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

What’s next in ATHENA – summer-fall, 2023

June 22, 2023

As the school year is coming to an end, we want to encourage you to look into academic trips for summer and fall season. VILNIUS TECH is a member of the ATHENA European University Alliance. Members of the alliance are universities from nine European countries, so you can take part in plenty of interesting events, summer schools and blended intensive programs all over Europe!
 
Join us at our events:

July

For Students:

•    SUMMER SCHOOL: Getting Started with Technical Communication in Porto, Portugal, 03/07-07/07. Technical communication is focused on the user of services or products and is an essential and transversal competence. Moreover, it is a professional area that is booming globally, most notably because of the digital and technological context of today’s world, and the need to inform the users in a clear way in order to create more value in products/services. 
Registration deadline 30/06. More information here. 
•    SUMMER SCHOOL: ATHENA Doctoral Summer school in Vilnius, Lithuania, 17/07-21/07. VILNIUS TECH PhD Summer School is an annual event that aims to provide doctoral candidates with unique professional and personal development opportunities. It focuses on the key competencies required to achieve the best results beyond general doctoral students’ training. Registration deadline 23/06. More information here. 

August

For students:
 
• BLENDED INTENSIVE PROGRAMME: Solution Design in Maribor, Slovenia, physical mobility 27/08 – 08/09, virtual mobility dates to be confirmed. Are you ready to face a real-life problem in an international team of students of different professions and with experienced professors and experts? If YES, don’t hesitate to register for the 2023 Solution Design Summer school! 
Registration deadline 30/06. More information here.
• BLENDED INTENSIVE PROGRAMME:10th International Logistics Summer School – Sustainable Travel: Re-Defining the World of Travel in Maribor, Slovenia, physical mobility 28/08 – 05/09, virtual mobility 22/08. This year’s summer school will provide you with an in-depth look at the logistics aspect of sustainable travel. You will learn about the challenges and opportunities that arise in transporting travelers, goods, and services sustainably and will include resource management, waste reduction, and improving transportation efficiency. 
Registration deadline 11/08. More information here.
 
September

For students:

• BLENDED INTENSIVE PROGRAMME: Dyslexia and Foreign Language Teaching in Porto, Portugal, physical mobility 11/09 – 15/09, virtual mobility 04/09 – 06/09. On this course teachers will be able to learn more about the issues surrounding the concept of dyslexia, but mainly gain practical teaching tools and insights to help diverse students with difficulties associated to dyslexia features to learn foreign languages. 
More information soon here. 
• ATHENA Erasmus Student Network Meeting in Heraklion, Greece, end of September. 
More information soon on ATHENA website. 
• BLENDED INTENSIVE PROGRAMME: Renewable energy sources in Maribor, Slovenia, physical mobility 04/09 – 08/09, virtual mobility 31/08 – 01/09. During the summer school, students will learn about different types of renewable energy sources, such as hydrogen technologies, solar energy, wind energy, hydro energy and geothermal energy. 
Registration deadline 25/06. More information is available here.
• BLENDED INTENSIVE PROGRAMME: Sustainability in International Business in Maribor, Slovenia, physical mobility 11/09 – 16/09, virtual mobility 05/09. Sustainability is becoming an increasingly important direction in business operations. It is rooted in the negative consequences of the neoliberal development paradigm in the world and the calls for sustainable development by international organisations and national governments. Apply for the International Summer School and gain insights into the sustainability aspects of international business! Registration deadline 25/06. More information here.

For students and staff:

• BLENDED INTENSIVE PROGRAMME: Open Science Summer School in Maribor, Slovenia, physical mobility 11/09 – 15/09, virtual mobility 05/09. The University of Maribor Summer School offers PhD students and young researchers an opportunity to learn and develop skills in the fields of research data management, open access to research results, the use of open research infrastructure, supercomputing resources and the European Open Science Cloud. Registration deadline 25/06. More information here. 
• BLENDED INTENSIVE PROGRAMME: Sustainability summer school in Vilnius, Lithuania, physical mobility 25/09 – 29/09, virtual mobility 18/09 – 22/09. Teachers, students and practitioners are invited to participate in this summer school. Teachers are invited to deliver sustainability related courses in online sessions and to supervise group works during on-site session. Practitioners and business partners are invited to provide problem-based cases to be solved during the summer school. Scholarships are available for students and teachers from ATHENA partner universities. 
Registration deadline 23/06. More information here.

For staff:

•    Networking event focusing on cybersecurity, space technologies, and financial technologies in Vilnius, Lithuania, 05/09 – 06/09. 
More information soon here.
 
•    ATHENA Technology Forum in Sitia, Crete, 25/09 – 29/09. 
More information soon on ATHENA website. 

October

For students:
 
•    BLENDED INTENSIVE PROGRAMME: Sustainable Entrepreneurship in Klagenfurt, Austria, physical mobility 16/10 – 21/10, virtual mobility 05/10 – 12/10 and 31/10. Teams of students from Austria and from all over the Alps-Adriatic region, as well as from Barcelona and ATHENA countries, will develop business ideas embedding sustainability and the SDGs. This cross-border collaboration does not only contribute to the entrepreneurial mindset of the students, but also strengthens their consciousness about sustainability and helps them develop intercultural and language skills. 10 places have been reserved for participants from ATHENA.
Registration deadline 30/06. More information here. Registration here. 
•    BLENDED INTENSIVE PROGRAMME: Diversity in the Digitized World – Challenges and Opportunities for (Re)establishing Social Justice in Carinthia, Austria, October. 
More information soon here.

For students and staff:

•    Global Case Study Challenge. This is an innovative, high-impact career-oriented teaching and learning virtual exchange (VE) project, providing educators and students with invaluable experience in intercultural, international and virtual interaction. Focusing on intercultural, digital communication and sustainability competencies, this virtual exchange programme showcases how new virtual models of teaching and learning within real-world contexts can support the development of new global and future-oriented work competencies. Educators are the ones who sign up and then join with their students. The educators will then have an onboarding meeting with the GCSC organisation team. The program spans over an 8-week period, between October and early December. 
Registration deadline 30/06. More information here, here and here. Interested educators can register here. 

All year long

For students and staff:

•    “ATHENA Talks” – regular online scientific conversations with leading scientists from around the world. Wide range of topics from physics, semiconductors, biomaterials to policy making & internationalization. A new topic & speaker is announced each week on ATHENA website & Facebook page. For more information on upcoming participants in advance, press here. Register here. 
For funding opportunities for VILNIUS TECH staff and students, please contact the International Relations Office, email: rasita.martise@vilniustech.lt
Regarding participation in events organized by VILNIUS TECH, please contact organizers.
Stay in tune with ATHENA news – sign up for the newsletter, follow ATHENA on social media and regularly check our website for more.
 

Related news

Lithuania’s Technology Transfer Network “TTO Lithuania” Becomes a Member of the Prestigious European NAAC Committee
Lithuania’s Technology Transfer Network “TTO Lithuania” Becomes a Member of the Prestigious European NAAC Committee
A significant international recognition has been awarded to Lithuania’s science and innovation community. TTO Lithuania—the national collaboration platform uniting Lithuanian Technology Transfer Offices (TTOs)—has officially become a member of the National Associations Advisory Council (NAAC), a governing body of the European knowledge and technology transfer association ASTP. This achievement marks another important step in Lithuania’s continued integration into Europe’s highest-level knowledge transfer and innovation governance structures. In its official welcome letter, ASTP emphasized that TTO Lithuania’s membership will strengthen the voice of Lithuania’s innovation community and provide opportunities to contribute actively to the development of European Union innovation policies. Vilma Purienė, Director of the Knowledge and Technology Transfer Centre at VILNIUS TECH and current Chair of the TTO Lithuania network, has been appointed as Lithuania’s official representative to the committee.   What Is NAAC and Why Does It Matter for Lithuania? The National Associations Advisory Council (NAAC) is one of ASTP’s key governance bodies, currently bringing together 35 national associations from 28 European countries. The committee serves as a vital link between European-level initiatives, regional technology transfer offices, and local innovation ecosystems. By becoming a full member of NAAC, TTO Lithuania gains strategic opportunities in four key areas:   Representation and Visibility Each national association is represented in the committee by one official delegate. From now on, the interests and perspectives of Lithuania’s knowledge and technology transfer professionals will be represented alongside those of Europe’s leading innovation nations.   Advisory Role in European Innovation Policy NAAC members provide direct advice to ASTP’s Executive Board on European and EU policy matters related to innovation, knowledge commercialization, and technology deployment. This enables Lithuania not only to learn from international best practices but also to share its own experiences, achievements, and emerging trends with the broader European innovation community.   Influence on Governance NAAC holds the unique right to nominate candidates directly to the ASTP Executive Board, ensuring that the perspectives of national associations remain an integral part of strategic decision-making processes.   Participation in Decision-Making As a member of the council, TTO Lithuania gains voting rights within the organization, allowing it to participate directly in the adoption of key resolutions and the submission of proposals.   A Step Towards Deeper European Integration NAAC members collaborate actively throughout the year. The council typically holds five to six meetings annually, including four online sessions and up to two in-person gatherings. These meetings address the most pressing issues in knowledge transfer, review developments in regulatory frameworks, and foster the creation of joint initiatives and projects. TTO Lithuania’s accession to the council opens new opportunities for specialists from Lithuanian universities, research institutes, and technology transfer organizations to engage more closely in international processes, strengthen their professional expertise, and help ensure that Lithuanian scientific discoveries and innovations reach global markets more effectively. This milestone further reinforces Lithuania’s position within the European innovation ecosystem and highlights the growing recognition of the country’s contributions to knowledge transfer, research commercialization, and innovation-driven growth.
More
New doctoral dissertation
New doctoral dissertation
VILNIUS TECH Library invites you to follow the published new dissertations. The dissertation „Analysis and modeling of deformations induced by the extrusion of fiber-reinforced polymers“ prepared at VILNIUS TECH by Mahmoud Samy Mahmoud Mohammed Farh. The dissertation was prepared in 2021–2026. Scientific consultant – Prof. Dr Viktor Gribniak. The dissertation was defended at the public meeting of the Dissertation Defense Council of the Scientific Field of Materials Engineering in the Aula Doctoralis Meeting Hall of Vilnius Gediminas Technical University at 2 p.m. on 10 June 2026. Additive manufacturing via fused filament fabrication (FFF) enables the creation of geometrically complex components. Yet, its use in structural and semi‑structural applications remains limited by anisotropic mechanical response, defect sensitivity, and fabrication‑induced residual stresses that cause warpage and geometric inaccuracy. This dissertation investigates polylactic acid (PLA)- based materials manufactured by FFF, including neat and partially recycled PLA, continuously reinforced PLA, and short-fiber-reinforced composites, to develop an integrated experimental-computational methodology for evaluating mechanical efficiency and predicting process-induced distortion. The research object comprises the mechanical, thermal, viscoelastic, microstructural, and thermo‑mechanical characteristics of these materials. The dissertation develops a unified approach linking reinforcement strategy, material structure, thermal history, mechanical performance, and warpage behavior. The adopted methodology combines quasi‑static tensile and flexural testing, thermomechanical characterization, scanning electron microscopy, and finite-element simulations. Continuous aramid reinforcement developed in this study for FFF increases the load-bearing capacity of the tension specimens by 67%. Still, reinforcement efficiency was limited by toolpath continuity, interfacial defects, and the absence of in‑process fiber tensioning. Short‑fiber-reinforced composites exhibit distinct fiber‑type‑dependent behavior: carbon‑filled PLA increases stiffness, while wood‑filled PLA enhances crystallinity, stiffness retention near the glass‑transition temperature, toughness, and dimensional fidelity. Wood‑fiber reinforcement reduces edge warpage by 43% and carbon fiber by 14.3% under identical conditions. A staged thermo‑mechanical simulation framework is developed to model printing, cooling, and detachment, transferring residual stress and distortion fields into subsequent mechanical simulations. The ABAQUS model for neat PLA predicts warpage with an average error of 8.2–10.6%, whereas a Digimat workflow captures the deformation in short‑fiber-reinforced PLA with an error of 14.3–17.9%. The latter predictions were obtained for the first time. The dissertation consists of an introduction, three main chapters, general conclusions, and references. The First Chapter provides a literature review of FFF of reinforced polymers, including material combination and modeling strategies. The Second Chapter specifies the chosen materials, test program, and thermo mechanical modeling concept. The Third Chapter evaluates experimental and numerical results, integrating mechanical, thermal, microstructural, and simulation based findings. The General Conclusions summarize the dissertation work, which is supported by four publications, including three articles in Web of Science indexed journals with impact factors, and four conference presentations. Doctoral dissertation readers can search via VILNIUS TECH Virtual Library.    
More