Counsellor of Embassy of China to Hold Lecture at VMU

On Tuesday 24 September, at 1 p.m., Mr. Chen Lin, Economic and Commercial Counsellor of Embassy of China in Lithuania, will hold a public lecture-seminar at VMU Faculty of Political Science and Diplomacy (V. Putvinskio g. 23, Room 311, Kaunas).

The title of the lecture is “Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Sino-Lithuanian Cooperation”.

The lecture will be delivered in English.

Lecture about Israel National Security Strategy

Department of Political Science has a pleasure to invite prof. Dima Adamsky for public lecture titled „Change and Continuity in Israeli National Security Strategy“, which will take place on 2-nd of October, at  2 pm, in room 302, Gedimino st. 44.

Prof. D. Adamsky is working in The Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya , private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian research college in Herzliya, in Israel. He is famous scholar in the area of international security.

Prof. Dima Adamsky is a Head of the BA Honors Track in Strategy and Decision Making. Prior to joining the school in 2010, he has been a pre- and post-doctoral fellow at Harvard University, a visiting fellow at the Institute of War and Peace Studies, Columbia University and at the Norwegian Institute for Defense Studies. His research interests include international security, strategic studies, cultural approach to IR, modern military thought, nuclear strategy, American, Russian and Israeli national security policy. He has published on these topics in Foreign Affairs, Journal of Strategic Studies, Intelligence and National Security, Studies in Conflict and Terrorism, Journal of Cold War History, Defense and Security Studies and has contributed chapters to edited volumes and encyclopedias on modern military and international history. His books Operation Kavkaz (Hebrew) and The Culture of Military Innovation (English/Hebrew) earned the annual (2006 and 2012) prizes for the best academic works on Israeli security. In addition to his academic career, in his positions in the Israeli Ministry of Defense, Dr. Adamsky has carried out intelligence analysis and strategic policy planning. In the latter capacity, he served as assistant secretary of the committee charged with formulating Israel’s national security concept.

Discussions: Crimean Crime: Consequences For The International Law & Politics

Nowadays, when we refer to Russian actions against Ukraine we can separate the responsibility of a state and the responsibility of individuals, but even though we are able to divide these questions quite distinctly, the question arises about effective application of present-day regulations of international law to this particular inter-state conflict.

The majority of UN member states supported Ukraine’s independence, numerous actors – including the US, the EU, Canada, Japan and Australia – imposed sanctions against Russia as a means of disapproval of blatant violation of international law and in response to Russian threat to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.

Crimea`s annexation has caused a serious concern in Central and Eastern Europe. The Russian position towards international law and territorial integrity of its neighbours has become an urgent political, legal and research problem. Crimea is now occupied by Russia – what are the legal ways out of this situation? What can and cannot be expected from international law? Is an international order possible without international law?

We would like to start a discussion with the book “The Case of Crime’s Annexation Under International Law”, a publication issued by the Centre for Polish-Russian Dialogue and Understanding in Warsaw, The Institute of Law Studies of the Polish Academy of Sciences and Scholar Publishing House. It is a result of a conference that took place in Warsaw on the anniversary of annexation of Crimea. It assesses legal complexities of what happened in Ukraine as well as possible legal responses. More: http://cprdip.pl/en,publications,others,455,the_case_of_crimea.html

Guest from Lithuania, Poland and Germany will discuss these questions during seminar in Kaunas on 12th of April.

Speakers:
prof. Władysław Czapliński, Institute of Political Studies Polish Academy of Sciences

Professor of International Law; Director (2004-2016), Institute of Law Studies, Polish Academy of Sciences and Professor of International and European Law, University of Warsaw Centre for Europe. Visiting research fellow, A. von Humboldt-Foundation (1988-1990, 1995, 2014), at the universities of Tübingen, Berlin, Köln, Hamburg (Germany). Visiting Professor: University of Paris XI, University of Paris II (2004), University of Nice (2001, 2007, 2010); Viadrina University (Frankfurt/Oder) (2009), Catania (2013), Rome (LUMSA) 2014. Editor in Chief, „Polish Yearbook of International Law”. Arbitrator, Court of Conciliation and Arbitration within the OSCE (since 2013).

prof. Šarūnas Liekis, Vytautas Magnus University

Graduated from Vilnius University and continued degree studies at the University of Oxford. In 1995–1996 he worked as visiting researcher at Hebrew University of Jerusalem in Israel. He pursued doctoral studies and earned a PhD in social sciences at Brandeis University (USA) in 1997. In 2005, Prof. Liekis earned the Habilitation at Vilnius University in 2005. He has been working at Vytautas Magnus University since 2010: he is the Dean of the Faculty of Political Science and Diplomacy, member of the faculty Council, Professor at the Dept. of Political Science, and member of VMU Senate.

prof. Dagmar Richter, University of Saarbruecken

Junior researcher at the German University for Administrative Sciences in Speyer; scholarship at the Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law and International Law in Heidelberg. Senior Assistant at the University of Heidelberg; Margarete von Wrangell-Scholarship by the Land of Baden-Württemberg. Research Fellow at the Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law and International Law. Temporary Professor at the Universities of Heidelberg, Frankfurt/Main, Bielefeld, Bremen, FU Berlin and St. Gallen (CH). Full Professor at the Institute for Legal Studies of the Polish Academy of Sciences (Warsaw) and member of the Scientific Board. Freelance researcher, academic teacher and publicist.

dr Ernest Wyciszkiewicz, Director of the Centre for Polish-Russian Dialogue and Understanding in Warsaw (in Vilnius)

Political scientist. Director of the Centre for Polish-Russian Dialogue and Understanding since 2016. Formerly Deputy Director of the Centre, Head of International Economy and Energy Security Programme and Senior Research Fellow at the Polish Institute of International Affairs (PISM), Managing Editor of “Evropa” Russian-language quarterly on European affairs (2003-2009). Editor-in-Chief of the “Intersection Project”.

dr Łukasz Adamski, Deputy Director of the Centre for Polish-Russian Dialogue and Understanding in Warsaw (in Kaunas)

Historian and political scientist, specialist in Central and Eastern European history as well as in current political situation of Ukraine and Russia. Deputy Director of the Centre for Polish-Russian Dialogue and Understanding since 2016. In 2006-2011 he worked at the Polish Institute of International Affairs as an analyst and then as Programme Coordinator for Bilateral Relations in Europe. In 2014 he was Reporting Officer in OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine.

prof. Andrzej Pukszto, Vytautas Magnus University (chairman)

Historian and political scientist. PhD in Humanities (History), Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski University in Warsaw. Associate professor, head of Department of Political Science, Faculty of Political Science and Diplomacy, Vytautas Magnus University. Author of dozens of scientific articles, member of editorial boards of academic journals.

Date: 12 April 2019 (Friday) at 14:00

Venue: Faculty of Political Science and Diplomacy of Vytautas Magnus University,

Putvinskio g. 23, Kaunas / room 311

Language: ENGLISH with no translation provided

No registration needed.

Organisers:
Centre for Polish-Russian Dialogue and Understanding (Warsaw), http://cprdip.pl/en,the_centre,about_us.html
Vytautas Magnus University in Kaunas

Partners:
Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Vilnius

Polish Institute in Vilnius

Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania

Vilnius Institute for Policy Analysis (VPAI)

Prof. I. Tamutienė’s article about Children from alcohol-misusing families

Professor Ilona Tamutienė, Department of Public Administration published an article in Finish “Nordic Welfare Center.” Children from alcohol-misusing families could grow up ‘unseen’ and experience similar harm in different cultures. Children suffer not only from the maltreatment itself, but also from the feeling of fear and shame due to the drunk person’s behaviour and the society’s reaction to the situation.

An article you can find here

H.E. United States Ambassador Anne Hall Will Give a Lecture in Vytautas Magnus University

On April 4, Thursday, 2.30 p.m., H.E. United States ambassador Anne Hall will give a lecture about democracy in the United States. The lecture will be held in Faculty of Political Science and Diplomacy (Putvinskio g. 23–106).

The United States  is often perceived to be the example of democracy.  H.E. U.S. ambassador will discuss the character of democracy in the United States and the challenges it is currently facing.

CALL FOR ABSTRACTS. “Contemporary Political Processes: Challenges and Opportunities”

The 5th annual conference “Contemporary Political Processes: Challenges and Opportunities” will take place on 12th April, 2019, from 9:00 a.m.

It is organized by the Faculty of Political Science and Diplomacy and hosted by Vytautas Magnus University. The conference aims to advance studies on various fields within the discipline of political science and provide scholars with an opportunity to share their research.

Scholars are encouraged to submit their proposals within these thematic fields:

– Lithuania in the Global World: NATO and EU Aspects

– International and National Security

– Regional Studies;

– Challenges to Governance and Public Administration;

– News outlets, Social Media and Information Warfare;

– Comparative Politics

– Other thematic fields are welcome.

Conference languages: Lithuanian and English

Abstract should be submitted by filling this form. They cannot exceed 200 words and are expected to be submitted until April 3rd, 2019.

Conference programme will be announced on April 5th, 2019.

For further inquiry: gerda.jakstaite@vdu.lt

Intensive course on Security Challenges in the Post-Soviet Area

Assoc. Prof. Gražvydas Jasutis, visiting research fellow in Geneva Academy of IHL and Human Rights, will give an intensive course on Security Challenges in the Post-Soviet Area in 2018/2019 Spring semester from 27of February till 8th of March for master students of the Faculty of Political Science and Diplomacy.

Assoc. Prof. Gražvydas Jasutis is a conflict management practitioner and held various positions in the EU Monitoring Mission in Georgia, the EU Monitoring Mission in Aceh (Indonesia), the OSCE Mission in Kosovo, the OSCE Mission in FYROM, the Permanent Delegation to NATO, and the Ministry of National Defence of Lithuania.

The course is a cross-disciplinary field of study that invites participants to learn big about the security and military issues in the post-soviet countries. It offers unique and practice-based approach to provide a disciplined and methodological review of conflicts, insurgency, military reforms, defence cooperation and regional military build-up. The course fundamentally applies a methodology of security (occasionally military) and conflict analysis.

The Department of Political Science invites students to enrol in this intensive course „POD5008 Spec. Course: Explaining Security Challenges in the Post-Soviet Area” at the student self-service portal https://studentas.vdu.lt/index.php?lang=EN when the registration for 2018/2019 Spring semester will be open.

 

Public Lecture by the Professors of the Canadian University of Moncton

October 24, 2018 at Vytautas Magnus University will attend the Canadian University of Moncton, who will discuss not only university co-operation issues, but also read public lectures (V. Putvinskio St. 23-312, 11:00 a.m.) for Vytautas Magnus University students: Canadian socio-economic policy and its peculiarities North American context; Canada-US-Mexico (USMCA) New Commerce Agreement (English) and Canadian Integration Policy (French with translation into Lithuanian).

Pierre-Marcel Desjardins

Pierre-Marcel Desjardins has been teaching economics at the Université de Moncton since 1990 and is the Director of l’École des hautes études publiques. He has a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Texas (Austin). His current research projects focus on regional and rural economic development, public policy, and trade. He as been called upon by the governments of Canada and New Brunswick, as well as the United Nations and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) as an economic development specialist.

Christophe Traisnel

A graduate of the Universities of Lille II, Paris II and Montreal, Christophe Traisnel is an Associate Professor of Political Science and Deputy Director of the École des Hautes Études Public (HÉP) at the Université de Moncton. Associate Researcher at the Canadian Institute for Research on Linguistic Minorities (CIRLM) and associate member of the Center for Studies and Research in Administrative and Political Sciences (CERSA, Paris II), he devotes his work to the international Francophonie, to migrations Canada, the Boreal Francophonie and linguistic minorities in Canada and Europe. In line with his dissertation on nationalism of protest in Canada and Belgium, he has also published numerous articles on political commitment, nationalism, French-speaking immigration and the recognition of minorities, particularly in the journals Lien social et Politics, Politics and Societies, Francophonies of America, Words, Hermes, Sociographic Research, Canadian Studies. He is also the author of The French in Sharing (Timée éditions), and Francophonie, Francophonismes: group of aspiration and forms of engagement (editions LGDJ – Panthéon-Assas).

Ambassador-at-large for Hybrid threats will give a public lecture

Eitvydas Bajarūnas, Ambassador-at-large for Hybrid threats will give a public lecture “Hybrid warfare in the EU: influences and response strategies”. Lecture discussion will take place at VMU Faculty of political science and diplomacy, room 311 (Putvinskio str. 23, Kaunas) on October 5,  start at 16.30h.  We invite you to join and participate!

The Riga Conference 2018 commences with questions on our future

28th -29th of September, the largest security and foreign policy forums in the Baltic Sea region – The Rīga Conference 2018 – commences at the National Library of Latvia. Over the two days the conference welcomed heads of states, experts, diplomats, academics and media representatives together with some 700 experts from around the world discussing touching questions to the Western alliances.
The conference was opened by President of the Republic of Latvia H.E Mr Raimonds Vējonis. The former President of the Republic of Latvia, Prof. Dr. Vaira Vīķe Freiberga, together with the former Minister of National Defence of Poland, Mr Antoni Macierewicz, and Director of the International Centre for Defence and Security, Mr Sven Sakkov will look back over the last century, seeing what lessons we can learn and whether sovereignty of states in Europe can be secured in a hostile environment.
The second panel whether we can count on NATO for the century ahead. The ministers of Defence of Latvia and Lithuania, Mr Raimonds Bergmanis and Mr. Raimundas Karoblis, respectively, will join Lt.Gen (Ret.) Frederick Benjamin Hodges, of CEPA and Prof. Dr Julian Lindley-French to assess whether NATO can remain an important player in defence of peace in the region.
The first day of the conference was concluded by understanding the mid-term economic outlook for the European Union. The Vice-President for the Euro and Social Dialogue, Mr Valdis Dombrovskis, together with Ms Dana Reizniece-Ozola, the Minister of Finance of the Republic of Latvia, Mr Christian Whiton, Senior Vice President at Banner Public Affairs, and Prof Dr Michael Eilfort of Market Economy Foundation provided their opinions.
The conference discussions will be streamed live on the DELFI portal/ our informative partner portals and The Rīga Conference 2018 website www.rigaconference.lv. As always, the online audience is encouraged to participate in discussions via Twitter, using #RigaConf18. The language of the conference is English.

Arūnas Molis professor of Political Science and Diplomacy and lecturer Donatas Vainalavičius participated in a conference.