Cooperation between VMU and EHU
On March 25th it was Open Door Days at the European Humanities University (EHU) in Vilnius. The Open Door Days participants were mainly from Belarus who intend to study in Lithuania in bachelor or master level. Many prospective students were interested in joint-degree programme “World Politics and Economy” which is common programme between VMU and EHU since 2015.
European Humanities University is often named as the Belarusian university in exile. Founded in Minsk in 1992, EHU became a “university-in-exile” in 2004 after it was shut down by Belarusian authorities for standing up against attempts to undermine its academic freedom.
Vytautas Magnus University (VMU) has supported the EHU activities since its establishment in Lithuania. VMU professors gave lectures to Belarusian students and advised the development of new and improvement of old programs.
The new stage of cooperation between VMU and EHU began three years ago when common undergraduate program in English language was developed and implemented. Half of the studies period, students spend the first and the fourth years of study in Vilnius and another part, the second and the third years of study in Kaunas, Vytautas Magnus university. The study process is common and supervised by joint study committee of both universities.
Assoc. Prof. Andžej Pukšto, Head of Department of Political Science (VMU) says : “This is unique program both in Lithuania and Central and Eastern European level“.
The main goal is to learn the students to analyze the functioning of contemporary political systems, also assess the specific features of the free market both in Europe and around the world. In addition, teachers paid more attention to the development of international relations and macroeconomic processes.
Assoc. Prof. Andrei Stsiapanau, the Head of Department of Social Sciences (EHU), is very satisfied with the adaptation of the second-year students in Kaunas, most of them reached perfect academic results.
Interest of the program “World Politics and Economy” especially has grown this year, it obliges us to take care of the quality of studies, to think about attraction of new social partners.