vilnius University. Leader: Prof. Valentina Dagienė. 2018–2021.

The purpose of the project is to build a body of knowledge and enhance e-learning tool, which allows promoting innovative, interactive and inclusive learning of Mathematics and Computational Thinking through the systematic exchange of experience between Nordic-Baltic Partners countries with different cultural background. The project is enhancing and expanding teacher and researcher networks with a direct influence on improving learning of Maths and CT at schools. At the end of the project culturally connected and relevant approaches and resources for learning mathematics and computational thinking skills will be provided. These approaches should be easy to adapt and utilise in schools. A repository of concrete methods, examples and materials for teaching the topics will be provided via a global Internet resource.

Nordplus Horizontal programme, NPHZ-2019/10157. Scaffolding Computational Thinking – Enchancing Nordic Teacher Education. Coordinator – Vilnius University. Leader - Prof. Valentina Dagienė. 2019–2021.

The project enriches the higher education curricula and training of preservice teachers in the NordicBaltic region focussing on digitalisation and Computational Thinking (CT) in order to promote development of XXI century competences. Leveraging pedagogical content knowledge and technological pedagogical content knowledge the project provides important support for developing preservice teachers’ CT knowledge (focussing on mathematics and STEM).

Nordplus Horizontal programme (NPHZ-2020/10096). NordPlus Assessing CT in Nordic Maker Education. Coordinator – Oulu University, Finland. VU institutional coordinator – Prof. Valentina Dagienė, Vilnius University. 2020–2022.

The aim of this project is to build common understanding about CT among the collaborators and widen our thinking about how to include future technologies (e.g., AI, autonomous transportation, cyber security) into CT through perspectives from different fields, such as educational sciences and computer science. The project involves schools and universities as participating institutions. Through this project, we are enhancing professional development of teachers who are interested in applying CT and maker education into their classrooms, and building networks among participating institutions. As outcome of the project, we develop a versatile assessment tool, which can be used in various cases beyond different conditions (e.g., curriculum, activity, pupils’ grade level and interests). In this way, we tackle the challenges of current effort to integrate CT into school curriculum.

Erasmus+ KA2 (KA203-214856C6-EN_200420). STEMkey - Teaching Standard STEM Topics with a Key Competence Approach. Coordinator – Pädagogische Hochschule Freiburg. VU coordinator – Dr Agnė Juškevičienė. 2020–2023.

The project objective is to transform (future) STEM teachers’ grasp of teaching standard topics. To achieve that we will rethink and reshape the delivery of fundamental STEM subject knowledge in the context of key competence development. Future teachers need to be encouraged to refrain from teaching with the sole purpose to transfer knowledge about a single STEM subject, isolated from other STEM subjects. To achieve the objective we will develop teaching modules to be used in HE programmes for future STEM teachers, covering all STEM disciplines and exemplarily dealing with topics from each discipline (e.g., light representing physics education, algorithms representing informatics or the periodic system representing chemistry.
Main results (conferences): V. Dagienė, E. Jasutė, A. Juškevičienė (Vilnius university). Algorithms and Data. PBE 2021. STEMkey Workshop, Czech. Website: Project-Based Education and Other Activating Strategies in Science Education – an international conference 4th – 5th November 2021 (cuni.cz); V. Dagienė, E. Jasutė, A. Juškevičienė (Vilnius University). Algorithms and Data. Conference “Market of Chemistry Teachers Ideas", 1-2 October 2021. Czech Republic.

Erasmus+KA2 project No. 2020-1-LT01-KA201-077935. Development of STEAM Education. Coordinator - National Agency for Education, Lithuania. VU institutional coordinator – Dr Gabrielė Stupurienė. 2020–2023.

The objective of the Development of STEAM education project is to lead European schools in the improvement of existing STEAM approaches, to guide them fostering the young Europeans’ interest, skills, and career in maths, science, engineering, and technology as well as arts, and to provide the schools with the necessary toolbox to engage their students, teachers and other members of the community in STEAM-related activities by developing an appropriate STEAM school strategy. Providing adequate guidance and underpinning innovative activities to be developed at the national level, the Project will expand a network of STEAM schools involving not only teachers, administrators, but also other stakeholders, e.g., STEAM/research/ non-formal education centres.

Erasmus+KA3 project No. 626145-EPP-1-2020-2-DE-EPPKA3-PI-POLICY. TrainDL Teacher training for Data Literacy & Computer Science competences. Coordinator - Gesellschaft für Informatik. VU institutional coordinator – Prof. Valentina Dagienė. 2020–2023.

Teacher training for Data Literacy & Computer Science competences shall conduct activities in Austria, Germany, and Lithuania, focusing on the transferability of digital education competences. The consortium aims to specifically identify how data literacy and competences on artificial intelligence (AI) can become structurally implemented into the training of teachers, both in the course of their university education and for in-service teachers in STEAM in order to reduce the digital gap.

Erasmus+KA3 project No. 626 139-EPP-1-2020-2-DE-EPPKA3-PI-POLICY. 3C4Life. Coordinator - Pädagogische Hochschule Freiburg, Germany. VU institutional coordinator – Albertas Lakštauskas. 2020–2024.

3C4life tests an all-digital STEM teacher environment with an occupational advancement concept with four innovative elements: 1. A sequential process of triggers gradually and sustainably ensuring the involvement of STEM teachers in occupational advancement: low threshold attraction, supported activation, shared advancement. 2. Unfolding of the enormous variety of vertical and horizontal career perspectives. 3. Needs-driven competence development through co-shaping processes. 4. Professional advancement through communities of practice. Through this complementarity, teachers can tailor their career to their very own needs and pinpoint update their teaching. Thus, they become motivated agents rather than dulled consumers in a lifelong continuum of learning and teaching. 3C4Life will develop an online platform for future STEM student teachers, young teaching professionals as well as experienced in-service STEM teachers to increase the attractiveness of the STEM teaching profession in the partner countries (and abroad).

Erasmus+ KA3 (612855-EPP-1-2019-1-TR-EPPKA3-PI-FORWARD) EDUSIMSTEM. Fostering STEM Education in Schools. Coordinator – Ministry of National Education General Directorate of Innovation and Educational Technologies, Turkey. VU coordinator – Dr Anita Juškevičienė. 2019–2022.

This project is mainly aimed at teachers and students in K-12 schools to gain STEAM methodology through teacher trainings, online platform, curriculum, learning scenario studies, policymaking documents etc.
Main results were STEAM learning scenarios development and review. VU developed four COVID based scenarios (project EDUSIMSTEM).

Erasmus+CBHE project No. 609850-EPP-1-2019-1-AM-EPPKA2-CBHE-SP). ARMDOCT – Reforming Doctoral Education in Armenia in Line with Needs of Academia, Industry and EU Practices. Coordinator – Eurasia International University (EIU), Armenia. VU institutional coordinator – Assoc.Pprof. T. Bulajeva. 2020–2023.

The overall objective of the project is overcoming of the developmental lag of Armenia in organization of Doctoral Education (DE), the transition from a two-level DE system to a one-level system of awarding scientific degrees, leading to reforming Doctoral Education (DE) in Armenia in line with the Salzburg principles. It implies the revision and elaboration of new national policy, legal framework and institutional procedures supporting integrative and internationally-oriented doctoral studies.
Main results were: National Policy for Development of Doctoral Education in Armenia (NPD), approved based on the Decree of the Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of the Republic of Armenia, N 44-Լ, 16 November 2021; T. Bulajeva. Presentation “Internationalization of Doctoral Education in Lithuania” at the hybrid workshop “Developing the National Policies and Regulations of Doctoral Education”, 3–5 March 2021; More than 60 representatives from Project consortium (including policy makers, researchers, administrators and PhD students), as well as guest speakers have taken part in the workshop; T. Bulajeva. Quality Assurance and Monitoring Report (2nd) June 2021. Vilnius University is responsible for ARMDOCT project quality assurance.

Erasmus+ KA2 project No. 2019-1-LT01-KA203-060767. TeaEdu4CT - Future Teachers Education: Computational Thinking and STEAM. Coordinator – Vilnius University, leader - Prof. Valentina Dagienė. 2019–2022.

Objectives of the project: 1) to improve pedagogical skills and competencies of future teachers, that are related to the teaching and training of various aspects of CT; 2) to develop a deeper understanding of future teachers in CT. The methodology is based on an approach to develop and test a set of subject/educational environment specific educational modules with a possibility of integration into future teacher curricula. The project results in a set of modules developed for training future teachers on various aspects of CT as related to STEM project-based education. The developed modules are self-sufficient, which allows them to be included in study programs, and form a part of the coherent CT curriculum for STEM and related subjects.
Main results were: Presentation at CTE-STEM 2021: Fifth APSCE International Conference on Computational Thinking and STEM Education, 2–4 June 2021 (https://cte-stem2021.nie.edu.sg/ ) in Singapore; Presentation and workshop at ESERA (European Science Education and Research Association) 2021, an online conference organized by the University of Minho, Braga, Portugal, 30 August–3 September 2021) https://www.esera.org/33-conference/830-esera-conference-2021-praga-portugal.

Erasmus+CBHE, No. 598915-EPP-1-2018-1-SE-EPPKA2-CBHE-JP. Euro-Asian Collaboration for Enhancing Stem Education/EASTEM. Coordinator – Uppsala University. VU coordinator – Prof. Dr Valentina Dagienė. 2018–2022.

EASTEM aims to bridge the gap between industry and universities, facilitating employability of graduates through student centered competence development. Based on key issues identified by our needs analysis, EASTEM addresses three key issues in student centered competence development: Staff development for lecturers; Establishing STEM Education centers; Facilitating industry engagement and competence integration into educational programs

ERASMUS+KA203, No. 2018-1-LT01-KA203-046979. Innovative Teacher Education through Personalised Learning. Coordinator - Šiauliai University. VU institutional coordinator: Dr V. Venslovaitė. 2018–2021.

The aim of the project is to develop, implement, test and transfer innovative practices of personalized learning within teacher education system(s). This aim will be achieved through the development and implementation of the conceptual framework of personalized learning, which will bring innovative changes to teacher education curriculum, methods, tools and assessment practices.
Main results were: Alisauskiene, S., Kaminskiene, L., Milteniene, L., Meliene, R., Rutkiene, A., Kazlauskiene, A., Siriakoviene, A., Kontrimiene, S., Venslovaite, V., O'Mahony, C., Lee, L., Guðjónsdóttir, H., Kristinsdóttir, J. V. and Wozniczka, A. K. (2021) ‘Innovative teacher education through personalised learning: designing teaching and learning scenarios’, INTED2021 Proceedings - 15th International Technology, Education and Development Conference, Online, Valencia, Spain, 8–9 March, pp. 5809–5818. doi: 10.21125/inted.2021.1173; Final conference at Vilnius University. Implementation of innovative teacher education through personalised learning, 17 September 2021 Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania.

Erasmus+KA2, No. 2019-1-BE02-KA201-060222. STEM-CT. Coordinator - The University College of Vives, Belgium. VU coordinator – Dr G. Stupurienė. 2019–2022.

The aim of the project is to strengthen teaching and learning computational thinking skills from pre-primary to lower secondary (3 years-14 years old) by integrating the learning of these skills within ‘real life’ STEAM contexts. The integrated approach of STEAM will help to make computational thinking more concrete and connected to the real world and therefore more understandable for children. The focus will be on the process of problem-solving instead of the use of (expensive) technological tools and materials. Teachers will be supported to teach ‘computational thinking’ with easily applicable and accessible materials and tools.

Erasmus+KA2 project No. 2018-1-MK01-KA203-047104. Fostering Accessible Study Technologies (FAST): Accessible Learning Management System in Humanities and Social Sciences. Coordinator - The University of Ss. Cyril and Methodius in Skopje. VU institutional coordinator – PhD student Justina Garbauskaitė–Jakimovska. 2018–2021.

This project will result in obtaining a contemporary, functional e learning and distance learning system that conforms to the highest educational standards; a system that will improve accessibility and teacher-student communication, and facilitate the providing of services to all students including students with disabilities. They will become more competitive in the labor market ensuring them a complete social and educational inclusion. In a long term, this learning system will provide open access to all lecturers, lectures and teaching materials, places to exchange ideas with other students and enjoy good educational practices.
Main results were: a multiplier seminar (Vilnius University), targeting teachers and educators on special needs in education, preparation and tools to address them. https://www.fsf.vu.lt/naujienos/fakulteto-ivykiai/4257-besimokanciuju-patekusiu-i-negalios-situacija-igalinimas-ugdymo-procese.

Erasmus+KA2 project No. 2019-3-DE04-KA205-018805. Youth Volunteer Educators e-Learning Program for Young Migrants and Refugees (e-VELP). Coordinator - Teachsurfing, Germany, VU institutional coordinator - Dr Sandra Kairė (until 09 2021), PhD student J. Garbauskaitė-Jakimovska (since 10 2021). 2020–2022.

e-VELP will enable young migrants/refugees to create and offer free workshops where they share their knowledge and culture with local communities. The project will develop the e-learning platform and supplementary offline activities that both aim to guide VEs and VE-Trainers in their progressive journey. e-VELP is beyond a classic e-learning platform. Its aim is not only to teach migrant/refugee youth new skills but also to create and expand a live and active community of migrant/refugee youth passionate to share knowledge (Volunteer Educators) and youth workers passionate to support them (Volunteer Educator Trainers). Project concorcium: Teachsurfing (Germany), CESIE (Italy), GEYC (Romania), SIC (Cyprus), Vilnius University (Lithuania).
Main results: E-learning platform and asynchronous online course for young migrants and refugees: Volunteer Educator Course (accreditated by Institute of Educational Sciences, Vilnius University). E-learning platform and online course available: https://evelp.teachsurfing.org/

EC project No. LC-01380173. Empower Girls to Embrace Their Digital and Entrepreneurial Potential. Coordinator – University of Education Freiburg, Germany, VU institutional coordinator – Assoc. Prof. Asta Meškauskienė. 2020–2022.

The project aims to reveal the potential of girls' digital literacy and entrepreneurial potential in STEM activities. As one of the project activities, the school „Smart City 2020“ was organized at the faculty on August 3-6. The school’s program aim was to motivate girls to pursue a career in STEM subjects and to encourage active participation in European research, innovation, entrepreneurship and digital literacy. Throughout the week, 30 girls aged 12-14 participated in various STEAM activities, discussing the careers of entrepreneurs and researchers.
Stupurienė, G. took part in 14th International Conference on Informatics in Schools: Situation, Evolution, and Perspectives, ISSEP 2021. Girls’ Summer School for Physical Computing: Methodology and Acceptance Issues, 3–5 November 2021. https://issep2021.science.ru.nl/.

Main publication:

Stupurienė, G., Juškevičienė, A., Jevsikova, T., Dagienė, V., Meškauskienė, A. Girls’ summer school for physical computing: methodology and acceptance issues. Informatics in schools. Rethinking computing education: international conference on informatics in schools: situation, evolution, and perspectives, ISSEP 2021. Barendsen E., Chytas C. (Eds). 2021, 95–108. Lecture Notes in Computer Science. 2021, 13057. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-90228-5_8.

Erasmus+ KA2 Project, Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices, KA226 - Partnerships for Digital Education Readiness No. 2020-1-RO01-KA226-HE-095434, A Practical Toolkit for Integrating eLearning in Higher Education Curricula (Onlinehe). Promoter /Coordinator: University of Pitești, Romania. VU coordinator - A. Lakštauskas. 2021–2023.

The project aims to build the capacity of Higher Education teaching staff, academics, and learning designers in integrating eLearning into their educational programmes. Through specific deliverables and actions, it will raise awareness on the need and value of adopting quality eLearning, promoting a cooperation among all stakeholders involved in Higher Education, including policy makers. The result of 2021 was A Toolkit for integrating eLearning in Higher Education.

Erasmus+ KA2 project No. 2020-1-ES01-KA201-083060, Women’s Legacy: Our Cultural Heritage for Equity. Promoter/Coordinator: Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport (Conselleria d’Educació, Cultura i Esport, in Valencian) of the Generalitat Valenciana, Spain. VU institutional coordinator - Dr D. Lepaitė, researcher - Dr V. Venslovaitė. 2021–2023.

The project aims to respond to a common European need: to recover women’s cultural contributions and include them in their rightful place in educational materials in order to recognize its role as the protagonists of culture and history and to restore their social value and the cultural heritage that have been hidden. The project will make a decisive contribution to the inclusion of women protagonists in history and culture and their legacy in educational content. The five intellectual products made by the project team will be published in digital, accessible and free format, in order to facilitate and encourage the transmission in the classrooms of a complete and truly universal culture, with the aim of recovering the European cultural heritage and to help eradicate gender inequalities from the grass roots.

JANUS: e-Pedagogy and Virtual Reality Based Robotic Blended Education (JANUS) No: 2020-1-PL01-KA226-HE-095371. VU institutional coordinator: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Agnė Juškevičienė.

The proposed project aims at setting up the foundations related to the application of Virtual Reality (VR), in Blended Learning settings, with particular focus on the field of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) education. The project-related activities can be broadly classified into the following categories: (1) e-Pedagogy: Development of an educational framework to support the design of the VR learning activities and a user manual to guide the practices that educators will follow when conducting the educational activities. In addition, prior to the conduct of the intervention, a series of workshops will be delivered to prospect teachers so as to equip them with the necessary skills and traits on how to utilise the custom-made prototype efficiently and effectively. (2) Virtual-Learning Platform: Aligned to the principles of well-established educational theories and instructional design techniques, a prototype VR platform will be developed. The result was Theoretical and Conceptional Framework about E-pedagogy and Blended and Virtual Reality Learning.

MAIN R&D&I (RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT AND INNOVATION) PARTNERS

Radboud University (Netherlands)
KU Leuven University (Belgium)
University of Latvia (Latvia)
University of Cambridge (UK)
TU Dortmund University (Germany)
University of Education Freiburg (Germany)
Dublin City University (Ireland)
Utrecht University (Netherlands)
Granada University (Spain)
University of Lisbon (Portugal)
University of Graz (Austria)
University of Sydney (Australia)

OTHER RESEARCH ACTIVITIES

Prof. Dr R. Želvys –

Prof. Dr L. Duoblienė –

Prof. Dr I. Zaleskienė –

Prof. Dr V. Dagienė –

  •  Editor-in-chief of the journal Olympiads in Informatics (Scopus, etc.); https://ioinformatics.org/page/ioi-journal/1;
  • area editor (Computing Didactics) of the Baltic Journal of Modern Computing, https://www.bjmc.lu.lv (Clarivate Analytics Web of Science Core Collection; Scopus; etc.);
  • editorial board member of the journals International Journal of Digital Literacy and Digital Competence; International Journal of Instruction; Acta Paedaogica Vilnensia;
  • coordinator of the Nordplus Network on Innovative Computing Engineering Education Research;
  • representative of Lithuania in Education Committee TC3 under the International Federation for Information Processing (IFIP);
  • Lilija Duoblienė & Valentina Dagiene (co-chairs). 11th International Doctoral School on Education Research. https://www.facebook.com/11th-International-Doctoral-School-on-Education-Research-110174461508213.

Assoc. Prof. Dr Vaiva Grabauskienė –

  • member of the Editorial Committe of NOMAD, Nordic Studies in Mathematics Education. University of Gothenburg, Sweden. http://ncm.gu.se/5870-2;
  • member of Lithuanian Educational Research Association (LERA), LETA | Lietuvos edukacinių tyrimų asociacija (lera.lt).

Assoc. Prof. Dr Rita Makarskaitė-Petkevičienė –

  • editorial board member of the Journal of Baltic Science Education (online), http://www.scientiasocialis.lt/jbse/?q=node/11;
  • editorial board member of the journal Gamtamokslinis ugdymas (Natural Science Education), Redakcinė kolegija / Editorial board – Gamtamokslinis ugdymas (puslapiai.lt);
  • editorial board member of the journal Švietimas: politika, vadyba, kokybė (Education: Policy, Management and Quality, Redakcinė kolegija / Editorial board – Švietimas: politika – vadyba – kokybė (puslapiai.lt);
  • member of the scientific methodological centre Scientia educologica of the Lithuanian Scientific Society, Scientia Educologica – Mokslinis metodinis centras (puslapiai.lt);
  • board member of Lithuanian Educational Research Association (LERA), chair of Early Childhood Education and Primary Education network, http://www.lera.lt/;
  • member of the Network Activity Committee Pre-primary and Primary Education, http://www.lera.lt/tinklai/.

Assoc. Prof. Dr A. Meškauskienė –

Assoc. Prof. Dr Vaiva Schoroškienė –

  • member of Lithuanian Educational Research Association (LERA), www.lera.lt;
  • member of International Board on Books for Young People (Department in Lithuania), www.ibbylietuva.lt.

Assoc. Prof. Dr I. Stonkuvienė –

Assist. Prof. Dr V. Venslovaitė –

Assoc. Prof. Dr A. Juškevičienė –

  • member of Children’s Identity & Citizenship European Association (CICEA). http://www.cicea.eu/’
  • member of Lithuanian Association of Social Emotional Education, http://dramblys.lt;
  • member of Lithuanian Educational Research Association (LERA), www.lera.lt.

Assoc. Prof. A. Žemgulienė –

  • member of Lithuanian Educational Research Association (LERA), www.lera.lt;
  • member of European Education Research Association (EERA), EERA European Educational Research Association | EERA (eera-ecer.de);
  • member of The World Education Research Association (WERA) World Education Research Association (WERA) (weraonline.org);
  • member of the European Alliance of Social Sciences and Humanities (EASSH), EASSH - European Alliance for Social Sciences and Humanities - EASSH.

Assist. Prof. S. Kairė –

Dr Gabrielė Stupurienė –

Lect. J. Garbauskaitė-Jakimovska –

BEST REPORTS DELIVERED AT CONFERENCES ABROAD

  • Dagienė, V. Keynote speaker. Bebras: Computational Thinking Challenge for All https://stem.psu.ac.th/keynote-speakers/. SEA-STEM (Southeast Asia-Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) International Conference, Thailand, 24 November 2021.
  • Želvys, R. (with D. Stumbriene, R. Dukynaitė, A. Jakaitiene). Presentation Efficiency and Effectiveness Analysis in the Context of Educational Equity and Fairness for EU Countries. World Education Research Association (WERA) Focal Meeting. Santiago de Compostela (Spain). 7–9 July 2021.
  • Stonkuvienė, I. Social Justice and Equality in a Soviet School: Slogans and Reality. ISCHE42, 14–15 June 2021, Örebro, Sweden [online].
  • Vaitekaitis J. Jakaitienė, A., Žilinskas, J., Stumbrienė, D. How Does a Future EU Citizen Look Like? Regional Differences in Global Competence of Students: Evidence From PISA 2018. The 9th European Conference on Education (ECE2021). London, England, 15–18 July 2021.
  • Kairė S. Like the Ocean we Rise: learner-education-non-human Relation in the Anthropocene. International European Educational Research Association (EERA) conference Education and Society: expectations, prescriptions, reconciliations. Presentation. Geneva (online), 6–10 September 2021.

MOST IMPORTANT NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL AWARDS RECEIVED FOR R&D ACTIVITIES

  • Assoc. Prof. Eglė Jasutė, Prof. Valentina Dagienė, Prof. Vilija Targamadzė, Assoc. Prof. Asta Meškauskienė, researcher Vaidotas Kinčius received Vilnius University award for the valuable international project implementation.

MOST IMPORTANT PARTICIPATION CASES OF RESEARCHERS IN WORKING GROUPS OR COMMISSIONS SET UP BY STATE AUTHORITIES, STATE AND MUNICIPAL INSTITUTIONS, ORGANISATIONS, BUSINESS ENTITIES

  • Assoc. Prof. I. Stonkuvienė - member of Lithuania Education Council at the Parliament of the Republic of Lithuania, 2019–2023. https://www.lrvalstybe.lt/kontaktai/lietuvos-svietimo-taryba
  • Assoc. Prof. A. Meškauskienė, Assoc. Prof. A. Žemgulienė, Assoc. Prof. Dr V. Schoroškienė - members of the Motivation Assessment Commission for Education Studies, LAMA BPO.
  • Assoc. Prof. Dr R Makarskaitė-Petkevičienė - member of Election Committee for Teacher of the Year, Ministry of Education and Sports of the Republic of Lithuania.
  • Assoc. Prof. Dr E. Jasutė was the member of the working group of the development of the criteria for digital learning tools for schools. https://www.nsa.smm.lt/2020/10/21/sprendimas-del-priemoniu-ir-paslaugu-isigijimo-savivaldybiu-ir-mokyklu-vadovu-kompetencijai/
  • Lect. J. Garbauskaitė-Jakimovska – member of Youth workers certification commission, Youth Affairs Department, Ministry of Social Security and Labour.

CONSULTATIONS PROVIDED BY THE UNIT TO THE PUBLIC OR ECONOMIC ENTITIES

  • Licensing agreement with MB company Robotikos laboratorija [Laboratory of Robotics] on Mathematic didactics with Lego (creation of original Lego Kit for mathematic teaching MATEMA http://simpo.lt/lt/pradinukams/56-matema-1-4-klasei.html). Consultants: Assoc. Prof. Vaiva Grabauskienė, Oksana Mockaitytė-Rastenienė.
  • Assoc. Prof. Dr V. Schoroškienė. Concept of reading place „Knygų startas“. Service agreement with Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania.
  • Assoc. Prof. Rita Makarskaitė-Petkevičienė. Presentations in public consultations „Atnaujinamų gamtamokslinio ugdymo bendrųjų programų integralus įgyvendinimas“, project „Bendrojo ugdymo turinio ir organizavimo modelių sukūrimas ir išbandymas bendrajame ugdyme“. No. 09.2.1-ESFA-V-726-04-0001, National Agency for Education Lithuania, 10–11 June 2021.

MOST IMPORTANT RESEARCH DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES