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

The 6th meeting of ATHENA European University partners: future perspectives

May 5, 2023
VILNIUS TECH delegation participates in the sixth ATHENA European University partners meeting in Rome, Italy.

During the partners' meeting in Rome, the rectors of partner universities discussed the future vision of the Alliance and the agreement to intensify cooperation in the long term. This is the first meeting after the submission of the application for the second phase.

Part of the delegation also participated in the meeting of industry representatives and the ATHENA alliance. The ATHENA industrial collaboration seminar held at the Università degli Studi Niccolò Cusano had several activities including discussions on the relationship between research and industry and a tour of the Sensor Medica premises.

Workpackage teams, executive board and steering committee spent three days discussing the alliance growth, improvement, problem-solving, and sharing annual progress results. New associated partner – Carinthia University of Applied Sciences presented their activities and vision.

The ATHENA alliance places great emphasis on collaboration between academia and industry, and the meeting in Rome provides an opportunity to strengthen ties with industry and university partners. By working closely with industry and university partners, ATHENA European University can ensure that its research and education programs remain relevant and responsive to the needs of the labour market.

What is ATHENA European University?

The European Universities Initiative is a flagship project of the European Union in the field of higher education and research, aimed at making European universities more internationally open, more efficient and inclusive.

The Advanced Technology Higher Education Network Alliance (ATHENA) is one of the pilot projects of European Universities selected by the European Commission in 2020, bringing together the Polytechnic Institute of Porto (Portugal, coordinator), the Universities of Maribor (Slovenia), Orleans (France), Siegen (Germany), Hellenic Mediterranean University (Greece) Niccolò Cusano University (Italy), Vilnius Gediminas Technical University (Lithuania), Maria Curie Skłodowska University (Poland) and University of Vigo (Spain).

In 2022, ATHENA welcomed three new associated partners: Carinthia University of Applied Sciences (Austria), Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute (Ukraine) and Lviv Polytechnic National University (Ukraine).

Focused on the theme of the digital transformation of societies, ATHENA's ambition is to create resolutely internationalized training courses, to offer international mobility to the greatest number of students including those with disabilities, to promote the emergence of collaborative projects in research and development and to foster new European perspectives not only to more than 166,000 students and 15,000 staff of the alliance, but also to local communities and partners.

Benefits of ATHENA for Lithuanian Universities

Alliances are expected to have an impact on national systems: the regulation of studies, and the development of new forms of study. It is very important for VILNIUS TECH to participate in these changes, to be a leading force, and to initiate changes. In Lithuania, as many as five universities are participants in the European University Initiative. Lithuanian universities, which belong to the alliances of ATHENA, ARQUS, ECIU, EU Conexus, and Transform4Europe, are working together: coordinating many joint actions, jointly preparing proposals for changes in the legal framework, submitting proposals for the validation of interdisciplinary studies, microcredit, joint study programs and joint degrees, especially joint doctoral programs – there are many areas in which the forces of Lithuanian universities are united and solutions are offered.

ATHENA operates in all the main areas of the university's activities: studies, science and cooperation with society and business. The latter activity is also directly related to the development of social and technological innovations. All these directions are of great importance for VILNIUS TECH.

More information about ATHENA:

Galerija

Related news

New doctoral dissertation
New doctoral dissertation
VILNIUS TECH Library invites you to follow the published new dissertations. The dissertation „Performance investigation of a hybrid car engine fuelled with gasoline and gaseous mixtures“ („Benziną ir dujų mišinius naudojančio hibridinio automobilio variklio efektyvumo tyrimas“) prepared at VILNIUS TECH by Tadas Vipartas. The dissertation was prepared in 2021–2026. Scientific consultant – Prof. Dr Alfredas Rimkus. The dissertation was defended at the public meeting of the Dissertation Defence Council of the Scientific Field of Transport Engineering in the Aula Doctoralis Meeting Hall of Vilnius Gediminas Technical University at 9 a.m. on 12 June 2026. This dissertation investigates the use of alternative fuels (natural gas and hydrogen) to increase the efficiency of a spark-ignition engine. The impact of different fuels and engine control algorithms on the combustion process and on energy and ecological indicators was determined and evaluated by analysing the emerging technological constraints within the context of a power-split (series-parallel) hybrid powertrain. The dissertation presents a review of scientific literature, analysing the directions for internal combustion engine improvement, the properties of gaseous fuels and the challenges of their application, along with the operating principles of automotive hybrid powertrains. Bench tests were conducted to investigate the effect of late intake valve closing timing on an engine operating on natural gas, and the influence of hydrogen additives on the combustion process and knock control. The numerical analysis of the engine’s combustion process was performed using AVL BOOST™ software, while the energy and ecological indicators of the hybrid vehicle were evaluated through experimental research and numerical simulation in the AVL CRUISE™ software. The following main results were obtained in the dissertation: retarding the intake valve closing timing increased the brake thermal efficiency and NOx emissions while reducing carbon dioxide emissions when the engine operates on natural gas. It was determined that a hydrogen additive in the fuel improves the engine’s energy indicators, but increases nitrogen oxides emissions and the risk of engine knock. Engine knock is effectively managed by retarding the ignition advance angle. Numerical simulation results confirmed that these trends persist during the Worldwide Harmonized Light-duty Vehicles Test Cycle: the use of hydrogen reduces fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions, but increases nitrogen oxides emissions. The dissertation results revealed the potential of these technologies and strategies for their application. The obtained data can be applied in the development and selection of advanced engine control algorithms and in the formulation of technologically sound environmental standards. Nine scientific articles have been published on the topic of the dissertation: six in scientific journals indexed in the Clarivate Analytics Web of Science database with an impact factor, one in a scientific journal indexed in the Clarivate Analytics Web of Science database without an impact factor, one in conference proceedings indexed in the Clarivate Analytics Web of Science Conference Proceedings Citation Index, and one in peer-reviewed conference proceedings not indexed in international databases. The research results were presented at three scientific conferences in Lithuania and Poland. Doctoral dissertation readers can search via VILNIUS TECH Virtual Library.
More
KTU Press Academic eBooks
KTU Press Academic eBooks
VILNIUS TECH Library invites students, academic staff, and researchers to take advantage of the KTU Press eBooks platform, a valuable resource for academic and scholarly literature. The platform provides access to peer-reviewed textbooks, monographs, course materials, and other academic publications across a wide range of disciplines, including technology, engineering, informatics, social sciences, humanities, physical sciences, and related fields. The KTU eBooks platform offers the following features: online reading and downloading of books for offline use; creation of personalized bookshelves; highlighting of text, note-taking, and bookmarking; full-text search within publications; automatic generation of citations and export of bibliographic data; printing of selected sections of publications in accordance with the publisher’s licensing terms. The platform is accessible on various devices, including computers, tablets, and smartphones. Its collection is continuously expanded with newly published KTU Press titles, ensuring convenient access to up-to-date academic and research literature. Access to the platform is available exclusively through the VILNIUS TECH network. Off-campus access is provided via the VPN service. To ensure secure remote access, users must authenticate using two-factor authentication , either through a mobile authentication application or by phone call verification.
More