VU Sustainability and Future Societies

On Wednesday, April 1, at 11:00 a.m., we invite you to an online lecture by Mark Overman, a Dutch expert on sustainable environments and the circular economy, titled “The Economic–Environmental Nexus: Rethinking Growth in the Era of Planetary Boundaries.”

Mark Overman is a senior specialist in the Department of Sustainable Environment and Circular Economy at the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, with over fifteen years of experience in the fields of economic and environmental policy. In his work, he focuses on economic transformation processes and public policy decisions that would facilitate the transition to a circular economy and more sustainable models of societal development, taking into account the planet’s limits.

Link to on-line lecture:

www.fsf.vu.lt

We are looking for new and creative future students to start studies already this September!
Our lectures Renata Bikaitė and Ulijona Kaklauskaite this week presented VU Sustainability and Future Societies program in several schools in Vilnius.

Check here if you would like to apply:

👇
https://apply.vu.lt/courses/course/209-sustainability-and-future-societies

Today, in the Human Rights and Social Sustainability course, together with professors Eglė Šumskienė and Kamal Ahamada, our students visited the Arka Gallery. Guided by the exhibition’s author, Icelandic artist Rúrí, they explored Future Cartography. Her works are shown in major contemporary art galleries and museums, and her voice is heard worldwide in conversations on ecology and art.

What did this mean for our course? We discovered vivid links between human rights violations and environmental destruction. On the imaginary world map submerged by melting glaciers, our students from Bangladesh pointed out their homes. We learned about an action remembering Icelandic girls who had suffered sexual violence and were punished—drowned—for it. And our entire conversation with the artist was almost drowned out by the powerful roar of one of Iceland’s most beautiful waterfalls—only a recording now, since the waterfall itself, despite Rúrí’s protests, has been replaced by an aluminum plant.

This week the Head of our study program Ieva Adomaityte-Subaciene returned from the ISIRC 2025 international conference in Canada 🇨🇦, where she presented on social innovation practices and their connection to personal values. These are topics that not only shape academic discussions but are also highly relevant in practice.

We are excited that this experience will directly enrich our studies – in the third year, students will start a course on social innovation and explore how ideas, values, and real-world solutions come together to create social impact 🎉

Happy students starting the journey to Future Societies and getting to know Vilnius.
Our first day starts meeting social partner The Critical with teachers Ulijona Kaklauskaite and Žemartas Budrys.

Renovatio Studiorum !
Greeting to all our student starting the journey at Vilniaus universitetas / Vilnius University VU Sustainability and Future Societies program!

We are glad to share that our teacher Raminta Šileikaitė - Šuminskienė was choosen to represent Lithuania in International Project Global Award Commity by IPMA.

🎉Su pasididžiavimu dalijamės žinia – mūsų bendruomenės narė Raminta Šuminskienė išrinkta į IPMA Global Awards 2025 vertinimo komitetą! 🎉

Šiemet IPMA įsteigė naująją Tvarumo apdovanojimų kategoriją, o Ramintai patikėta atsakinga užduotis – įvertinti paraiškas šioje svarbioje srityje. Tai ne tik reikšmingas tarptautinis įvertinimas, bet ir galimybė prisidėti prie tvarumo principų sklaidos projektų vadybos kontekste. 🌱

Sveikiname ir didžiuojamės! 👋

You can also join Arqus community and travel to different universities while studying at VU Sustainability and Future Societies ! Read more about Marijas advantage ⬇️

📢 Read the experience of Marija Bočiarovaitė, an Arqus student at .

📌 Marija is a social work student at the VU Filosofijos fakultetas and participated as part of the Arqus team at European Student Assembly (ESA25) on 16-18 May. ✨

🤔 Read in this interview what it feels like to be a student at , what recommendations they made and how the event was conducted.

🔗 More info: https://arqus-alliance.eu/news/interview-arqus-student-esa25/