The International Staff Days, organized by the VILNIUS TECH International Relations Office (IRO), took place at the university. This year’s theme was “Building Bridges: Navigating Partnerships in a Dynamic World.” The event was attended by representatives from Morocco, Peru, Kosovo, South Africa, the Dominican Republic, and Indonesia.
The goal of these international days is to maintain connections with partners from other countries, discuss opportunities for further cooperation or the initiation of joint projects under Erasmus+ and other programs, share best practices, and promote internationalization within the university.
The event brought together lecturers, researchers, and staff from international relations departments from universities around the world who have extensive professional and academic experience. Therefore, one of the main goals of this international week was to create a space for meaningful discussion, to share knowledge and experiences, to get to know each other, and to build bridges for future cooperation projects.
During the opening, participants were welcomed by the Vice-Rector for Strategic Partnership Assoc. Prof. Dr. Adas Meškėnas. IRO Director Aleksandra Sokolova presented the university and its internationalization strategy, while Deputy Director Erika Danienė introduced the guests to Lithuania and the peculiarities of the Lithuanian language.
After a brief intercultural introduction phase, participants focused on the most pressing contemporary challenges and issues faced by universities worldwide. They discussed the solutions applied by higher education institutions in different countries, which models work most effectively, and what can be learned from one another. Although the universities operate in different regions, it was noted that many face similar challenges: actively developing international student and staff exchange programs, seeking ways to encourage student engagement and motivation, and looking for ethical and responsible ways to integrate artificial intelligence into the study process. Considerable attention was also given to collaboration in scientific research. All these topics were discussed through interactive activities, working groups, and discussions, during which participants not only shared their experiences but also collectively created a vision for future actions to achieve sustainable, innovative, and international cooperation in the field of higher education.
The event program also included tours of the university's departments and laboratories, as well as two creative workshops. At the Eco-design Laboratory of the Sustainability Center, the center’s activities were presented and sustainability principles in our daily lives were discussed. A workshop was held where participants created stamps on VILNIUS TECH tote bags – carving images into linoleum scraps, painting them, and placing them in their desired spots. The second workshop took place at the Creativity and Innovation Center “LinkMenų fabrikas,” where participants were introduced to the main rapid prototyping tools and learned how a CO₂ laser works. Each participant made a wooden keychain with their own design – the drawings were vectorized and cut with the laser.
Staff from partner foreign universities also had the opportunity to participate in the 53rd NORDTEK Conference organized by VILNIUS TECH, with the theme “Sustainable and Digital University Transformation.” During the plenary session, participants listened to presentations analyzing the roles of policy, science, and higher education institutions in the digital and green transformation. The parallel sessions addressed mobility policy, challenges of digitalizing education, the role of artificial intelligence, interdisciplinary approaches to sustainability, smart city solutions, and the impact of universities on climate change mitigation.
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