Representation in the national space and city government

Representation in the national space

Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania

Student representative – Neda Žutautaitė

Participated in relevant meetings of the Seimas Committees of the Republic of Lithuania, discussing all issues related to higher education, the social situation of students, and the legal regulation of particular groups of students (e.g. students with disabilities, foreigners, or resident students), as well as in debating, proposing, and expressing the views of students, and providing expert insights.

Seimas Committee on Education and Science

Student representative – Neda Žutautaitė

The Committee's deliberations have been actively engaged following our proposal in the previous period to define the social dimension in higher education, the principles for the development of an alternative entry route, which should allow access to higher education for under-represented groups, but not create a situation where the alternative route simply increases the masses. Following the debate, amendments to the Law on Science and Studies were adopted, which consolidate the concept of the development of the social dimension, provide for the possibility for the state to finance additional measures of social, academic, informational and financial support, and consolidate the alternative Second Admissions Queue.

Proposals and comments made during the deliberations on the draft amendment to the Law on the mechanism of payment for internships for students during their studies. Unfortunately, suggestions to find ways to ensure paid internships for students were not taken into account and, after much opposition, the draft amendment was not approved.

Participation in meetings of the Interim Parliamentary and Academic Cooperation Group.

Seimas Committee on Health (SCH)

Student representatives – Neda Žutautaitė, Kamilė Marcinkevičiūtė

During the reporting period, medical students and residents were represented in order to prevent the approval of a renewed attempt to introduce an amendment to the draft law proposing that graduates of publicly funded residency training should be required to complete 2-4 years of 2-4 years of service in regional primary health care facilities.

It was also involved in the deliberations and discussions on the draft amendments to the Laws on the Practice of Medicine, the Practice of Dentistry and the Practice of Oral Health Care, which led to the approval by the Seimas of the consistent increase in the salaries of resident doctors, the status of junior and senior resident doctors will no longer exist, and the concepts of supervisor and mentor have been introduced.

Seimas Committee on Foreign Affairs (FAC)

Student representative – Neda Žutautaitė

During the reporting period, foreign students were represented in the Parliament's Committee on Foreign Affairs in order to create the most favorable legal framework for foreigners. Our proposals included: to abolish the restriction for foreigners to work no more than 20 hours per week; to issue temporary residence permits for up to 6 months for a period longer than the expected period of study, and to provide students with an equivalent document for legal stay in the Republic of Lithuania free of charge during the period of the examination of the application, or to provide for the right to stay in the territory of the Republic of Lithuania during the period of the examination; Abolish the legal provision to acquire at least 40 study credits per year of study; ensure the right of minors to participate not only in general education, but also to study in higher education undergraduate and graduate programs in Lithuania; initiate amendments to the Law on Health Insurance of the Republic of Lithuania, providing for the payment by the State of the compulsory health insurance for all foreign students for the period of their studies. Amendments to the law were adopted in the Seimas, which removed the restriction on working time during studies, while other proposals were not approved, dropped or not included. The relevant proposals were further submitted to the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport in the preparation of the strategy for attracting and integrating foreigners.

Government of the Republic of Lithuania

Student representative –Neda Žutautaitė

During the reporting period, the participants took part in inter-institutional consultations and plenary sessions of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania on the amendments to the Law on Science and Studies. Contributed to the drafting of the Government's conclusions on draft laws and the drafting of the long-term state strategy "Lithuania 2050".

Ministry of Education, Science and Sport of the Republic of Lithuania (MoESS)

Student representative – Neda Žutautaitė

During the reporting period, it contributed to raising and examining various issues, participating in consultations and making proposals to improve higher education.

Active participation in (MoESS) working groups:

MoESS Working Group on the Update of the Performance Assessment and Funding Model for Research and Higher Education Institutions**

Student representative – Neda Žutautaitė

During the reporting period, the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport contributed to the preparation of a procedure for incentive funding for higher education institutions for the quality of studies, specific indicators that will serve as the basis for the incentive system and will form the priorities of higher education institutions for improving the quality of studies in the aspects of study performance, internationalization, recruitment of students to scientific, artistic and study activities, graduates' success in career development, and the accessibility of studies.

As a result of the Working Group's discussions, the Minister's Order on the Description of the Procedure for the Evaluation of the Achievements of Study Activities of Scientific and Study Institutions, the Allocation of State Budget Incentive Funding for the Achievement of Study Achievements, the Provision of the Data Necessary for the Conduct of the Evaluation of the Achievements of Study Achievements and the Procedure for Determining the Weighting of the Weighting of the Criteria of the Assessment Criteria of the Achievements of the Achievements of Science and Study Institutions has already been drawn up and adopted.

Student representative – Neda Žutautaitė

Initiated the development of a plan for the social dimension in higher education, following VU SR's earlier proposal to include it in the implementation plan for the provisions of the Government Program and the adoption of amendments to the Law on Science and Studies, which obliges the Ministry to approve the priorities for the development of social dimensions.

A collection of foreign experiences in the development of social dimension plans, data and analysis of the current situation of under-represented groups in Lithuania. Existing measures and barriers faced by under-represented groups were analyzed. An initial version of the plan was drafted, the basis of which was presented at the Social Dimension Conference organized by VU SR and the Ministry.

MoESS Working Group on the establishment of the 2024 competition queues

Student representative – Neda Žutautaitė

Active participation in the working group preparing the mechanisms for the 2024 competitive queues for admissions to higher education, as the changes to the Laws on Education and on Science and Higher Education from 2024 onwards will change the conditions for admission to colleges and universities, and a Second Competitive Queue will be created for under-represented groups in higher education. In the Working Group, we are proposing a possible mechanism for the establishment of competition queues to ensure maximum fluidity, transparency and equity in terms of the social dimension.

MoESS Working Group on the development of guidelines for the professional development of teaching staff in higher education

Student representative – Neda Žutautaitė

As part of the implementation of the 18th Government Program Action Plan, a working group has been set up within the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport to develop/update guidelines for the qualification development of higher education teaching staff. The working group evaluated the current guidelines, proposed changes in the context of the guidelines on the development of intercultural competences and proposed a fundamental review of the career model for teachers, the balance of requirements for academic staff, and the role of pedagogical competences in them.

Student representative – Neda Žutautaitė

The Working Group was convened to submit proposals to the Minister of Education, Science and Sport on improving the legal regulation of social guarantees for doctoral students. During the working group's several-month-long activities, the current legal regulation of doctoral studies, especially the part concerning social guarantees for doctoral students, was thoroughly examined, as well as good foreign experiences and general trends in the organization of the doctoral study cycle. The following proposals were refined: to increase the scope of project funding for the RCL; to encourage the recruitment of PhD students in research programs and projects, either by creating a compulsory condition for project funding or by awarding additional points in the evaluation; to provide for a more flexible model of the doctoral program in terms of duration, and to reinforce the condition for the recruitment of doctoral students in the performance of research and study institutions or in the evaluation of doctoral programs. A proposal for a future vision is to pilot a grant funding model to ensure social security for doctoral students through recruitment.

MoESS Working Group on a strategy for the attraction and integration of foreigners and Lithuanians abroad

Student representative – Neda Žutautaitė

As part of the implementation of the 18th Government Program's Action Plan, a working group has been set up in the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport to develop a strategy for attracting and integrating foreigners and Lithuanians abroad. The working group has identified all the problems that foreigners currently face when coming to live and study in Lithuania, from visa procedures to social and health care, access to services in English, and opportunities to learn Lithuanian. From these current challenges, a draft strategic document has been prepared, which will include the overall direction and objectives of the country to attract foreigners, as well as financial tools and incentives (scholarships, loans, etc.), migration policy issues, dissemination of information, expectations of quality of internationalization of studies, accessible or free health insurance, priorities and measures for an open labor market and Lithuanian language education.

In addition to the working groups, the MoESS also cooperated with:

Continuing to consistently make proposals to widen the range of beneficiaries of the disability scholarship and to merge the several types of scholarships that currently exist in order to reduce the administrative burden on student(s);
As part of the renewal of the system of state-supported loans, in order to be more responsive to students with difficult financial situations, a proposal to improve the system is being prepared together with the National Study Fund;
We made proposals to monitor the quality and cost of student placements to ensure reimbursement;
Proposals and updated funding arrangements for student civic, scientific, entrepreneurial, creative and sporting projects;
The request for dormitories was made following the challenges faced in September, when higher education institutions could not accommodate all the student(s) they wanted. Negotiations on mechanisms to reimburse part of the rent for students, support for HEIs to develop dormitory infrastructure;
On the issue of the Board of the National Study Foundation - to include two student representatives on the Board. Although the regulations were not updated by the Government Resolution, the MoESS delegated the President of VU SR as a representative to the Board.

Ministry of Health of the Republic of Lithuania (MoH)

Student representative – Neda Žutautaitė, Kamilė Marcinkevičiūtė

The VU Residents' Council continued to actively participate in the process of development of the model of tiered competences in order to improve the quality of residency studies and to ensure the international quality standards of medical studies. It contributed to the consideration of the duration of residency study programs, the introduction of minimum professional practice duration indicators and the introduction of a new resident mentor. Participation in the deliberations on the revision of the remuneration of resident(s) planned in the Law on Medical Practice continued up to the stage of the amendment of the Law.

Strongly opposed position on an initiative in the Seimas Committee on Health Affairs to restrict the free choice of residents after their studies by providing for several years of post-graduation service in public Lithuanian personal health care institutions.

Initiated interviews, meetings and strong opposition to the reshaping of the Committee for the Formation of the National Commissioning Committee for the Training of National Health System Professionals, initiated by the Ministry of Health, which unjustifiably removed the direct representatives of the student(s) in the composition, and created new expert councils, whose activities have been expanded to include planning the demand for all the health sciences, not only in the residencies. It was also not agreed that the representatives of higher education student(s) in the expert council should be replaced by representatives of the Lithuanian Students' Union, as the Student Representation of Vilnius University is not part of the Lithuanian Students' Union and has no mandate to represent the students of Vilnius University. The proposals were not taken into account by the Minister of Health, and the changes in the training of health professionals were implemented without the support of all organizations representing health science students. VU SR representatives are included in the expert panels.

Ministry of National Defense of the Republic of Lithuania (MoND)

Student representative – Neda Žutautaitė

As the Ministry of National Defense initiates the reform of conscription, VU SR is actively involved in monitoring the ever-renewed proposals and providing students' opinions, as one of the axes of the reform is to include students in the lists of compulsory initial military service.

In response to the proposals, we have categorically opposed the interruption of studies due to conscription for compulsory initial military service and its incompatibility with academic processes. We encourage the MoND to take measures to encourage voluntary service, to make it more flexible in order to attract students, to provide opportunities for internships in the Lithuanian Armed Forces, and to consider alternative ways of performing military service, without removing the possibility of postponing initial compulsory military service for studies. It is noted that we also see the strengthening of societal resilience as an important objective in strengthening national security, from resistance to disinformation to emergency skills, which is currently not reflected in the proposals.

Study Quality Assessment Centre (SQAC)

Student Forum – Informal working group of the Centre for Quality Assessment of Studies, including representatives of organizations representing the interests of students of Lithuanian higher education institutions.

During the reporting period, a student forum meeting was held to discuss the quality of studies from the perspective of the study participants and the meaning and challenges of student(s) involvement in the evaluation processes of the SQAC's courses and institutions.

SQAC This year, a student representative delegated by VU SR is included in the activities of the Appeals Commission. The Commission examines appeals submitted by higher education institutions against the decisions of the SQAC on study programs, as well as on the evaluation and assessment of the possibility to carry out studies in a related field.

The SQAC has been asked about the quality of internships undertaken by students during their studies, encouraging the SQAC to pay attention, collect data and monitor the organization and quality assurance of internships in higher education institutions.

Lithuanian University Rectors' Conference (LURC)

Student representative – Neda Žutautaitė

During the reporting period, the Conference of Rectors of Lithuanian Universities was involved in the meetings of the Conference of Rectors of Lithuanian Universities on topical issues and the issues discussed therein, such as the educational (pedagogical) competences and professional growth paths of lecturers, the support provided by universities to the Ukrainian refugee students, researchers and professors, and the attraction and retention of foreign students. The LURC Scientific Committee was presented with a study conducted by VU SR on students' research activities, their motivation to participate in them and the existing tools and barriers. LURC and the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport were consulted on measures to develop dormitory infrastructure and discussed in the context of the reform of compulsory initial military service.

Lithuanian Research Council (LRC)

Student representative – Neda Žutautaitė

During the reporting period, the LRC was repeatedly asked to support student-organized scientific events, with the aim of encouraging and funding high-level student-organized scientific events, regardless of the year or level of the student organizing them. In response to repeated appeals from VU SR together with Vilnius University, LRC has expanded the means of support for academic associations, so that from now on, science and science promotion events organized by students of any level and form of study will be eligible for LRC funding.

Representation in the city government

Vilnius City Municipality and the Youth affair Council (YAC)**

During the reporting period, the issue of the accommodation situation of students was raised at the Vilnius City Municipality Youth Council, and a position paper was prepared by the YAC and submitted to the Municipal Council. The President of VU SR was delegated as a youth representative to the working group that drafted the Concept of the Youth Policy of Vilnius City Municipality and is currently elected by the Union of Vilnius Youth Organizations to the Vilnius Youth Council.

Representation in the national space and city government ​