Department of Public Communications

The Department of Public Communications is well known as one of the most dynamic and advanced journalism and communications schools in the Baltic Sea region as well as the Central and Eastern Europe.

Currently, three degree-programs are offered at the department. Undergraduate program in Public Communication was introduced in 2010 and since then has been one of the most successful programs at VMU. In addition, two graduate programs are offered by the department: Future Media and Journalism (taught in English), and Integrated Communication (taught in Lithuanian). Both MA level programs are strongly focused on media research and comparative analysis, as well as practical skills training.

MA program in Future Media and Journalism is the most ambitious among all graduate studies offered at VMU. Students seek to address the most complex issues of the modern profession: maintaining the aspirations of classical journalism and addressing the problems of the digitally supported social life.

International reputation of the Department runs on its strong academic capacity and rich experience in research, education, training and evidence-based policy-making on the national and international level. The faculty of the department engages over 30 professors, lecturers, and PhD students who are both, active researchers and professionals in journalism and communication research. Visiting professors from Estonia, Finland, Germany, Netherlands, USA and other countries are regularly involved in department’s activities.

Research and expertise is carried out on the topics of journalism and media analysis, communication rights, media pluralism, media transformation, datafication, citizen participation, political communication, public discourses, propaganda analysis, information warfare, crisis management, media policy, media and information literacy. MA and PhD students are also engaged in the research projects and activities conducted by the department researchers.

In 2018, scholars of the department were granted the title of the UNESCO Chair on Media and Information Literacy for Inclusive Knowledge Societies; the proposed four-year program aims at initiating and consolidating research activities and promotional efforts in media and information literacy analysis and adequate policy implementation in the region, as well as design of the graduate program in Media Education. The Chair was the main co-organizer of the UNESCO Global MIL Week 2018 events and Feature Conference which took place in Kaunas in October 2018.

Department of Public Communications has built strong partnerships and networks through international academic exchange programs as well as with a wide range of professional associations, various national and international organizations (UNESCO, IREX, Media4Change, Center for Media Literacy, Lithuanian Journalists‘ Union, Vilnius Institute for Policy Analysis, etc.).

Romas Sakadolskis Media Lab with radio and video studios, also creative workshops spaces and professional equipment provides students with practical training in journalism, media and communication.

The history of the department dates back to 1998, when the graduate school of journalism (Department of Journalism at that time) was established at the Institute of International Law and Politics at VMU.

Bachelor programme

  • Public Communication (taught in Lithuanian)

Master programmes

Department of Public Communication

  • V. Putvinskio str. 23 – 602, LT-44243 Kaunas, Lietuva
  • Ph. (+370 37) 327891
  • E-mail: vkk@pmdf.vdu.lt

KRISTINA JURAITĖ

Professor / Head of the Department of Public Communication


Fields of academic interests

Media and Communication Analysis, Mediatization Research, Media and Citizenship, Media and Information Literacy, Media Transformations, Risk and Change Communication, Visual Culture, Reception and Audience Studies

CRIS

Email: kristina.juraite@vdu.lt

RŪTA VAINAUSKAITĖ

Administrator, assistant


Fields of academic interests

Journalism of sport, internship of public relations and public communication, Media

CRIS

Email: ruta.vainauskaite@vdu.lt

Darius Amilevičius

Associate professor


Fields of academic interests

Artificial Intelligence, Neural and Symbolic Methods for Mis/Disinformation Detection, Language Technologies, Data Mining and Information Extraction

CRIS

Email: darius.amilevicius@vdu.lt

Lina Auškalnienė

Lecturer


Fields of academic interests

Communication, social media

CRIS

Email: lina.auskalniene@vdu.lt

Auksė Balčytienė

Professor


Fields of academic interests

Journalism and communication transformations, social processes and media studies, European public space

CRIS

Email: aukse.balcytiene@vdu.lt

LAURAS BIELINIS

Professor


Fields of academic interests

Political communication, elections

CRIS

Email: lauras.bielinis@vdu.lt

Algirdas Davidavičius

Lecturer


Fields of academic interests

Communication and media studies

CRIS

Email: algirdas.davidavicius@vdu.lt

Jaq Greenspon

Associate professor


Fields of academic interests

Communication and media analysis

CRIS

Email: jaq.greenspon@vdu.lt

Kristijonas Jakubsonas

Lecturer


Fields of academic interests

Film production and film shoot

CRIS

Email: kristijonas.jakubsonas@vdu.lt

Ignas Kalpokas

Associate professor


Fields of academic interests

Cyber security and hybrid conflicts, Media, culture and political theory

CRIS

Email: ignas.kalpokas@vdu.lt

Jurgita Kapočiūtė- Dzikienė

Professor


Fields of academic interests

Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Deep Learning, Language Technologies, Sentiment Analysis, Ideology Detection, Topic Classification

CRIS

E-mail: jurgita.kapociute-dzikiene@vdu.lt

Inesa Bunevičienė

Lecturer


Fields of academic interests

Analysis and research of social networks

CRIS

Email: inesa.buneviciene@vdu.lt

Judita Kasperiūnienė

Professor


Fields of academic interests

Intersections of Communication and New Technologies: Virtual and Augmented Reality Solutions, Digital Communication, Online Media Discourses

CRIS

E-mail: judita.kasperiuniene@vdu.lt

Tomas Kirilavičius

Professor


Fields of academic interests

Artificial Intelligence, Language Technologies, Data Visualization, Human-Computer Interaction

CRIS

E-mail: tomas.krilavicius@vdu.lt

Epp Lauk

Professor


Fields of academic interests

News, Journalism Cultures, History of Journalism, Journalistic Professionalism, Media Accountability, Comparative Media Studies

CRIS

E-mail: epp.lauk@vdu.lt

Edita Masiulė

Assistant


Fields of academic interests

Communication and public relations of educational institutions and NGOs, problems and challenges of regional journalism

Email: edita.buskeviciute@vdu.lt

Natalja Mažeikienė

Professor


Fields of academic interests

Mediated Discourses, Critical Media Literacy, Feminist and Gender Studies, Intercultural Communication

CRIS

E-mail: natalja.mazeikiene@vdu.lt

Gintautas Mažeikis

Professor


Fields of academic interests

Propaganda, Information Warfare and Strategic Narratives, Political Philosophy, Political Communication

CRIS

Email: gintautas.mazeikis@vdu.lt

Hannu Nieminen

Professor


Fields of academic interests

Media policy, regulation and governance, public service media, public sphere transformations, European public sphere

E-mail: hannu.nieminen@vdu.lt

Audronė Nugaraitė

Professor


Fields of academic interests

Integrated communication, strategic communication and communication of leadership, public relations, social media

CRIS

Email: audrone.nugaraite@vdu.lt

Rimantas Plungė

Professor


Fields of academic interests

Aesthetics, Media Innovations and Creativity, Graphic Design Technologies, Visual Technologies, Data Visualization

CRIS

E-mail: rimantas.plunge@vdu.lt

Artūras Tereškinas

Professor


Fields of academic interests

Popular Culture, Gender Studies, Gender Representations, Men’s Studies, Media and Social Change

CRIS

E-mail: arturas.tereskinas@vdu.lt

Rimvydas Valatka

Associate professor


Fields of academic interests

Journalism

Email: rimvydas.valatka@vdu.lt

Robert Van Voren

Professor


Fields of academic interests

Journalism, Soviet- and Post-Soviet Studies, Human Rights and Democratization, Media Activism and Oral History

CRIS

Email: robert.van.voren@vdu.lt