Dear participants of the “Communication And Information Sciences In Network Society: Experience And Insights” conference,
Dear guests,
It is a special pleasure and honour to welcome such a forum in Vilnius.
For myself, coming from biomedicine, the topics might appear rather enigmatic, however, seeing from my distance, several points should be mentioned.
First, Knowledge and Innovation Management – are vital for modern university to survive (just to mention – last year VU produced almost 1100 records in WoS DB, quoted over 1700 times).
Second – preserving identity of the country, and, in our case – university, that is impossible without documentary and non-documentary heritage management.
Third – Interaction of Media and Politics: reminds me an eternal question who is first (egg or hen)? University does not produce technologies (including social and political), but fosters people who will be able to produce those technologies, and here lays the social responsibility of the university.
Finally – media and creative industries: towards future oriented trends, helping to pass innovations, heritage, and, finally, politics.
Let me tell few words about our University – history of which could give some hints of contexts. It is the oldest (counting over 430 years), classical and comprehensive university (12 faculties, 7 research institutes, 2 university hospitals, almost 2000 academic staff, over 20.000 students), recently covering almost all fields of knowledge except arts and agriculture. Functioning for a long time as the only school of higher studies in Lithuania, it bears also the mission to preserve scientific and cultural traditions not only of Lithuania, but the neighboring countries as well. During more than four centuries of its existence, the University of Vilnius has seen periods of growth and decline, revival, and closure. The University is a unique witness to the history of the Lithuanian state.
Today, The University is also the largest university in Lithuania, producing over one third of all scientific output of our country. Humanities traditionally played a significant role in academic and social life of our University – faculty of philosophy was one of the first two faculties functioning from the very beginning of our University.
Nowadays, the University is in the midst of development of new structures for stimulating research and ensuring high position of the University in the European and global education and research are.
One more, welcome to Lithuanian Vilnius, Polish Wilno, Russian Vilna, Jewish Vilne. Thank you for choosing our University as a venue of your distinguished meeting.
Hope you will have time to have a glimpse on the vibrant life of this multicultural historical city – and will wish to return back.