News

Philanthropists Irena and Algirdas Juozapavičius have allocated €1.3 million from the inheritance of their late son to the Vilnius University (VU) Foundation. In memory of their son, a €1 million sub-fund named after Mantvydas Juozapavičius (1976–2023) has been established within the VU Foundation. One hundred thousand euros each has been allocated to the VU Life Sciences Center sub-fund, the Professor Algis Petras Piskarskas sub-fund, and to strengthen other VU Foundation initiatives. 

Juozapavičius family reception with the Rector of Vilnius University. From left to right: Justinas Noreika, Irena Juozapavičienė, Prof Rimvydas Petrauskas, Mykolas Juozapavičius (photo by Ugnius Bagdonavičius)

In celebration of World Photonics Day, The Vilnius University Foundation, together with the VU Faculty of Physics, announces a competition for the Prof. Algis Petras Piskarskas (1942-2022) Named Postdoctoral Fellowship, honoring one of the most renowned scientists in the country, known as the father of Lithuanian lasers.

The goal of the newly established postdoctoral fellowship is to provide financial support to talented and promising researchers who seek to begin or continue their academic work at the VU Faculty of Physics Laser Research Center. The competition winner will receive a two-year postdoctoral fellowship worth 20,000 EUR, funded by the investment returns of the Prof. A. P. Piskarskas Endowment Subfund, established in 2023, and targeted donations.

All researchers who have defended their doctoral dissertation in the field of laser physics no earlier than 2.5 years ago, and who are currently working or planning to work at the VU Faculty of Physics Laser Research Center, are invited to participate in the competition. In case of success, the winner will be expected to actively participate in the scientific activities of the VU Faculty of Physics, supervise student theses, prepare research projects, teach, and more.

The application period begins on October 21, 2024, and ends on November 22, 2024. The competition results will be announced by December 31 of this year. More information and the application form can be found on the VU Foundation’s website.

The Žabolis family, patrons of Vilnius University (VU) and the city of Vilnius, entrepreneurs, and VU alumni Reda and Alvydas Žabolis, have donated 100,000 euros to the named Prof. Algis Petras Piskarskas Endowment Subfund, which was established last year. This subfund aims to promote and support research in laser physics.

"Talent development at VU’s Faculty of Physics is the foundation of Vilnius' photonics ecosystem," said Alvydas Žabolis, one of the founders and contributors to the VU Endowment Fund.

In April 2023, the company "Light Conversion" and the Piskarskas family established this named subfund, which received an additional 100,000 euros in the same year from the family of Prof. A. P. Piskarskas' student and colleague, Dr. Algirdas Juozapavičius. With the latest contribution from the Žabolis family, the subfund’s value has risen to 500,000 euros.

"Prof. A. P. Piskarskas, known as the 'Father of Lithuanian Lasers,' not only made Nobel Prize-level discoveries in the field of light phenomena, but also significantly contributed to Lithuania being called the 'land of lasers' today. It is highly symbolic that the returns from the fund, accumulated by the professor's students, colleagues, family, and the fund's founders, will finally be used for the named Prof. A. P. Piskarskas scholarships, which will be awarded to laser science talents at Vilnius University's Faculty of Physics. I am confident that young people encouraged in the fields of natural and technological sciences will create greater added value for Lithuania and the world," said Prof. Dr. Aidas Matijošius, Dean of VU’s Faculty of Physics

The first named Prof. A. P. Piskarskas scholarships for talents in laser physics are scheduled to be awarded in December of this year.

Since 2016, the Žabolis family and their companies have donated more than 300,000 euros to the VU endowment fund, 100,000 euros to Prof. A. P. Piskarskas' subfund, and more than 125,000 euros towards targeted VU projects, Foundation management, and strengthening of its activities.

On 10 October, the Senate of Vilnius University (VU) conferred the title of Honorary Doctor of Science on three distinguished scholars at a solemn meeting of the Senate held at the Church of St. Johns. Hans Kjeldsen, Professor of Aarhus University (Denmark) awarded Honorary Doctorate for his outstanding work in the field of the asteroseismic studies of stellar structure and in recognition of his close scientific bonds with Vilnius University.

Since 1999, he has been working closely with researchers at the Institute of Theoretical Physics and Astronomy (ITPA), Faculty of Physics. Together they organised and lectured at the Summer Schools organised by the Molėtai Astronomical Observatory, and carried out asteroseismological research. The joint scientific work with Prof. H. Kjeldsen and members of his research group continues to this day.

Professor Kjeldsen's research focuses on asteroseismic stellar studies. He was the first person in the world to discover solar-like oscillations in another star, and it is now widely used in stellar structure studies and age determination. “This method of studying stars has been implemented on NASA's Kepler space mission. For his outstanding scientific leadership and exemplary creativity and dedication to Kepler's orbital operations and science, the Professor was awarded the NASA Group Achievement Award. Kjeldsen also serves on the research teams of many other space missions (CoROT, NASA TESS, Delphini-1, STEP and ESA PLATO) and has published over 280 scientific papers“ – said Professor Aidas Matijošius, Dean of the Faculty of Physics of Vilnius University.

During the ceremony Professor Kjeldsen mentioned that cooperation with Vilnius University is not only continuing, but also getting stronger. He mentioned how much he appreciates the open attitude of his colleagues in Lithuania, joint efforts, and expressed his satisfaction with the results achieved together. “All of us working in asteroseismology – including the Vilnius group – have a bright future ahead", he said.

“We are very happy that our colleague and friend Prof. Hans Kjeldsen is inaugurated as an Honorary Doctor of our Vilnius University. Everyone who has worked with or learned from him during the 25 years of cooperation knows Hans as an exceptional expert in many scientific fields and a very friendly person. With his support, Lithuanian astronomers entered the forefront of stellar asteroseismic research and exoplanet research. In the future, we plan to jointly achieve even more significant scientific results for Lithuania, Denmark, and the world.” – ITPA Professor Gražina Tautvaišienė spoke warmly of her long-standing colleague.

Professor Daniel Petit (France) and Professor Anna Pikulska-Radomska (Poland) were also inaugurated as honorary doctors of Vilnius University at the ceremony.

On Tuesday, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences awarded the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics to Professor John Hopfield from Princeton University (USA) and Professor Geoffrey Hinton from the University of Toronto (Canada) for fundamental discoveries enabling machine learning tasks using artificial neural networks. According to Dr Stepas Toliautas, an associate professor at the Institute of Chemical Physics at Vilnius University (VU), the awarded scientists applied principles from the field of physics that popularised the use of artificial neural networks for analysing complex data (e.g., images); due to these discoveries, neural networks are now an essential part of artificial intelligence systems.

“Artificial neural networks are mathematical algorithms inspired by biology, specifically the structure of animal nervous systems and brains; they can be imagined as a collection of many interconnected neurons. For the network to perform its assigned task correctly, it needs to be trained – to find the most suitable network structure, i.e., the number of neurons, their connections, and the strength of these connections. The work of Professor J. Hopfield and Professor G. Hinton allowed for the effective optimisation of neural network structures, which is why they were awarded this year’s Nobel Prize in Physics,” explains Dr S. Toliautas.

“Professor J. Hopfield proposed a neural network structure where the nodes are interconnected so that the network operates like human associative memory, i.e., recognising a desired object from partial information. Moreover, he used the widely used concept of energy in physics to evaluate the set of network parameters; the better the network performs its assigned task, the lower its energy. Hopfield networks, for example, allow for the reconstruction of a partially damaged image by correcting missing details,” the expert recounts.

“The other Nobel Prize laureate, Professor G. Hinton, worked with Boltzmann machine-type neural networks and also evaluated their energy. In this case, the best network parameters are found by replicating a known annealing process from materials science and statistical physics; at high temperatures, the network structure can change quite freely, and as the temperature decreases, the parameters – and the minimum energy – settle according to the values of the provided training data. The advantage of this principle is that it allows for finding a well-functioning neural network with many parameters without searching for the optimal value for each individual element,” emphasises Dr S. Toliautas.

According to the VU scientist, Professor J. Hopfield has continued to refine the networks named after him: his research from 2016 to 2020 underpins the so-called modern Hopfield networks, which can store large amounts of information. Although Boltzmann machines are rarely used directly today, Professor G. Hinton’s work is significant in that it popularised energy-based models for the structure and training of neural networks. Networks based on this principle can also generate new information, such as creating new images from their descriptions.

“Modern large-scale neural networks are used everywhere: from chatbots like ‘ChatGPT’ to specific tools for analysing or recognising images. For instance, in medicine, neural networks assist in searching for significant patterns in magnetic resonance imaging,” states Dr S. Toliautas.

As the VU scientist asserts, automatic solutions for data analysis tasks would look very different or might not be possible at all if, around 40 years ago, Professor J. Hopfield and Professor G. Hinton had not found ways to optimise the coefficients of artificial neural networks.

The laureates will each receive a gold medal and a diploma and share a cash prize of 11 million Swedish krona (nearly 952,000 euros).

Professor Gediminas Gaigalas, Vilnius University, Faculty of Physics, Institute of Theoretical Physics and Astrophysics (ITPA), a world-leading researcher in theoretical atomic physics, has been awarded an honorary doctorate from the Faculty of Technology and Social Sciences, Malmö University.

"The scientific collaboration between my research group and my colleagues at Malmö University is currently intensifying, the range of problems we are working on is expanding, and this award will undoubtedly boost it even further. Although the news of the honorary doctorate came as a surprise and unexpected, when I think about the research I have carried out and the research I plan to carry out, I take this award not only as a personal recognition, but also as an international recognition of the research work of my research group, the Faculty of Physics of the ITPA, and the research work of Vilnius University," said Prof. G. Gaigalas.

The Malmö University News describes the professor as having scientific seriousness and enthusiasm, which inspires PhD students and colleagues.

“What distinguishes Gediminas Gaigalas as a researcher is his deep knowledge of his field and how incredibly dedicated he is,” says Per Jönsson, professor of applied mathematics and associate professor of physics at Malmö University.

Gaigalas has been collaborating closely with several researchers in atomic astrophysics at the Faculty of Technology and Society for over 30 years. Together, they have developed computational programs for atoms and ions that are used by a large number of research groups in laser physics, astrophysics, and nuclear physics.

"Malmö University, which has decided to award me an honorary doctorate, is a young, dynamic and fast-growing Swedish university. I have a long history of collaboration with my colleagues from this university. My first visit to this university took place from 12-16 February 2007, as I was working in the Department of Nature, Environment and Society with my long-standing colleague Professor Per Jönsson, whom I met at the 12th EGAS conference in Toruń, Poland, in 1991, when we were both young researchers and interested in each other's research, which we presented at the conference. The second time we met was during Per Jönsson's PhD thesis defence at Lund University in Sweden in January 1995. Since then, I have visited Malmö University many times as part of the Erasmus exchange programme and various projects, and each time I have seen how the University is becoming a modern, dynamically changing, interdisciplinary university that promotes international scientific cooperation and the implementation of new projects and ideas," said Prof. G. Gaigalas about the close cooperation.

“Our research in atomic astrophysics is based on combining experimental and calculated data for atoms and ions to analyse spectra from stars and gain knowledge about how, for example, superheavy elements are created in collisions between neutron stars. Professor Gaigalas and his research group have established themselves as leading experts in this field and we look forward to far-reaching collaborations,” adds Jönsson.

Prof. G. Gaigalas moksline veikla TFAI užsiima nuo 1982 m. Pagrindinės jo tyrimų sritys – daugiaelektronė atomo teorija ir šiuolaikinis atomo teorijos uždavinių modeliavimas remiantis įprastu ir simboliniu programavimu. Profesorius yra gausiai apdovanotas tiek Lietuvoje, tiek pasaulio mastu, o 2018 m. gavo VU rektoriaus mokslo premiją. Šiuo metu vadovauja TFAI Atomų struktūros skaičiavimų grupei.

Prof. G. Gaigalas has been working as a researcher at ITPA since 1982. His main areas of research are Multi-electron atomic theory, Spectroscopy and Modelling of contemporary atomic theory problems based on usual and symbolic programming.. He has received numerous awards both in Lithuania and worldwide, and in 2018 he received the VU Rector's Science Award. He is currently the head of the ITPA Atomic Structure Computation Group.

Vilnius University researchers and partners from the National Taipei University of Technology (NTUT) are invited to apply for research projects in physics, chemistry, artificial intelligence and/or cyber security.

The seed funding programme aims to encourage the cooperation of researchers from both institutions and to create partnerships that will allow them to participate in future international project funding competitions.

Only joint applications from both institutions can participate in the call. The program will support up to three projects, each selected project of which will be funded at a maximum of 10,000 EUR for Vilnius University and $10,000 for NTUT.

Applications should be submitted no later than 31 October, 5 PM (local time) via email  and .

The project selection procedure will start at the end of November 2024. The projects will start on 1 January 2025 and last 12 months.

More information can be found on the VU intranet.

Coming to a foreign country can be both exciting and challenging. That's why Vilnius University (VU) invites all international students to participate in the Introduction Days. During these days, you can expect to meet faculty coordinators, take guided tours of VU, and join various interesting activities that will help you connect with both Lithuanian and international students.

The Introduction Days will begin at 9 a.m. on 29 August with a welcome event for all international students at Compensa Concert Hall, Kernavės St. 84, Vilnius. For more details, see here.

On 30th August at 10 a.m., students can attend a class about VU eServices. During the training, you will learn how to connect to all relevant information systems at VU and have the opportunity to ask questions. This will be done by logging into the remote lecture. Postgraduate students are also welcome to attend the remote lecture “Student Services: Turning Confusion into Clarity” at 12 p.m.

The new academic year will commence on 2nd September at 9.30 a.m. with the traditional flag-raising ceremony in the VU Library courtyard (Universiteto St. 3). At 2.45 p.m., everyone is invited to participate in the 30th-anniversary procession of the VU community along Gediminas Avenue, from Seimas Hall to the VU Great Courtyard. The procession will be followed by greetings from VU leaders and guests, the first-year students' oath, and the official announcement of the start of the new academic year.

From 3 to 5 September, first-year students will have the opportunity to participate in events designed to help them get to know their course mates, tutors, faculty administration, and others.

The week of Introduction Days will conclude on 6 September with the "Ad Astra" event, organised by the Vilnius University Students Representation (VU SA). Thihs festival will bring together the entire VU and city community. The event, which strikes the perfect balance between science and youthfulness, attracts several thousand participants every year.

This year, participants will have the opportunity to listen to an exclusive lecture by the VU Rector, Prof. Rimvydas Petrauskas, engage in interesting discussions, and enjoy a concert in the evening.

Additionally, after the Introduction Days, you will have the opportunity to join up to three guided tours: the secrets of Vilnius University, Saulėtekis and dormitory stories, and Čiurlionis Street and the University. These tours will take you through the spaces of Vilnius University, allowing you to learn about their unheard stories.

You can find the full programme of the Introduction Days and keep up to date with any updates on the dedicated Studentauk.vu.lt/en/ page. 

During the General Assembly of the International Astronomical Union (IAU) that took place from 6 to 15 August in Cape Town, South Africa, Gražina Tautvaišienė, a renowned Lithuanian astronomer, Head of Molėtai Astronomical Observatory, and Professor at the Institute of Theoretical Physics and Astronomy of Vilnius University (VU), was elected Vice-President of this esteemed organisation. This achievement marks a significant milestone for astronomy in Lithuania, making Prof. G. Tautvaišienė the first scientist from the Baltic States to have been appointed Vice-President in over a century of the organisation’s history. The role of the next IAU President will be assumed by Nobel Laureate Prof. Brian Schmidt from Australia.

"I am thrilled that Lithuania has received the IAU’s recognition for the first time in its extensive history. I’m excited and look forward to collaborating with the world’s leading astronomers, particularly with the Nobel Laureate Prof. Schmidt", notes Prof. Tautvaišienė.

She has known Prof. Schmidt for 12 years since being elected Vice-President of the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics. In three years, Prof. Schmidt will succeed the eminent Swiss scientist Prof. Willy Benz.

Prof. Tautvaišienė has been appointed Vice-President for a six-year term. She has been entrusted with coordinating global ground and space research, as well as guiding the activities of the Working Group of IAU Junior Members.

"As Vice-President, my key goal is to advance the interests of the Lithuanian and global astronomical community. I aim to promote international cooperation and conferences on new research projects and technological developments in the field of astronomy. I will also devote significant effort to mentoring the Working Group of IAU Junior Members. Young people face numerous challenges concerning their careers in academia and industry, as well as mobility, psychological and financial security, inclusiveness, transparency, geographical location, and gender balance", says the VU scientist.

Moreover, Prof.Tautvaišienė has been delegated as one of the seven members of the Advisory Board in charge of selecting recipients of the prestigious "Gruber Cosmology Prize". Established by the IAU and the Gruber Foundation, the prize is awarded annually to one or more scientists of any nationality: astronomers, physicists, mathematicians, or scientific philosophers for their discoveries leading to fundamental advances in our understanding of the Universe. In addition to all these missions, the Professor will also be involved in many other tasks collectively undertaken by the IAU Executive Committee.

The IAU is a senior body governing international professional astronomical activities and research worldwide. It is the world’s leading astronomical organisation that brings together members from more than 100 countries. Prof. G. Tautvaišienė has become the first scientist from the Baltic States to be elected Vice-President since the IAU’s foundation in 1919. Two more new Vice-Presidents have been appointed from Chile and South Africa.

Congratulations on your admission to the Faculty of Physics (FF) of Vilnius University (VU)! We are delighted that you have joined the active and diverse community of our Faculty. To help you get into the study process, we have prepared a memo with the most important information you need to start your studies.

Lithuanian Student Identity Card (LSIC)

When a student enters into a contract with a university, the information is forwarded to the body responsible for the production of the Lithuanian Student Identity Card (LSIC) within 2 to 3 weeks from the date of the contract. After a couple of weeks, it is possible to start checking the https://lsp.lt/en system to see if the data has already been uploaded and to order the LSIC.

To order a LSIC, the following steps are required:

1. Register in the LSIC system (https://lsp.lt/en) and order a new LSIC;
2. After selecting a delivery address, you need to choose preferred way for the delivery of the LSIC.

The LSIC is produced within 1-2 weeks after the order has been placed and the photo has been confirmed as suitable for LSIC production.

When the LSIC is ready, a notification is sent to the email address provided during registration. You can also log in to your account in the system to see the status of the LSIC.

The LSIC is required to access student discounts and the resources of the Vilnius University Library. You also need to present your LSIC (ISIC international student card is not suitable for this purpose) between 9:00 pm and 9:00 am in order to access the VU Library's 24-hour branch in Sunrise - Scholarly Communication and Information Centre (SCIC).

In autumn, the production of LSICs may take longer than scheduled.

Have any questions? Contact the VU Students' Representation, which takes care of the LSIC issue and return process.

Registration for studies

1. Every VU student and free listener is required to register in the VU Identity Management System at https://id.vu.lt/idmgna/#!/ between 1 September and 30 September. A student number is required to access the system. If you did not receive your student number in the letters sent by the University, you can get it from the Dean's Office by 

Once you have registered with the e-Identity Management system, you will be given a login and password, which are required to use these VU e-services:

• VU e-mail address;
• VU IS Studies virtual student workspace eStudent;
• VU VPN;
• eduroam wireless internet network;
• Virtual Learning Environment (VMA);
• Microsoft Office 365 and Microsoft Teams.

Student environment at VU - eStudent

Once you have registered with the VU eID Management System, you can login to:

Vilnius University Information System.

Using your VU login and password, you must log in to the Virtual student workplace (VMA) - eStudentas by 30 September. This is an online repository of all study information related to a particular student. Once logged in, a student can:

• see his/her personal data, transcripts, study programme plan, session schedule, session results, place in the queue of the best students, information about the benefits (scholarships) received, etc.;
• order the necessary certificates, submit various requests related to studies.
• print receipts for tuition fees;
• select free and elective subjects;
• upload written work to the Electronic Document Information System (EDIS)

Microsoft Office 365 (office365.vu.lt) environment, where students will be able to use email and the Microsoft Office applications.

Online learning platforms at VU o

• Virtual Learning Environment (VMA). This platform provides students with access to semester courses, where they can access learning materials, course content, assessment tables, interact with students, complete assignments, tests, etc. o Microsoft Teams - this platform provides live streaming of contact sessions (lectures, seminars, exercises, etc.) for some subjects/modules.

• Microsoft Teams - this platform provides live streaming of contact sessions (lectures, seminars, exercises, etc.) for some subjects/modules.

Integration Week for first-year students

VU welcomes the new academic year with a series of integration events, where first-year students will enjoy fun activities, discussions, lectures and informative meetings. The integration activities will give students the opportunity to learn all about studying and living at VU.

You can find the timetable for this week here. Other updated and provisional timetables for your school year are available here.

Certificate confirming student status

Certificates confirming student status are valid from 1 September to 30 September. They can be used instead of the student certificate until it is produced. Certificates can be ordered via the Vilnius University Information System (VU IS) from your eStudent account.

Students can get these certificates from the Dean's office of the Faculty of Physics (Saulėtekio al. 9, Building III, Room 203) or receive them by e-mail from 1 September.

Tuition fees

If you are studying at a place that is not funded by the state, you should pay the tuition fee during the first month of your studies.

The payment receipt will be available after logging in to the VU IS eStudent environment from 1 September.

Please note that this fee can be deferred or divided into instalments each semester. For more information on VU's financial incentives, click here.

Answers to questions about study process 

The administration of the Faculty of Physics takes care of students throughout their studies. Students who have any questions about their study subjects, general university procedures, the study process, individualisation of studies, etc., can contact Olga Rancova, the Vice-Dean for accademical affairs of the Faculty of Physics, at or by phone (8 5) 236 6002. Consultations are also available in person at the Faculty's Dean's Office (I-V 8 am - 4 pm, Saulėtekio al. 9, Building III, Room 203).

Europe's “Laser School”: Lithuania, a semiconductor technology powerhouse, is more than just a semiconductor producer. More than 60 laser companies compete for 2.7 million population in a small country... Lithuania is a leader in ultrashort pulse lasers.

This publication is an original piece by The JoongAng. Written by Tae-wook Kim ().

When I landed in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, 12 hours away from Incheon International Airport, the first thing I saw was a small airport. It was a peaceful city with windmills that could have been described in Cervantes' novel Don Quixote. The bus fare from the airport to the hotel was 1 euro (about 1400 won). I paid the coin and boarded the bus. It was nostalgic, like a childhood scene. Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, was like a scene from a fairy tale. The city was so peaceful that Don Quixote wouldn't have been out of place riding his horse. The buses running along the river were silent, unlike other city buses in Seoul.

Lithuania, a small country with 2.7 million inhabitants, is home to some of the world's most advanced technologies. Laser companies are the main players here. The main advantage of lasers, also known as “light beams”, is “sophisticated processing”. Lithuania holds half of the world market for picosecond (trillionths of a second) lasers. Lasers are an indispensable technology for semiconductor manufacturing. In fact, Korean companies also use ultra-short pulse lasers from Lithuania. Laser processing machines required for semiconductor manufacturing are broadly divided into “nanosecond pulse lasers” and “ultra-short pulse lasers” depending on the pulse width. Ultrashort pulse lasers include picoseconds and femtoseconds (1 trillionth of a second). The advantage of ultrashort pulse lasers is that they allow for ultra-precise processing compared to nanosecond pulse lasers.

One of Lithuania's leading companies, Teltonika, also uses Lithuanian laser technology. The Internet of Things (IoT) market leader made headlines last year when it announced that it was working with the Taiwan Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) to develop semiconductor technology. The company announced that it could license semiconductor manufacturing technology and devices developed by ITRI. At the time, foreign media speculated that Lithuania would soon become a semiconductor producer, not just a provider of laser technology.

Semiconductors bring Taiwan's government closer together

What does Lithuania's leading Internet of Things (IoT) company look like? As I pull up to the entrance of Teltonika's headquarters, a 10-minute-long drive from Vilnius city center, I'm greeted by an imposing building. Across the street, the exterior walls of a large building were still under construction. "We are planning to invest 500 million euros to build a semiconductor facility with a land area of 50,000 square meters," explains Viačeslav Jaroševič, general manager of Teltonika in Asia region, as he shows me around. "The pace of our expansion is not keeping pace with demand," said V. Jaroševič. "The growth of Teltonika is driven by the increasing demand for semiconductor lasers."

"The technical cooperation agreement with ITRI consists of three main phases," he said. "Last year, we conducted the first phase, the “feasibility study”. It is a study for semiconductor design, manufacturing, assembly, testing, and production of power modules," he explained. He reaffirmed that Teltonika's ultimate goal is to go beyond providing laser technology to producing semiconductors.

The recent closeness between the Lithuanian and Taiwanese governments cannot be explained without mentioning the cooperation between Teltonika and ITRI. Currently, the organization has a Taiwanese representation in Vilnius, rather than a Taipei representation. Beijing strongly objected to the move, saying it violated the "One China" principle, and in November 2021, Beijing downgraded diplomatic relations with Lithuania from ambassadorial to deputy ambassadorial status.

The Teltonika-ITRI contract is currently valued at €14 million. Of this amount, €10 million will be funded by Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and €4 million by Teltonika. The two sides have detailed plans for four projects, including semiconductor design, manufacturing, assembly and test, and power module manufacturing. This has led to speculation that Lithuania and Taiwan have in mind a future semiconductor alliance like the "Chip 4" (Korea, the United States, Japan, and Taiwan).

Vilnius University is a model of industry-academia collaboration

Next, we visited Light Conversion, a company that is often referred to as Lithuania's laser giant. "Light Conversion was founded in 1994 at the Laser Research Center of Vilnius University," says Martynas Barkauskas, who sits across from me on the ground floor of the company's building in the information area. Together with another Lithuanian company, Ekspla, the company, which started in a university laboratory 30 years ago, Light Conversion is a global market leader in femtosecond lasers. The PHAROS femtosecond laser is the company's flagship weapon for light conversion.

I left the main entrance of the company and headed to Vilnius University. I was curious to see what the university's Laser Research Center, home to a world-class laser company, looked like. Vilnius University is one of the most prestigious universities in Lithuania and Central and Eastern Europe. In particular, the University's Laser Research Center, founded in 1982, is a "laser school" that has produced numerous laser technicians.

When I entered the main entrance of Vilnius University, I was greeted by Prof. Dalia Kaškelytė, the director of the Laser research center. Unlike the stiff atmosphere of a typical research lab, I was impressed by the free-spirited startup atmosphere. Graduate students were sitting face-to-face with their advisors, drinking coffee and chatting. One PhD student said, "Nice to meet you," and laser-etched the journalist's name on a piece of glass when D. Kaškelytė told him he was from Korea.

"The CEO of Light Conversion also studied lasers here and developed his dreams," says Prof. Vytautas Jukna, explaining the importance of the university to reporters. "The university-industry cooperation at Vilnius University Faculty of Physics is excellent. "There is good communication between the faculty and companies, with PhD students being seconded to companies. It's a win-win situation," he said. "Successful industry-academia collaboration creates a natural reshoring of talent," he added. He explained that Lithuanian talents studying abroad are returning home. One such example is Martynas Barkauskas, CEO of Light Conversion. After receiving his bachelor's degree from Vilnius University, he earned his master's degree in The Netherlands. He then returned to Vilnius to study for his PhD, taking advantage of Lithuania's excellent university-industry collaboration system and research institutes.

When asked by the reporter, "What is the secret to "reshoring" talent," the Light Conversion CEO pointed to the excellent facilities at Vilnius University. "The physics laboratories at Vilnius University has the most advanced laser equipment in the world. That's why I came back to my hometown," he said. "When I was doing my PhD, I never dreamed that I would become the CEO of Light Conversion," he said with a smile, explaining that as a graduate student, the company was located across the street from Vilnius University, making it convenient for me to get to and from school.

"Samsung Electronics and SK hynix are perfect for collaboration"

Lithuania is home to many companies that, like Light Conversion, have grown from startups to become an integral part of the Lithuanian economy. Another example is QS Lasers, a startup that may not be a household name globally but is well known in Lithuania. QS Lasers, a provider of picosecond and nanosecond laser technology, was founded in 2018. The main applications of the startup's technology are laser-induced plasma spectroscopy (LIBS), OLED processing, and medical applications. I visited QS Lasers' headquarters, a 15-minute long drive from the city center. Upon entering the headquarters building, I was greeted by Voldemaras Vanagas. He prefaced his answer by saying that he had just joined the company, but added, "Most of my friends have been dreaming of starting a startup since they were undergraduates, rather than entering the workforce. Of course, they might fail, but I think it's important to try."

The last stop on the tour was the Lithuanian Laser Association (LLA). "We have a guest from Korea, a semiconductor powerhouse," said Dr. Gediminas Račiukaitis, president of the LLA, when he saw the journalists. "Lithuania is a world leader in ultrashort pulse lasers," G. Račiukaitis said, "which makes it an ideal place to work with Korean companies such as Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics, and SK hynix." "There are more than 60 laser companies competing in Lithuania, a country of 2.7 million people. Most of the entrepreneurs studied lasers at Vilnius University," he said, adding that industry-academia collaboration is the key to Lithuania's success.

Starting this autumn, a new elective course on Antenna engineering will be offered to Master's students in Electronics and Telecommunications Technology.

This course, developed in collaboration with the engineering industry, aims to respond to one of the most pressing issues facing the world in recent times.

"The ongoing miniaturisation of electronic devices and the trend towards energy savings are placing additional demands on radio antennas. Antenna design and manufacturing require more detailed analysis based on the interaction of electromagnetic waves with material properties. We believe that such a course will also be relevant for electronics and telecommunications companies operating in Lithuania that design and manufacture radio equipment. Internet of Things (IoT), electronics and telecommunication technologies are among the fastest growing industries and antennas are an integral part of these products. The new Antenna Engineering course is unique in its content, where the programme's strong emphasis on practical modelling skills will equip you with the knowledge to work on projects that require a deep understanding of the physical principles underlying antenna design. The knowledge gained will enable professionals to contribute to the development of new technologies and products," says Ernestas Zdaniauskis, Vice President for Innovation and Business Development, Teltonika IoT Group, UAB.

The Antenna Engineering course will cover the basics of antenna theory, different types of antennas including dipole, aperture, microwave and millimetre band antennas, and antenna enclosures. Particular attention will be paid to planar and integrated antennas in electronic products, the electromagnetic properties of materials determining radiation characteristics, and applications of new materials (metamaterials) for antennas. Practical antenna modelling with Python, Matlab libraries and Ansys HFSS, a commercial 3D electromagnetic analysis package for antennas, will also be presented, allowing the design and optimisation of antennas with more complex structures.

On 6 July, on the Statehood Day, President Gitanas Nausėda awarded nearly 80 Lithuanian and foreign citizens with state orders and medals.

Photos of the Office of the President of the Republic of Lithuania/ Robertas Dačkus

The President awarded the Knight's Cross of the Order of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas to Dr. Arūnas Varanavičius, Chief Researcher of the Laser Research Centre of the Faculty of Physics of Vilnius University (VU), for his services to Lithuanian science, innovative research, implementation of the achievements of basic and applied sciences in industry and promotion of Lithuania's name in the international scientific community.

Dr. Varanavičius' area of expertise is laser physics, specifically ultra-short pulse lasers. In 2004, he was awarded the Lithuanian Science Award and so far has supervised more than 20 student theses. He is also a member of the International Scientific and Technical Advisory Committee (ELI ERIC).

Vilnius University (VU) has risen by more than 30 positions in the new QS University Ranking. VU now ranks 439th and remains the clear leader in Lithuania. This year's rankings include an unprecedented number of higher education institutions – more than 5,000 – all over the world.

The employability ranking of VU graduates has also improved at a record pace, rising by 220 positions to 105th place compared to last year's figures. This indicator reflects the ability of institutions to ensure a high level of graduate employability and their impact on their professional fields. In addition, the faculty-student ratio gained an exceptionally high score, reaching 168th place in this category. This indicator is associated with a higher level of lecturer attention to the student.

‘I am proud that the University has managed to strengthen its position in the world rankings. It is particularly pleasing to note the significant progress we have made in graduate employability rates and the exceptionally good faculty-student ratio. This shows that our commitment to creating a personal, warm relationship in the community is also reflected by the success in the rankings', says Prof. Rimvydas Petrauskas, the Rector of Vilnius University.

VU is also among the world's most sustainable universities. In the recently launched QS sustainability ranking, VU has risen by 176 places to 471th position.

In addition to sustainability, VU scores well on indicators such as academic reputation, employer reputation, employability ranking, faculty-student ratio, and international research network compared to other national higher education institutions.

The international research network indicator, a relatively new criterion in the rankings, introduced in 2022, reflects the number and quality of individual international partners (higher education institutions) from different countries. In this category, VU is ranked 398th globally.

VU is in 405th place in the employer reputation category. This indicator represents how international employers value the institution’s graduates. VU also maintains a high position (472nd place) in terms of academic reputation. The reputation of institutions and their programmes is assessed by asking external academic experts to nominate universities in their field.

The QS World University Rankings assess higher education institutions on a total of eight criteria: academic reputation, employer reputation, citations per faculty, faculty-student ratio, international faculty ratio, international research network, international students ratio, and sustainability.

In 2024, QS University Ranking included 5,663 institutions from 106 countries around the world, with 21 institutions ranked for the first time.

With the end of the academic year approaching, Vilnius University (VU) graduates are invited to wear symbolic VU student caps instead of gowns. This will not only highlight the uniqueness of the VU community but also emphasise the University’s authenticity, traditions, and values.

"Every student is part of the VU history, just like the traditional student caps. By wearing them, we not only express our respect for the past and preserve traditions but also create a unique link with our Alma Mater," says Klėja Merčaitytė, President of the VU Students’ Representation.

The student caps reflect the influence of VU Jesuits – when they founded the University in the 16th century, certain academic symbols and clothing were introduced to represent the spirit and values of VU. The caps became an attribute distinguishing members of the academic community and symbolising their aspirations and commitment to science. This is what inspired VU to uphold this tradition.

Although we do not wear University caps on a daily basis, the Finis Anni Academici and Renovatio Studiorum events are a great opportunity to revive the old customs. By wearing a student cap, you can proudly demonstrate your belonging to the VU community and commitment to its values. Moreover, in warm summer weather, this symbolic attribute is a much more comfortable and practical choice.

VU-branded merchandise is available for purchase via the VU e-shop and at the physical shop located at Šv. Jono g. 12, Vilnius (entrance from Pilies g.).

We kindly encourage all VU graduates to foster this beautiful tradition!