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.
Public Lecture Committee of Permanent Representatives in the European Union: how it works
Department of Political Science of Vytautas Magnus University has a pleasure to invite for public lecture titled Committee of Permanent Representatives in the European Union: how it works?, which will take place on 1st of October, at 1 pm, in room 311 (Putvinskio st. 23, Kaunas).
The topic will be presented by Darius Šimaitis, head of COREPER II Division in European Union Department in Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania.
Before becoming head of COREPER II Division Darius Šimaitis has worked as a Legal Counsellor in the Permanent Representation of Lithuania to the European Union.
VMU student G.Čepulytė awarded by Sakartvelo institutions for UN model simulation
On the 12-16th of September, 2018, in Kutaisi city, Sakartvelo it was organized the international UN model simulation. Model UN simulations are usually meant to expand the views of the students, to help them better understand the daily work of the United Nations and attain practical skills in negotiations and decision-making. These events are mostly organized and run by students.
The faculty of Political science and diplomacy of Vytautas Magnus University was represented by Gertrūda Čepulytė, Artūras Matusevičius, Evelina Batakytė, Sandra Kudzmaitė, Vaineta Kazlauskaitė and Ieva Jakubavičiūtė.
This event, UN model simulation in Kutaisi, attracted students from 11 different countries, who took the tasks and participated in the simulation while representing different assigned countries- UN member states. The best participants of the Model UN were rewarded in different categories: Best public speaker, Best Delegation, Best position paper.
Gertrūda Čepulytė received an award ( first place) for the public speech in the category “best public speaker” while representing the position of the Republic of Yemen. Gertrūda was also awarded with gifts from the Kutaisi City Hall, Peace Corps, and LDA Georgia organisations.
Congratulations!
Rethinking Regional Studies: the Baltic-Black Sea Connection
Name of the project: Rethinking Regional Studies: the Baltic-Black Sea Connection (BBSR)
Duration: 15 October 2017 – 14 October 2021
The project’s goal was to modernise regional studies at the Ukrainian partner universities, internationalise their study offer and provide support in implementing international projects.
The project achieved its main goals, which were:
– creation of an English-language MA programme (the first corresponding to Bologna principles) on Baltic and Black Sea Region Studies at Ivan Franko National University of Lviv thereby modernising regional studies in Ukraine; overall 22 new courses were developed in the four Ukrainian universities;
– creation of modules on regional studies at other Ukrainian universities, embedded in the international relations studies;
– new knowledge and skills in regional studies and international relations;
– facilitating innovative ways as well as the quality of teaching and learning at Ukrainian universities by the purchase of equipment, including smartboards, anti-plagiarism software, access to online resources, and thematic books;
– in addition to equipment, an adequate training was provided for both teachers and students on academic writing and integrity, plagiarism, innovative teaching methods, blended courses etc.
Among other achievements:
– the students of Ukrainian universities have received international learning experience both at a winter school in Estonia as well as in Mariupol;
– the project has intensified other cooperation between the Ukrainian partners themselves and with the EU partners;
– thanks to the project, decrees have been adopted at IFNUL about the international cooperation and projects; project results have been disseminated on the project webpage and Facebook page, at different conferences and meetings, as well as regional newspapers and TV. The project has contributed to the internationalisation of curricula at partner universities, more effective use of online learning methods, raised awareness of both teachers and students on plagiarism.
Partners:
University of Tartu, Estonia
Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, Ukraine
Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Poland
Lund University, Sweden
Vytautas Magnus University, Kaunas, Lithuania
Mariupol State University, Ukraine
Odessa National I. I. Mechnikov University, Ukraine
Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Ukraine
***
Lecture about Israeli Security Concept
Department of Political Science has a pleasure to invite prof. Dima Adamsky for public lecture titled Change and Continuity in the Israeli National Security Concept, which will take place on 12-th of September, at 2.30 pm, in room 412, Putvinskio st. 23.
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 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.
Book “The Colours of Parallel World” presentation
At May 4th, President Valdas Adamkus library holds the presentation of a book, written by former political prisoner and VMU student, Mikalai Dziadok.
“The Colours of the Parallel World” is a collection of stories, describing Belarusian prison system in a genre, which author calls “a prison analytics”. Systems of control, used to break a will prisoners in Belarusian prison, insanity and sexual violence, deliberate pressing on political prisoners, orchestrated by KGB, systematic humiliations – all these realias find their description and scrutiny in 16 novellas, along with advices on how to behave yourself to save your mind from decrepitude, how to remain faithful to your ideas, how to revolt against unjust and opposing system while isolated.
During the presentation author will describe his criminal case, which made him spent around 5 years in prison, tell about an anarchist movement in Belarus and informal prison hierarchies in post-soviet prisons and answer the questions of an audience.
“Prison is the most concentrated reflection of what we see outside it, like is being complementary to what is happening here. We all first go to school, then to army, then to work, there we are influenced by certain oppressive and exploitive institutions, after this if you step outside of the systematically designated frame for you and pose yourself against the system, then you are being oppressed again by risking to be jailed. People who come to work in prison and behave sometimes worse then criminals already inside it, they were educated in our society and absorbed its norms and values. When we speak of reforming the prison, we must think about radical reforming of whole society.”
Language of a presentation: English
Place: President Valdas Adamkus library (S. Daukanto str. 25)
Time: 11.00 a.m. 04 05 2018.
Public lecture on Israel politics by visiting professor
Celebrating the 70-th anniversary of modern Israel, Department of Political science has a pleasure to invite everyone for two public lectures on Israeli state and society, on 30-th of April. University will host PhD Sarin Ben Shabat from Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya.
She will give a lecture titled Israeli geopolitical situation in the context of the European Union, USA and Middle East, on 30-th of April, 11.15 am, Putvinskio 23 – 311; and the second lecture Israeli political system and political tradition will take place, on 30-th of April, 4.30 pm, Putvinskio 23 – 103.
Discussion with World Bank Representative
23rd April World Bank expert, former Deputy Minister of Economy of Lithuania and Advisor to the President of the Republic of Lithuania Giedrius Kadziauskas took part at the lecture-discussion with the students of Vytautas Magnus University, Faculty of Political Science and Diplomacy. Participants were introduced with the priorities of the World Bank, the effectiveness of project implementation, they also discussed challenges while working at African and Asian continents. Lecture discussion took place in Vilnius, at the Civic Education Centre, under the framework of the MA Diplomacy course, subject of Economic Diplomacy.
prof. of Tartu University H. Paabo Public Lecture
Heiko Paabo, professor of Tartu University (Estonia) will give a public lecture “Great Powers and Imperial Legacies – Memory Conflict Between Russia and its Neighbouring Countries”. Lecture discussion will take place at VMU Small Hall (S. Daukanto str. 28, Kaunas) on April 27, start at 16h. We invite you to join and participate!
dr. Renáta Bzdilová lecture about Slovakia
During “Faculty days 2018” it was a great pleasure to have foreign guest lecture “Slovakia as an International Actor” Dr. Renáta Bzdilová from Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košiciach (Slovakia).
R. Bzdilová has visited university in the frame of Erasmus teaching mobility program.
