HORIZON-CL6-2022-GOVERNANCE-01 project „A SYstem for reaL-time obserVation of Aeroallergen“ (SYLVA)

Start: 2023-01-01

End: 2026-12-31

Primary biological aerosols (bioaerosols: mainly pollen and fungal spores, but also bacteria and viruses) released into the air by plants, fungi, and other biota, are strongly impacted by climate change. Simultaneously, they also directly affect the climate through interactions with clouds and precipitation. Many bioaerosols, especially pollen and some fungal spores, have allergenic effect on humans. Such aeroallergens affect over 80 million Europeans, reducing their quality of life and costing well over €50 billion/year. Information on bioaerosols is also vital for agriculture and forestry, where timely data about plant development, abundance of pathogens and parasites, as well as invasive species, are necessary for precision-agriculture and knowledge-based technologies. The demand for timely, free, and objective information is currently not met.

The overall goal of SYLVA is to achieve a radical improvement and fill gaps in temporal resolution, timeliness, coverage, and availability of information about aeroallergens and other bioaerosols. SYLVA technological innovations will be accompanied with new infrastructure, distribution and exploitation pathways, and links with stakeholders to ensure technology uptake and sustainability beyond the lifetime of the project. To achieve this goal, the project will:

• Develop cutting-edge bioaerosol monitoring technologies.

• Create bioaerosol monitoring ICT infrastructure and software following open-source principles and connect it to European environmental observing systems.

• Validate the operational maturity and added-value of bioaerosol monitoring technology through Demonstration Pilots in three European regions.

• Maximise impact by demonstrating SYLVA innovations to key stakeholders related to climate, health, agriculture, silviculture, and the environment.

• Ensure the long-term sustainability of bioaerosol technology and infrastructure across Europe.

Vilnius University SYLVA project team (led by Prof. Dr. I. Šaulienė) consists of researchers from Šiauliai Academy and CHGF Institute of Geosciences. Vilnius University supervises the key activities of the project: the formulation of new monitoring standards and the analysis of the project's impact. Vilnius University also plays an important role in implementing other work packages of SYLVA: improving bioaerosol monitoring methods by developing devices and new research methodology (use of eDNA), performing data integration with information provided by satellite observations and digital models. Vilnius University team will prepare educational materials and training aimed at introducing the innovations created during the project to researchers and end users in the field.

HORIZON-CL6-2021-GOVERNANCE-01-16 poject AI-augmented ecosystem for Earth Observation data accessibility with Extended reality User Interfaces for Service and data exploitation (EO4EU)

HORIZON-CL6-2021-GOVERNANCE-01-16 poject „AI-augmented ecosystem for Earth Observation data accessibility with Extended reality User Interfaces for Service and data exploitation“ (EO4EU)

VU Šiauliai Academy is one of 16 partners in this project.

The head of the Vilnius University part of the project: Prof. Dr. I. Šaulienė.

Project period: 2022-2025.

Project researchers: Prof. Dr. G. Daunys, Assoc. Dr. L. Šukienė and L. Vaitkevičius.

This project is European Commission funded innovation project bringing forward the EO4EU Platform which will make access and use of EO data easier for environmental, government, and even business forecasts and operations. The project will promote pre-operational European services like DestinE and will utilise existing platforms and services through the extensive use of disruptive technologies. EO4EU is made up of 16 consortium partners from 11 countries. The consortium that will bring the platform and its initial use cases forward is led by the University of Athens. The EO4EU Platform, which will be available at www.eo4eu.eu, will connect already existing major EO data sources such as DestinE, GEOSS, INSPIRE, Copernicus, Galileo, among others and offer several tools and services to help users find and access the data they are interested in, as well as to analyse and visualise this data. The platform will leverage machine learning to support handling of the characteristically-large volume of EO data as well as a combination of Cloud computing infrastructure and pre-exascale high-performance computing to manage processing workloads. Specific attention is also given to developing user-friendly interfaces for EO4EU allowing users to intuitively use EO data freely and easily, even with the use of extended reality. More information about project can be found here: https://www.eo4eu.eu/about

Critical Thinking in the Information Society (CTIS)

Critical Thinking in the Information Society (CTIS) – Erasmus+ Strategic Partnership for Higher Education Project (see https://ctis-erasmus.info/)
Project number 2022-1-RO01-KA220-HED-000090207
Coordonator Sapientia University, Romania Duration: 27-month project (1st of September, 2022 – 30th of November, 2024).

Project partners: Sapientia University, Romania; Vilnius University, Lithuania; Burgas Fee University, Bulgaria; Pedagogical University of Krakow, Poland; Aristotle University, Greece
Project coordinator at Siauliai Academy: Prof. Dr. Remigijus Bubnys.

The general objective of the CTIS project is to stimulate innovative learning and teaching practices by elaborating digital educational materials intended to develop advanced transversal skills of critical thinking and media literacy in higher education students.

The main project achievement is promoting the use of flipped classroom methods in developing critical thinking and media literacy skills by the elaboration of the necessary material four covering a course content in higher education. The flipped classroom materials will be available in seven languages. A guide for teachers will also be elaborated for facilitating the use of the digital educational material in higher education institutions. Course content will be developed for developing critical thinking and media literacy competences. Educational material to teach critical media literacy with the flipped classroom approach will be elaborated for 20 teaching activities, and will be published in seven languages (Romanian, Greek, Bulgarian, Polish, Hungarian, Lithuanian and English). An electronic book will be elaborated containing recommendations, steps and tips for using the elaborated material in higher education. (more: Critical Thinking in the Information Society)

 

Horizon Europe project „GENDERACTIONplus: Gender Equality Network to Develop ERA Communities To coordinate Inclusive and sustainable policy implementatiON“ (ERA)

Horizon Europe project „GENDERACTIONplus: Gender Equality Network to Develop ERA Communities To coordinate Inclusive and sustainable policy implementatiON“ (ERA)

Project period: 2022-2025.

Gender Equality Network to Develop ERA Communities To coordinate Inclusive and sustainable policy implementatiON project was hosted by the Institute of Sociology of the Czech Academy of Sciences in Prague, Czech Republic.

The consortium consisting of 26 organisations operating in 21 European countries will, in line with the new ERA Policy Agenda, focus on five thematic areas, including gender based violence in academia and inclusiveness and intersectionality with other diversity categories and potential grounds for discrimination, such as ethnicity, disability or LGBTQI+. The overall goal of GENDERACTIONplus is to contribute to advancing gender equality in the European Research Area through capacity building, policy exchange and coordination, as well as the provision of strategic policy advice. Through these activities the project will contribute to supporting GE policy coordination and integration in the new ERA. To organise this work, two Communities of Practice (CoPs) will be created, one consisting of representatives of national authorities and the other of representatives of Research Funding Organisations. The five thematic areas that the project will address are: 1) intersectionality and inclusiveness; 2) genderbased violence in academia; 3) the gender dimension in R&I; 4) the monitoring of gender equality actions at the MS level in the new ERA, including the development of a monitoring mechanism and indicators; 5) the development of a system for monitoring and evaluating the implementation and impact of gender equality plans (GEPs) as the main instrument to promote inclusive institutional changes in the new ERA. Lithuania is represented by Research Council of Lithuania (RCL) and Vilnius University Šiauliai Academy (VUŠA) in the GENDERACTION plus project. Ministry of Education, Science and Sports plays role of associated partner.

In the first year of the project, a benchmarking study was carried out with the participation of 15 national institutions responsible for science and innovation policy and 20 national science funding agencies (such as the Research Council of Lithuania, RCL). The results show that most countries (except Spain, Ireland, Sweden, Norway), like Lithuania, have national legislation and policies that cover most aspects of equal opportunities, but implementation is lagging behind in universities and research centres. Lack of a common understanding of concepts and lack of clarity in terminology hinder the development of inclusive funding policies. In addition, countries lack differentiated data, human and financial resources and coordinated national policies. Another finding is that significant contextual differences exist in Europe in the work toward inclusive gender equality. For many, gender equality is a struggle. The issues of inclusion and intersectionality are at a starting phase in European research and innovation policies. There is a need and an interest to lift the intersection of gender with other equality dimensions.

VUŠA team is leaded by Research Professor Virginija Šidlauskienė.

More information about project can be found here: https://genderaction.eu/.

Scientific research project “E-leadership in municipal administrations: the post-pandemic analysis (E-LEADER)”, (1.78) SU-501, 2023-03-13

Scientific research project “E-leadership in municipal administrations: the post-pandemic analysis (E-LEADER)”, (1.78) SU-501, 2023-03-13.

This project of the Baltic-German University Liaison Office is supported by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) with funds from the Foreign Office of the Federal Republic Germany.

Project period: 2023-02-01– 2023-10-30

The goal of the project is to continue the collaboration in research of a Baltic-German expert group of e-leadership in public sector contexts; to prepare a research instrument of e-leadership for the focus group method (post-pandemic qualitative country-comparison); and to conduct a focus-group based study of e-leadership, comprising German, Lithuanian and Latvian municipal administrations. This research is focused on determining how the application of information and communication technologies (hereinafter - ICT) affected leadership processes and how the e. leadership develops: how processes and content have changed, what measures in municipal administrations are aimed to reduce the social isolation of employees and to increase their motivation in the post-pandemic period. This is a continuous project of the group of researchers – the first project was implemented in 2019, analyzing e-leadership practices in self-government in the pre-pandemic period. So the research on the topic of e-leadership will be continued in order to analyze post-pandemic practices of leadership using ICT in municipal administrations in Lithuania, Latvia and Germany.

The leader of the scientific research project – assoc. prof. Dr Rita Toleikienė. Project researcher – assoc. prof. Dr Vita Juknevičienė.

Project partners: Vilnius University (Lithuania) - project coordinator, Hamm-Lippstadt University of Applied Sciences (Germany), University of Latvia (Latvia).

Scientific research project “EUMODNEXT: Innovative tools and approaches for improving the prevention of fraud in the context of the NextGenerationEU funds”, 101101627

Scientific research project “EUMODNEXT: Innovative tools and approaches for improving the prevention of fraud in the context of the NextGenerationEU funds”, 101101627.

Project is funded by European Anti-Fraud Office, co-funded by the European Union.

Project period: 2023-01-01–2024-06-30

The aim of the project is a comparative study of different anti-fraud plans prepared by European countries, as a necessary condition for receiving new generation funds from the European Union; as well as the application of a new methodology based on neural networks to prevent, detect and prevent possible fraudulent behavior that may occur with the use of the aforementioned European funds.

The leader of the scientific project - prof. Dr. Óscar López Foronda (University of Burgos, Spain). Project researchers from VU Šiauliai Academy - assoc. prof. Dr Vita Juknevičienė, assoc. prof. Dr Rita Toleikienė, lecturer Sigitas Balčiūnas.

 

Erasmus+ KA201 – Strategic Partnerships for school education. All in – International Inclusive Society in Arts (ALIISA)

Erasmus+ KA201 – Strategic Partnerships for school education. All in – International Inclusive Society in Arts (ALIISA).

Project period:  2020-2023.

Project coordinator: Savonia University of Applied Science (Finland).

Project partners: Vilnius University Siauliai Academy (Lithuania), University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna (Austria), Kuopio Conservatory (Finland), Association „Ich bin OK“(Austria).

Project coordinator at Siauliai Academy: Prof. Dr. D. Strakšienė.

The aim of the ALIISA project is to meet the development needs of general education with an international continuing education model. ALIISA is an innovation and development project for inclusive art pedagogy in international cooperation: improvement the social significance of art and its role in promoting social inclusion and well-being; developing pedagogical attitudes and skills; improvement the quality of art pedagogical teaching and ensure the availability of qualified professionals on the field of general and art education.

COST ACTION CA22150 Comparative Research on the Executive Triangle in Europe (CoREx)

CA22150 - Comparative Research on the Executive Triangle in Europe (CoREx), MoU - 060/23, 2023-10-25–2027-10-24.

Action Chair - Prof. Dr Thurid Hustedt (Hertie School, Germany). Working group 2 "Career patterns in the executive triangle" (WG2 Leader Prof. Dr Jan-Hinrik Meyer-Sahling (Nottinham University, UK)). More about the project: https://www.cost.eu/actions/CA22150/

Period: 2023-2027.

Researchers - Assoc. Prof. Dr Vita Juknevičienė and Assoc. Prof. Dr Jurgita Joniškienė.

CoREx bridges currently disconnected research on the top civil service and ministerial advisers, as well as disparities in geographical coverage and research capacities. CoREx will generate comparative datasets and analyses on the institutional set-up, career backgrounds, roles and interactions in policymaking, and accountability and transparency of the executive triangle across regions and over time. In an innovative way, CoREx will provide systematic comparative knowledge about trends, causes, and consequences of different configurations of the executive triangle. CoREx contributes to a better understanding of democratic governance in times of increasing political polarization and populist politics. The unprecedented results will be relevant for the scientific community, stakeholders, and the public at large.

Erasmus+ KA201 – Strategic Partnerships for school education. European Network in Nutritional Education for Aquired Disabilities (ENNEADI)

Erasmus+ KA201 – Strategic Partnerships for school education. European Network in Nutritional Education for Aquired Disabilities (ENNEADI).

Project period: 2020-2023.

Project coordinator: Futura SOC CONS RL (Italy).

Project partners: Vilnius University Siauliai Academy (Lithuania), University of Bologna (Italy), Nueva Opcion Acquired Brain Injury Association of Valencia (Spain).

Project coordinator at Siauliai Academy: Prof. Dr. L. Radzevičienė.

The ENNEADI project is mainly addressed to professionals who, with different roles, work and assist people with acquired disabilities, with particular reference to neurological disabilities resulting from a traumatic event (e.g. after a brain or spinal cord injury). Expected Results: a definition of innovative educational methodologies developed in collaboration with experienced partners and validated through a peer review by the project's network, in particular on the field of good quality-of-life and nutrition practices and services for the people with acquired disabilities.

Lithuanian research council funded postdoctoral fellowship project Assessing organizational antifragility and identifying its links with digital governance in public sector organizations (AFiDIG) (No. S-PD-22-96)

 

Lithuanian research council funded postdoctoral fellowship project Assessing organizational antifragility and identifying its links with digital governance in public sector organizations (AFiDIG) (No. S-PD-22-96).

Project period: 2022–2024.

Most public sector organizations have recently experienced a paradigm shift toward digital governance. Various unexpected disruptions influenced this shift, such as the pandemic, geopolitical instability, and global supply chain disruptions. Nevertheless, most researchers argue that organizations should not avoid unexpected threats; moreover, they should be treated as an opportunity to learn from emerging situations and gain a unique competitive advantage. This phenomenon is supported by the studies investigating the notion of resilience and antifragility, where the first distinguishes organizations’ ability to adapt after the crises, i.e. bounce-back. In contrast, the second highlights the importance of learning from the experience, i.e. bounce-forward. Thus, this research aims to understand the relationship between the organizational antifragility of public organizations and digital governance, assuming that higher antifragility drives higher digital governance.

Postdoctoral fellow: Dr. I. Bartuševičienė. Supervisor: Prof. Dr. M. Butkus.

Lithuanian Research Council funded the Scientific research project Predicting Regional Economic Resilience Using Machine Learning Algorithms (REAPI) (No. P-MIP-24-118)

Lithuanian Research Council funded the Scientific research project Predicting Regional Economic Resilience Using Machine Learning Algorithms (REAPI) (No. P-MIP-24-118)

Project period: 2024-09-01–2027-08-31

Abstract: Research on regional economic resilience is of paramount importance in the field of economic sciences, as it pertains to the capacity of regional economies to endure, recover, adapt, and transform in response to a changed environment, thereby restoring economic stability to pre-crisis levels. Therefore, the primary objective of this project is to develop an instrument that predicts the resilience of regional economies using machine learning algorithms. The research endeavours to uncover the framework of regional economic resilience by examining current instruments that promote evolutionary and transformative resilience development. Furthermore, it aims to construct a tool that predicts regional economic resilience development paths, employing a machine learning algorithm to forecast individual indicators' impact on regional economies' resilience. Supplying data-driven insights about how distinct factors contribute towards the development of regional economic resilience would provide a more accurate comprehension of the depth, duration, and pace of crisis recovery in the regions. Consequently, this aids in forecasting the course of future crises and preparing for their mitigation in the regions. The foresight instrument derived from this research will assist researchers and decision-makers in obtaining recommendations regarding the regional situation during crises and devising solutions guided by data. A thorough investigation within the project will enhance our comprehension of the regional economic resilience phenomenon, assess the situation at the European Union NUTS 2 level, and appraise the influence of diverse factors on the resilience of regional economies. Furthermore, the project seeks to progress the understanding of regional economic resilience theories and methodological approaches. This involves adopting a multi-dimensional and interdisciplinary factor assessment approach implemented by machine learning algorithms.

The leader of the scientific project: assoc. prof. dr. Kristina Matuzevičiūtė-Balčiūnienė. Project researchers: assoc. prof. dr. Ilona Bartuševičienė, assoc. prof. dr. Irma Šileikienė, PhD candidate Greta Mockevičienė

Lithuanian Research Council funded the Scientific research project Co-creation of the urban green space ecosystem services' value in a living laboratory (CITYlab) (No. S-MIP-24-18)

Lithuanian Research Council funded the Scientific research project Co-creation of the urban green space ecosystem services' value in a living laboratory (CITYlab) (No. S-MIP-24-18

Project period: 2024 09 01–2027 03 31

The idea of the project „CITYlab“ (lith. „MIESTOlabas“) is to investigate the phenomenon of co-creation of ecosystem service value in urban green spaces by applying the Living Lab methodology for more sustainable urban green infrastructure decisions. The aim of research – by using the Living Lab methodology to conceptualise the process of co-creation of the value of ecosystem services in urban green spaces for sustainable urban green space development. The project will be carried out by a team of 7 researchers in the social and natural sciences, together with two master students. The project will include exploratory research (analysis of municipal administration documents, interviews with a municipal administration specialist and a representative of an active citizens' environmental NGO); a questionnaire survey of the city's residents to determine the perceived value of ecosystem services in the city's public green spaces; and the initiation of a living laboratory where the co-creation phenomena of the ecosystem service value of the city's public green spaces will be analyzed. The expected scientific contribution of the project: 1) development of an interdisciplinary research approach, integrating knowledge and methodologies from social and natural sciences in the study of complex phenomena and problems; 2) deepening and development of knowledge in management science on the processes of the value co-creation, by studying the value co-creation in the context of complex systems theory and by applying the living laboratory approach; 3) the developed methodology of the living laboratory for the co-creation of urban green spaces will expand the existing knowledge of the living laboratory approach.
Practical vision of the future - the Botanical Garden of Vilnius University Šiauliai Academy acts as a living lab for sustainable urban development decisions.

The leader of the scientific project – assoc. prof. dr. Milda Damkuvienė. Project researchers: lecturer Sigitas Balčiūnas, assoc. prof. dr. Jurgita Joniškienė, assoc. prof. dr. Martynas Kazlauskas, assoc. prof. dr. Evandželina Petukienė, prof. dr. Ingrida Šaulienė, assoc. prof. dr. Jūratė Valuckienė and students: Darija Bučienė, Milda Zubavičienė.

 

Research Council of Lithuania. Zeta functions: going beyond the Riemann’s case. (No. S-MIP-22-81)

Research Council of Lithuania. Zeta functions: going beyond the Riemann’s case. (No. S-MIP-22-81).

Coordinating faculty of the project: Faculty of Mathematics and Informatics.

Head of the project: Prof. Dr. Ramūnas Garunkštis.

Project period: 2022-2025.

Project researcher representing Šiauliai academy: Prof. Dr. Renata Macaitienė. Other three project researchers are from the Faculty of Mathematics and Informatics: Assoc. Prof. Dr  Raivydas Šimėnas, PhD student T. Kondratavičius and master student J. Putrius.

The aim of the project is to get new original results on value‐distribution of certain zeta‐functions, emphasizing the studies on the primeness property of functions from the extended Selberg class and to the universality property of some zeta-functions, and to significantly advance the research front of the Lithuanian analytic number theory school. The objectives of the project are the following: to prove the primeness property of some functions belonging to the extended Selberg class; to obtain new results on the value distrubution of zeta functions; to prove universality of the Riemann zeta function using some generalized shifts; to prove the Bohr–Jessen type probabilistic limit theorems with explicitly given limit measures for a collection of Epstein's zeta-functions; to prove universality theorem for the Epstein zeta-function and a collection of them using some generalized shifts from a wide class of special functions; to prove universality for some composite functions.