Faculty of Transport Engineering Hosts Discussion on AI’s Role in Academic Publishing

October 8, 2025
The Faculty of Transport Engineering of VILNIUS TECH hosted an international scientific roundtable discussion that brought together editors of seven scientific transport-related journals from Lithuania, Latvia, Croatia, Hungary, Poland, and China. The central theme of the event was the application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in academic publishing processes.

Welcoming his colleagues, Prof. Dr. Olegas Prentkovskis, Dean of the Faculty of Transport Engineering and Editor-in-Chief of TRANSPORT, emphasized that the roundtable discussion aimed to foster an open and forward-looking dialogue on academic publishing, editorial practices, and the shared challenges and opportunities in maintaining the highest standards of scholarly journals.
 

Launching the discussion, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Paulius Skačkauskas, Managing Editor of TRANSPORT, highlighted the dual nature of AI: “On the one hand, AI tools assist authors, reviewers, and editors – from language support and plagiarism detection to data analysis and manuscript structuring. On the other hand, AI raises serious challenges, including questions of authorship, transparency, and research reliability. We have already encountered manuscripts entirely generated by AI, containing fabricated literature reviews and non-existent references.”

Other editors emphasized different perspectives on AI in publishing. Prof. Dr. Gintautas Bureika noted that while geographical and cultural proximity is not a prerequisite for collaboration, face-to-face meetings foster openness and richer scholarly exchange – something AI still cannot replace.

Prof. Dr. Ádám Török raised the pressing question of whether AI can support not only authors and reviewers, but also editors themselves. Responding to this, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mykola Karpenko pointed out that major scientific databases such as Web of Science and Scopus have already integrated AI tools to enhance article selection, initial screening, and reviewer matching. However, he stressed that the ultimate decision of what constitutes a valuable scientific publication must remain a human responsibility.

Prof. Dr. Irina Jackiva expressed her satisfaction that in scholarly publishing there are now tools available not only to check for overlaps, but also to detect AI-generated passages in manuscripts.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Luka Novačko underlined concerns about AI reliability. AI can accelerate writing, but its weakness in scientific publishing remains clear – fabricated references. Human oversight remains essential to ensure the trustworthiness of scientific output. This view was echoed by Dr. Željko Stević, who also stressed reliability: “I am against the dominant use of AI in science because it relies on internet-based information, which is not always accurate. AI can support secondary tasks, but it cannot assume the core responsibilities of scientific work”.

Closing the discussion, Prof. Habil. Dr. Anna Borucka emphasized that AI use in science is already an inescapable reality. “Our role as editors is not to block these changes but to create clear frameworks that allow AI to be used creatively, ethically, and responsibly. The most important goal is to preserve research integrity and the accountability of authors” – claimed A. Borucka.

Summarizing the event, Prof. Dr. Olegas Prentkovskis highlighted that editorial work is a continuous balancing act between supporting authors, coordinating reviewers, and ensuring the quality and visibility of journals. That is why meetings like this are invaluable – they allow us to work together to turn challenges into opportunities.

The roundtable demonstrated that AI has already become an integral part of academic publishing. However, its successful use will depend on editors’ shared vision, responsibility, and adherence to ethical standards. Participants agreed that open dialogue and international cooperation remain key to maintaining the highest standards of scholarly publications.

Written by Vice-Dean for Research and Communication of the Faculty of Transport Engineering Assoc. Prof. Dr. Kamilė Taujanskaitė

 

The meeting was attended by:
  • Prof. Dr. Olegas Prentkovskis, Editor-in-Chief of the TRANSPORT (published by VILNIUS TECH, Lithuania);
  • Prof. Dr. Gintautas Bureika, Editor-in-Chief of the AVIATION (published by VILNIUS TECH, Lithuania);
  • Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mykola Karpenko, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the TRANSPORT and Managing Editor of the AVIATION (both published by VILNIUS TECH, Lithuania);
  • Assoc. Prof. Dr. Paulius Skačkauskas, Managing Editor of the TRANSPORT (published by VILNIUS TECH, Lithuania);
  • Prof. Dr. Irina Jackiva, Managing Editor of the TRANSPORT AND TELECOMMUNICATION (published by Transport and Telecommunication Institute, Latvia);
  • Assoc. Prof. Dr. Luka Novačko, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the PROMET – TRAFFIC AND TRANSPORTATION (published by the University of Zagreb, Croatia);
  • Prof. Dr. Ádám Török, Editor-in-Chief of the PERIODICA POLYTECHNICA: TRANSPORT ENGINEERING (published by Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Hungary);
  • Prof. Habil. Dr. Anna Borucka, Editor-in-Chief of EKSPLOATACJA I NIEZAWODNOŚĆ – MAINTENANCE AND RELIABILITY (published by the Polish Society of Technical Supervision, Poland);
  • Dr. Željko Stević, Editor-in-Chief of the JOURNAL OF INTELLIGENT MANAGEMENT DECISION (published by Acadlore Publishing House, China).

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Student Memo: Where to park your car or bicycle, eat, and find your classrooms
Student Memo: Where to park your car or bicycle, eat, and find your classrooms
When starting your studies, it is not always clear during the first week where you can park your car or bicycle, which building your seminar will be in, or where you can eat or heat up your own food during breaks. To make settling into the academic year easier, we have prepared this memo. Student Car Parking: Students attending lectures at Saulėtekio al. 11 can park their cars in the lot located on Šatrijos Raganos Street. There is no barrier in this lot. How to find the lot: Driving from Saulėtekio al. – going up the hill past the roundabout and the university buildings. Or entering from Pragiedrulių, Mileišiškių sodų, or other streets onto Šatrijos Raganos Street – going down the hill before the roundabout and the university buildings. Students attending lectures on Plytinės Street can park in the lots located there. Students can enter the gated lot by tapping their activated student ID card at the terminal. Entrance to the lots is from Plytinės Street. Antanas Gustaitis Aviation Institute (AGAI) students, lecturers, and students or staff arriving at "Linkmenų fabrikas" can park in all lots. The barrier opens by tapping an activated student or staff ID card at the terminal. There are no dedicated parking lots for students attending lectures at the Old Town Campus (Trakų rūmai). Canteens and Cafes: Saulėtekis Campus: "Maisto imperija" (Building S2, 1st floor) – weighed food (you can build your own plate) – 1.70 € per 100 g, lunch of the day – 7.50 €, snacks, coffee, and other drinks. You can also heat up your own food here. Working hours: Monday–Thursday: 08:00–16:00; Friday: 08:00–15:00. "ARC BISTRO" (Building S3, 1st floor) – a menu consisting of a multi-course selection and daily lunch at a fixed price (up to 10 €), as well as snacks, coffee, and other drinks. Working hours: Monday–Friday: 11:00–15:00. Plytinė Campus (P2, 1st floor): "Confetti" – a menu consisting of a multi-course selection and daily lunch at a fixed price (up to 10 €), as well as snacks, coffee, and other drinks. You can also heat up your own food here. Working hours: Monday–Thursday: 09:00–16:00; Friday: 09:00–15:00. Old Town Campus (Senamiesčio rūmai): "Confetti" (Islandijos str. 3) – a menu consisting of a multi-course selection and daily lunch at a fixed price (up to 10 €), as well as snacks, coffee, and other drinks. Working hours: Monday–Friday: 07:45–15:00. Places where you can heat your own food in microwaves: When using microwaves, please maintain cleanliness, follow safety rules, and respect others: do not put in or heat items with shiny surfaces (e.g., cutlery, aluminum foil, etc.), do not slam the doors or other surfaces, wipe or clean the inside of the microwave or other surfaces (including the kitchenette) if needed, do not cut in line, and do not stop someone else's food from heating without permission, etc. Saulėtekis Campus: In the "Maisto imperija" canteen (Building S2, 1st floor), as well as in the Sustainability Centre (Building S5), and the 5th and 6th-floor kitchenettes in Building S6. Plytinė Campus: In the "Confetti" cafe (Building P2, 1st floor). Old Town Campus: In the Faculty of Architecture's 2nd and 3rd-floor kitchenettes (at the end of the corridor). AGAI: In the 2nd-floor kitchenette of the old building (near the Dean's office). It is planned that microwaves will also be available in the new building in the future. Linkmenų Campus: In the 2nd-floor kitchenette at "Linkmenų fabrikas". Library: Room 119, 1st floor. You can also make tea/coffee here. Places to leave your bicycle: Saulėtekis Campus: At special bike racks near the entrance to Building S2, and in the Central Building parking lot. Plytinė Campus: In the two designated bicycle shelters in the courtyard between buildings P1 and P2. Old Town Campus: At special bike racks near the entrances to each building. AGAI and Linkmenų Campus: At special bike racks near both departments. Library: At special bike racks near the entrance. Department/Building Abbreviations: Saulėtekis Campus (Saulėtekio al. 11, Vilnius): S1 Central Building (Administration, International Studies Centre, International Relations Office, etc.) S2 Classroom Building S3 Educational Building (Faculty of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Business Management) S4 Classroom Building (Faculty of Environmental Engineering, Sustainability Centre, Food Laboratory) S5 Educational Building (Faculty of Environmental Engineering, Sustainability Centre, Food Laboratory) S6 Laboratory Building (Faculty of Fundamental Sciences, Information Technology and Systems Centre, Academic Support Centre, etc.) S7 Laboratory Building Plytinė Campus (Plytinės str. 25, Vilnius): P1 or P Laboratory Building P2 Educational Building (Faculty of Electronics, Faculty of Mechanics, Faculty of Transport Engineering) P3 Educational Building Linkmenų Campus (Linkmenų str. 28, Vilnius): L1 Building (Institute of Building Materials) L2 Building (Road Research Institute) L3 Building L4 Building L5 Educational Building (Linkmenų fabrikas) L6 Educational Building (Antanas Gustaitis Aviation Institute) Old Town Campus (Trakų str. 1, Vilnius): T1 or T Educational Building (Faculty of Architecture) T2 Educational Building (Faculty of Creative Industries) T3 Educational Building T4 Educational Building T5 Educational Building Old abbreviations that might still appear in some contacts: SNR – Senamiesčio rūmai (Old Town Campus) SRK-I – Saulėtekio rūmų pirmas korpusas (Saulėtekis Campus First Building) SRK-II – Saulėtekio rūmų antras korpusas (Saulėtekis Campus Second Building) SRL – Saulėtekio rūmų laboratorinis korpusas (Saulėtekis Campus Laboratory Building) SRL-II – Saulėtekio rūmų antras laboratorinis korpusas (Saulėtekis Campus Second Laboratory Building) MAC – Saulėtekio centriniai rūmai (Saulėtekis Central Building) AGAI TLK – Antano Gustaičio Aviacijos instituto Treniruoklių ir laboratorijų korpusas (Antanas Gustaitis Aviation Institute Simulator and Laboratory Building). Other Addresses: Kyviškės Airfield: Lakūnų str. 7D, Kyviškės Sports and Art Centre: Saulėtekio al. 28, Vilnius Library: Saulėtekio al. 14, Vilnius Lithuanian Maritime Academy: I. Kanto str. 7, Klaipėda. Thematic Reading Rooms in Faculties: Architecture and Creative Sciences Reading Room (Trakų str. 1, T1, 1.15, Vilnius) Technology and Management Sciences Reading Room (Saulėtekio al. 11, S1, C03, Vilnius) Mechanics, Electronics, and Transport Sciences Reading Room (Plytinės str. 25, P2, 179, Vilnius) Maritime Sciences Reading Room (I. Kanto str. 7, Klaipėda)
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