VU Kaunas Faculty of Humanities and the Ukrainian universities being under a two-year-long international project PRORES have developed a productive academic partnership when an important cooperation agreement between VU and Ukraine’s National University of Food Technologies (NUFT) was signed last year.
Cooperation confirmed by agreements
Last fall, the Dean of Vilnius University Kaunas Faculty of Humanities Kęstutis Driaunys, Vice-dean for Infrastructure Assoc. Prof. Dr. Saulius Masteika and Professor Dr. Virginija Jurienėnė attended the 135th anniversary events of National University of Food Technologies (NUFT). During the visit in Kiev (November 17-21) they visited Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv and other institutions of higher education in this city (Vadim Getman Kyiv National Economic University, National Academy of Management, Culture and Arts), where they met with the administration and discussed opportunities for cooperation.
The Dean of VUKHF, authorised by the acting rector Prof. Dr. Jūras Banys, signed the cooperation agreement with National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine Institute of History. The treaty enables official cooperation between Vilnius University and National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine Institute of History opening new possibilities for the development of science, monographs and textbooks publishing.
During the visit to Ukraine, Dr. V. Jurėnienė, a Professor of the Department of Philosophy and Cultural Studies and international project’s PROREScoordinator in Lithuania met with the coordinators of the same project in Kiev Prof. Dr. (HP) T. Mastenska and Prof. Dr. O. Slezko.
Students from Kiev at VU KHF
At the end of this year’s fall semester (November 27–December 11) 12 students accompanied by professors Tatiana Mastenska ir Anastasija Tyhonova from National University of Food Technologies visited Vilnius University Kaunas Faculty of Humanities. For two weeks students from Ukraine have been attending various lectures: “Intelligent Models in Marketing Systems”, “The Balts, Lithuania and Lithuanian culture”, “Cross Cultural communication and (Successful Business) Advertising”, “Understading the Role of Central Bank Managing Inflation through the Game of ECONOMIA”, “Hidden Metaphors of Everyday Life”, “Business English”, “Entrepreneurship Development and the Role of the Country's Economy“ , “”Finance Business Informatics”, “Audio and Video Content Preparation and Broadcasting for/on the Internet“”, "Creation of Organizational Trustworthiness through Inter-organizational Cooperation" “Nonverbal Language: how Transparent are we?“, “Using Artificial Intelligence to Improve Cash Cycle Processes” and others. Students from NUFT enjoyed lectures by Prof. Dr. L. Ulvydienė, Assoc. Prof. Dr. A. Urbonienė, Lect. M. Dilys, Assoc. Prof. Dr. D. Pilinkus, Prof. Dr. V. Sakalauskas, Assoc. Prof. Dr. D. Krikščiūnienė, Assoc. Prof. Dr. D. Vengalienė, Dr. V. Linkevičiūtė, Prof. Dr (HP). O. Poliakovas, Assoc. Prof. Dr. E. Bartkus, Assoc. Prof. Dr. S. Masteika, Lect. P. Tamošiūnas, Prof. Dr. T. Solomonik, Dr. M. Ambraziūnas and Prof. Dr. V. Jurėnienė. Ukrainians not only studied, but also travelled in Lithuania: they visited Klaipėda and Palangą, Trakai, the Old Campus of VU, the old and new VU libraries, which really impressed them. They were so fascinated by the libraries in Vilnius that they expressed the wish to return and spend more time there – gather information for their final theses.
During the stay in Lithuania, the students from Ukraine were guided by two departments: the Department of Philosophy and Cultural Studies and the Department of Informatics. Prof. Dr. Audrius Lopata, the Head of the Department of Informatics, organized the guests’ visit to UAB “Telesoft”, where an academic workshop “The Problems of the Development of Mobile Technologies” was organized and the possibilities of the latest IT were demonstrated.
The greatest contributions to the success of the exchange visit were made by the Professor of the Department of Philosophy and Cultural Studies Dr. Virginija Jurėnienė and administrators Rasa Poškuvienė and Inga Vaitkevičiūtė, who sincerely helped the students on all matters. Inga Vaitkevičiūtė organized an excursion in the faculty, a visit to AB “Stumbras” and accompanied them in a tour around Lithuania.
The stay was crowned by a joyful gathering with VU KHF folk ensemble “Uosinta”. After an amazing Lithuanian – Ukrainian song and dance competition, participants of the night were very surprised: “How quickly the time has passed…”
Ukrainians have got many great impressions to bring home. They remember not only interesting lectures, excursions and the gathering with “Uosinta” but also the warmth they were surrounded with during the stay in Lithuania and, of course, the wishes to Ukraine in the hope of peace.
Cooperation on Master study level
This spring semester for the first time VU KHF welcomes students of the second-cycle study programme “Organizational Management and Administration” (specialization “Business Information Systems”) from Kiev.
According to the cooperation agreement signed in the summer of 2014 between Vilnius University and Ukraine National University of Food Technologies (NUFT), seven postgraduates will study the Master degree study programme “Business Information Systems” at VU KHF on February 2–March 23.
For the first time the lecturers of the Department of Informatics will give lectures to a group of international students on such topics as: “Modern Databases and Data Security“, “Multimedia Technologies”, “Information Architecture in Organisations and Information Systems Project Management”. What is more, the students from Kiev will choose their scientific research advisers and will have consultations with them.
VU Kaunas Faculty of Humanities and NUFT have agreed to collaborate in implementing theMaster degree VU study programme Information Systems of Business and NUFT study programme Management of Organizations and Administration (specialisation Information Systems of Management). Collaboration means providing opportunities for the students of one Party to pursue parallel studies at the other Party. The students who successfully complete each Party’s study programme requirements and defend their Master Thesis will be awarded two diplomas – VU and NUFT diploma.
Studies at another institution are carried out in two semesters, the scientific board for the defence of their final theses is composed of representatives of both institutions. To obtain VU diploma, students from NUFT must fulfil all the requirements of the MA study programme “Organizational Management and Administration” (specialization “Business Information Systems”) and study Master degree programme “Business Information Systems” at VU KHF for the half of the second semester and all the fourth semester. Their final theses must be defended in English at Vilnius University.