University
Community
International Students
Studies
Research and Innovation
For Business
Faculties
Back

ATHENA Sustainability School challenges international students at VILNIUS TECH

September 28, 2023

The secondary use of coffee grounds, the relationship between green spaces and expanding infrastructure, and noise prevention in the city – these and other issues are being addressed by participants in the VILNIUS TECH Sustainability School. In an initiative led by the VILNIUS TECH Sustainability Hub, students from various Lithuanian and European universities with an interest in ecology and sustainability are confronting various challenges.

The initiator of the Sustainability School is the VILNIUS TECH Sustainability Hub, established in April of this year. According to Assoc. Prof. Dr. Raimondas Grubliauskas, the head of the VILNIUS TECH Sustainability Hub, there has been an ongoing discussion about sustainability. However, in his opinion, there has been a lack of broader collaboration between different institutions and the public.

"Sustainability has been a strategic goal of the university for several years, and the Sustainability Hub has been established to strengthen competencies in the field of sustainability, efficiently carry out university activities, promote a unified approach to sustainability among university departments, and nurture a culture of responsibility towards the environment, society, and the region. This project, the Sustainability School, aims to bring together different institutions, from university students to public and business organizations, to jointly promote sustainable, climate-neutral innovations," says Raimondas Grubliauskas.

In a two-week program, Lithuanian and international students envision sustainability

According to Assoc. Prof. Dr. Asta Radzevičienė, the coordinator of the ATHENA alliance at VILNIUS TECH University, the Sustainability School project operates on the principle of a blended intensive program (BIP).

"International students, working in mixed teams with VILNIUS TECH students, not only study intensively for two weeks but also develop unique solutions for sustainable future businesses and society. The Advanced Technology Higher Education Network Alliance, ATHENA, which unites VILNIUS TECH and eight other European universities, is creating new opportunities for international student and staff mobility and interdisciplinary collaboration. One such opportunity is the Sustainability School, which contributes to the European green transformation," says A. Radzevičienė.

During the first week, dozens of students from VILNIUS TECH and universities belonging to the ATHENA alliance from Spain, Portugal, Germany, Slovenia, and other European countries participated in lectures and remotely analyzed sustainability challenges presented by VILNIUS TECH partners. The range of topics is wide, including the importance of sustainable development, noise pollution, green energy development, and public involvement in solving sustainability challenges.

During the second week, Sustainability School participants met at VILNIUS TECH, where they engaged in creative workshops and searched for solutions to selected sustainability challenges.

"The challenges faced by the Sustainability School teams are divided into two groups: urban issues and business issues. In total, the students are working on seven different challenges," says Assoc. Prof. Dr. Rūta Mikučionienė, Coordinator of the Sustainability School activities.

Several Vilnius city organizations present challenges: the "Susisiekimo paslaugos" SĮ (JUDU) challenges participants to create value in electric transport and provide more benefits to ordinary citizens – green spaces or expanded infrastructure. Meanwhile, "Vilniaus planas" SĮ is seeking sustainable ideas for noise prevention in the city.

A significant challenge for participating students is to shape public opinion about Vilnius as a carbon-neutral city. It is noted that Vilnius won an international competition and aims to become carbon neutral by 2030.

Meanwhile, "Reitan Convenience Lithuania" invites Sustainability School students to find solutions to two of their challenges: how to use coffee grounds sustainably and how to transform the culture of coffee takeaway. VILNIUS TECH has prepared a separate challenge for Sustainability School students. The students involved in it are looking for solutions to strengthen the university's role in promoting positive behavioural changes in society.

The final event of the Sustainability School is on September 29th when student teams will present their ideas, which will be evaluated by the companies and organizations participating in the project, and they will decide on the feasibility of implementation. Teams that overcome the challenges will be rewarded with gifts from VILNIUS TECH and its partners.

The initiators of the Sustainability School, the VILNIUS TECH Sustainability Center, aim to initiate and develop a sustainability theme cluster in the ATHENA European University Alliance, of which VILNIUS TECH is a member. ATHENA alliance partners – universities in nine EU countries – aim to develop digitally transformative, technology-based, internationally competitive higher education that reflects the needs of society.

The establishment of the Integrated Sustainability Technologies Laboratory at VILNIUS TECH is funded by the Economic Revival and Resilience Plan "New Generation Lithuania" and the state budget of the Republic of Lithuania.


 

Galerija

Related news

The new issue of Sapere Aude explores how scientists are shaping the cities
The new issue of Sapere Aude explores how scientists are shaping the cities
Artificial intelligence (AI), micromobility, the effects of climate change and smart infrastructure are transforming cities at an accelerating pace. This is why the autumn issue of Sapere Aude, VILNIUS TECH’s university magazine, focuses on „Cities and Technology“. The theme invites readers to see a city not merely as a physical space, but as a complex, constantly evolving system where science, engineering, data and human-driven innovation come together. Today, the future of cities is shaped by a wide range of disciplines, from transport engineering and urban planning to AI and communication research. The new issue of the magazine introduces researchers, students, alumni and other members of the university community whose work contributes to making cities safer, smarter and more sustainable. The issue opens with an interview with Prof. Dr. Simona Ramanauskaitė, the newly appointed Dean of the Faculty of Fundamental Sciences, who shares her perspective on the role of science, technology and the university in a rapidly changing world. One of the key themes of the issue is urban mobility and safety. Doctoral student Edita Juodvalkienė, supervised by Prof. Dr. Donatas Čygas, is preparing a dissertation on improving the traffic safety of electric scooters on urban streets. Meanwhile, alumnus Dominykas Eičinas is analysing suspension designs for micromobility vehicles. His final-year project has been submitted to a student research competition organised by the Ministry of Transport and Communications of the Republic of Lithuania. However, the challenges facing future cities extend far beyond transport. Gabriela Sokolovskaja, a graduate of the Architecture study programme at the Faculty of Architecture, explores how technology can help cities adapt to the challenges of climate change. In her final project, she examined how rainwater collection and reuse could become an integral part of climate-resilient urban planning and contribute to sustainable urban development. Smart technologies also play a vital role in shaping modern cities. Master’s student Laurynas Zalagas explores their application in urban infrastructure by developing solutions for monitoring street lighting systems using drones and AI. Other articles in the issue examine AI-based solutions for monitoring bee behaviour, human–AI interaction in visual communication, and the analysis of safe vessel passing in the Port of Klaipėda. Technological ideas within the university community are generated not only by researchers and students. The magazine also features young innovators from Ateities inžinerija (Future Engineering), a distance-learning programme whose projects explore solutions in environmental protection, design, transport and green energy. Their work demonstrates how engineering thinking and creativity can help address real-world societal challenges while students are still at school. The autumn issue also features interviews with VILNIUS TECH alumni now working at Lithuania’s national broadcaster LRT, as well as an introduction to the newly established Tech Fund, its vision and objectives. The new issue of Sapere Aude invites readers to see the city as a living, constantly evolving system shaped by people, science and innovation. The cities we will live in tomorrow depend on the decisions being made today in university laboratories, lecture halls and research projects. Read the latest issue of Sapere Aude here.
More
US and Lithuanian science and technology leaders meet in Vilnius
US and Lithuanian science and technology leaders meet in Vilnius
World-class experts from NASA, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Johns Hopkins University, the US innovation ecosystem, and Lithuanian public institutions gathered in Vilnius for the Lithuanian-American Science and Innovation Forum. The event aimed to strengthen transatlantic cooperation, promote technological leadership, and ensure the competitiveness and resilience of innovation. Assoc. Prof. Dr Artūras Medeišis, Dean of the Faculty of Electronics at VILNIUS TECH, also took part in the forum. Opening the event, Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Kęstutis Budrys emphasised that Lithuania and the United States share many interests in conducting scientific research and ensuring its practical application. “Lithuania is already renowned for its world-class expertise in photonics and laser technologies, life sciences, cybersecurity, and digital innovation. Cooperation would only increase the added value created by our researchers,” the minister said. US Ambassador to Lithuania Kara C. McDonald echoed his remarks. [caption id="attachment_133886" align="alignnone" width="2560"] Gregory Mann[/caption] One of the keynote speakers, Gregory Mann, a representative of the US space agency NASA in Europe, spoke about America’s ambitious plans to return to the Moon. He also emphasised that Lithuania, with its scientific expertise and technological capabilities, could contribute to future missions not only to the Moon but also to Mars. A discussion on how to turn a scientific idea into a functioning technology and transform an existing technology into a product with a strong presence on international markets brought together Angelos Angelou, founder and CEO of International Accelerator, a US business accelerator for foreign-founded startups; Dr Adler Archer, a researcher at the prestigious Johns Hopkins University; Assoc. Prof. Dr Artūras Medeišis, Dean of the VILNIUS TECH Faculty of Electronics; Dominykas Milašius, Head of Delta Biosciences; and Reda Nausėdaitė, Deputy Director for Innovation and Development at the Center for Physical Sciences and Technology (FTMC). A. Medeišis emphasised that researchers can achieve significant results when they have a clear plan, ambition, and vision, particularly when supported by government initiatives that facilitate cooperation with institutions such as MIT. “One of the most common challenges in establishing sustainable connections and developing cooperation is the need for funding, particularly when it comes to transatlantic collaboration. Unfortunately, there are few funding instruments available to support international and cross-border cooperation. We have now established a consortium together with MIT and other Lithuanian universities that can provide seed funding to develop collaboration across the Atlantic. This funding helps establish partnerships and launch joint projects,” said the VILNIUS TECH representative. [caption id="attachment_134004" align="alignnone" width="2560"] Artūras Medeišis[/caption] Another distinguished guest at the conference was MIT Professor Markus Buehler, who delivered a presentation entitled Materials Intelligence: AI, Creativity and the Future of Scientific Discovery. “Materials have a certain kind of ‘intelligence’ encoded in them through their structures, hierarchies, and interactions across different scales,” Prof. Buehler explained, illustrating how this idea manifests itself in biological materials, artificial intelligence, scientific discovery, design, and creative work. The forum also featured Prof. Gediminas Urbonas, who has built an impressive career at MIT. The Lithuanian-American Science and Innovation Forum was part of the programme of Lithuania’s International Science Week, * (re)SEARCH 2026*. The event was organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania in cooperation with the Center for Physical Sciences and Technology (FTMC) and the Lithuanian Consortium for Cooperation with MIT.
More