News

Registration is now open for Vilnius University's Student for a Day event, which has already become a tradition and will take place on 24-28 October. During the event, Lithuanian and foreign students can see how higher education is conducted, get closer acquainted with the study programmes of interest and the admission procedure.

Participants of "Student for a Day" can choose from 15 VU faculties and a wide range of study programmes they would like to study at. During the five-day event, registered students will take part in seminars, lectures and special activities that will provide a unique experience and allow them to become VU students for a short time.

Students can not only get to know VU or the faculty of their choice and its lecturers, but also try their hand at a specific study programme and find answers to their questions about their choice of studies. You can become a student for one day in almost all study programmes offered by VU.

The event will be held live and remotely. Student for a Day lectures are also organised for international students in English. Registration is required.

For more information and to register for the lectures, click here.

William Daniel Phillips – is a Distinguished University Professor at University of Maryland and a Fellow of the National Institute of Standards and Technology. His research activities include laser cooling and trapping of neutral atoms, quantum information with single-atom qubits, atomic-gas Bose-Einstein condensates, atoms in optical lattices, atomic physics analogs of condensed matter systems, coherent de Broglie-wave atom optics and collisions of ultracold atoms.

In particular, Professor Phillips developed new methods for measuring the temperature of laser-cooled atoms. In 1988 he discovered that atoms reached a temperature six times lower than the predicted theoretical limit. Claude Cohen-Tannoudji (École normale supérieure, Paris) refined the theory to explain the new results, and along with W.D. Phillips further investigated methods of trapping atoms cooled to even lower temperatures. These experiments lead to the Nobel Prize for Physics of 1997 awarded jointly to Steven Chu, Claude Cohen-Tannoudji and William D. Phillips "for development of methods to cool and trap atoms with laser light". One result of the development of laser-cooling techniques was the first observation, in 1995 of the Bose-Einstein condensate, a new state of matter originally predicted 70 years earlier by Albert Einstein and the Indian physicist Satyendra Nath Bose. In this state atoms are so chilled and so slow that they, in effect, merge and behave as one single quantum entity that is much larger than any individual atom.

Professor Phillips received also other important awards and honors including Service to America Award, Career Achievement, Presidential Rank Award, NIST Condon and Richtmeyer Awards, Arthur Schawlow Prize in laser science and others. He is a Fellow of the American Physical Society, a Fellow and Honorary Member of the Optical Society of America and a Member of the National Academy of Sciences.

October 3rd 3:00 p.m. William D. Phillips lecture to the students of the Faculty of Physics of Vilnius University (VU) “Goodbye to the Kilogram:  the revolutionary reform of the modern metric system” (P. Brazdžiūnas Great Physics Auditorium, Faculty of Physics, Saulėtekio al. 9). Until 2019, the definition of the kilogram was a single metal object called the International Prototype Kilogram.  Today, the unit of mass and all the other units of the metric system are defined by fixing values of natural constants—the greatest revolution in measurement since the French Revolution gave birth to the metric system.  This talk will recall some of the intriguing history of how units have been defined in the past, how it is now possible to define them by fixing constants of nature, and why it was necessary to do so. 

October 4th 6:00 p.m. William D. Phillips' public lecture "Time, Einstein and the Coolest Stuff in the Universe" (Great Lecture Hall, Life Sciences Centre of VU, Saulėtekio al. 7). At the beginning of the 20th century Einstein changed the way we think about Time. Now, early in the 21st century, the measurement of Time is being revolutionized by the ability to cool a gas of atoms to temperatures millions of times lower than any naturally occurring temperature in the universe. Atomic clocks, the best timekeepers, are one of the scientific and technological wonders of modern life. Such superaccurate clocks are essential to industry, commerce, and science; they are the heart of Satellite Navigation Systems (satnave), which guide cars, airplanes, and hikers to their destinations. Today, the best primary atomic clocks use ultracold atoms, achieve accuracies of a few seconds in 300 million years, while a new generation of atomic clocks is leading us to re-define what we mean by time. Super-cold atoms, with temperatures that can be below a billionth of a degree above absolute zero, use, and allow tests of, some of Einstein's strangest predictions. This will be a lively, multimedia presentation, including exciting experimental demonstrations and down-to- earth explanations about some of today's hottest (and coolest) science. Time, Einstein and the Coolest Stuff in the Universe provides a fun and educational overview on how fundamental research influences our daily life.

The public lecture will be streamed live here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgErE2FXCgI

Lectures are public and free of charge.

William Daniel Phillips

Event organizer,

VU distinguished professor Gediminas Juzeliūnas

Organizers:

 Supported by:

Partners:

As every year, September 1st is a holiday, so we invite you to participate in the events dedicated to this day: https://www.studentauk.vu.lt/en/program/?f=ff

Study activities will start on the 5th of September for first-year undergraduates, and on the 2nd of September for all other students of the Faculty of Physics (undergraduates and graduate students).

All first-year bachelors students are welcome on September 1st at 11 a.m. at the Great Physics Auditorium, Saulėtekio av. 9, III bldg. 

Master's degree foreign students are welcome at 12:30 p.m. (September 1^st) in the Great Physics Auditorium (there will be directions when you enter building), and for all new Master's students – 1 p.m. in the Great Physics Auditorium.

See you soon!

The Lithuanian Particle Physics Meeting (LPPM) is the gathering of particle physicists with connections to Lithuania. The goal of the meeting is to initiate and mediate a global network of Lithuanian scientists with interest in particle physics, which is broadly defined as theoretical and experimental study of elementary particles and fundamental interactions.

During a virtual one-day meeting participants will have a chance to make short presentations introducing their career path and current research area. Physicists at all career stages – undergraduates, PhD students, postdocs, staff scientists and professors – are welcome to register for the meeting.

LPPM2022 will take place on April 11, 2022 over Zoom.

More information can be found here:www.cern.ch/LPPM2022.

ERASMUS+, ARQUS and COIMBRA GROUP registration of bilateral agreements for studies in 2022/2023 has started for the autumn semester (for academic year).

Student registration is open until March 1

You can find the news in news: https://www.vu.lt/tnationaliniai-rysiai/naujienos

ERASMUS+ student registration system http://www.erasmus.tprs.vu.lt/admin/

You can find the list of Erasmus partners at http://www.erasmus.tprs.vu.lt/partneriai/ or by downloading from the ERASMUS+ registration system.

The registration form of ARQUS and COIMBRA GROUP can be found in news or here: https://www.vu.lt/troadiniai-rysiai/mainu-galimybes/arqus-ir-coimbra-group

Information on the exchange of bilateral agreements: https://www.vu.lt/tnationaliniai-rysiai/mainu-galimybes/dvisales-sutartys

An informational seminar at the Faculty of Physics will be held on February 22, at 12 noon live (room 207) and remotely (login link: https://bit.ly/3B4xX9R)

2022 graduation ceremonies for graduates of the Light Engineering Program

The graduation ceremonies of the Faculty of Physics of Vilnius University will take place live in 2022, January 28 in the Small Hall of the Central University Building (Universiteto str. 3) (Aula Parva).

The festivities will begin at 2 p.m.

Access to the Small Hall is possible through the central entrance located in the courtyard of the VU Library. The hall is on the second floor of the central university building (follow the arrows).

All participants and spectators over the age of 6 must wear respirators of at least FFP2 during the festivities.

According to the internal decisions of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania and Vilnius University, persons who have a valid National Certificate (or an equivalent document) and do not have the symptoms characteristic of the virus may participate in the contact process.

Open Readings is an international academic platform for students and young researchers from around the world to present their research findings and practices in physics and science.

Open Readings invites you to the 65th International Conference of Physical and Natural Science Students and Young Scientists Open Readings 2022, which will take place in 2022 March 15-18.

Registration has already begun and will run until January 17th. Oral and poster presentations can be presented at the conference. There is no registration fee.

Sign up now!

For the second year in a row, the conference is moving into cyberspace as the country is still constrained by a pandemic. Nevertheless, world-class guest speakers will share their scientific expertise and present their presentations. Participants from Lithuanian and foreign universities and technology research centers will present their research papers.

We believe that scientific conferences provide a significant experience for every future researcher, which is the first and strong step for those who intend to climb the ladder of scientific careers. This conference is open to enthusiastic students from around the world. All interested students (bachelor's, master's, doctoral) are invited to participate and present their research on a wide range of topics.

More information: http://www.openreadings.eu/

Four young researchers from Vilnius University (VU) became the winners of the best 2020 dissertation competition. The winners were awarded by the President of the Republic of Lithuania Gitanas Nausėda on Wednesday.

71 scientific works were offered for the competition organized by the Lithuanian Union of Young Scientists: 39 dissertations in the field of nature, technology, medicine and health, agricultural sciences and 32 dissertations in the humanities and social sciences.

The winners of the competition were the authors of the 10 best dissertations, including four young researchers at VU.

The aim of this competition is to encourage doctoral students to prepare high-level dissertations that deserve recognition not only in Lithuania but also around the world, to promote inter-institutional and interdisciplinary cooperation, to increase the motivation of Lithuanian young researchers to carry out scientific activities of the highest quality and importance to society.

Segejus Balčiūnas in the field of physics was awarded best dissertation award of 2020 for dissertation: Broadband dielectric spectroscopy of some perovskite compounds.

The work of S. Balčiūnas presents the materials of perovskite structure ABX3, which were studied in a wide range of 10-3–1011 frequencies and 100 - 500 temperatures. The effect of a thin layer of potassium niobate (KNbO3) on barium titanate (BaTiO3) crystallites on the dielectric properties of BaTiO3 was investigated.

It has been observed that the value of spontaneous polarization in such a core-shell structure increases. One possible reason is the stresses on the surface of the BaTiO3 crystallites due to the mismatch of the crystal lattice with the KNbO3 lattice.

The dissertation also deals with very popular substances - halide perovskites (CH3NH3PbX3 (X = I, Br, Cl)). The author proves that these materials are not ferroelectric, so they cannot contain domain walls, and high efficiency is associated with a relatively high value of dielectric permittivity, which effectively shields defects. In the study of halide perovskites, it was observed that by changing the cation of position A CH3NH3 to (CH3) 2NH3, the stability of these substances increases.

In addition, the effect of the (CH3) 2NH3 cation on the dielectric properties of the material (CH3NH3)1-x((CH3)2NH3)xPbBr3 was investigated. A small amount of (CH3) 2NH3 cation in the (CH3NH3)1-x((CH3)2NH3)xPbBr3 crystals leads to the phase transition broadening and a shift to the lower temperatures. A higher amount of (CH3) 2NH3 cations concentration results in significant broadening and suppression of the tetragonal phase, due to the frustrated state.

The President awards Sergejs Balčiūnas. Office of the Presidency / Photo by Robertas Dačkus

Office of the Presidency / Photo by Robertas Dačkus

Would you like to live in a country of your dreams? Do you feel like learning a new language? Would you like to study in another great university?

If You have shouted YES to any of the questions above, go ahead and submit your application for a study period abroad!  

Applications for the Spring semester (AY 2021-2022) are open until the midnight of the 21st of September.

ATTENTION! You can apply for different mobility options at the same time.

• Apply for ERASMUS+ mobility here (The list of the partner universities)
• Apply for ARQUS ir Coimbra group mobility here
• Apply for Bilateral exchange here

Info Sessions will be held:

• in Lithuanian September 8 and September 16. 2pm
• in English will be September 15, 2pm.

Use the same link above to both join and watch the recording.

Please find more information here.

Any questions? Please contact via email or

Dear colleagues, students and staff, congratulations on the upcoming new school year!

The academic year for all courses of bachelor's and master's studies begins on 1st of September! Study activities for graduate students begin on 2nd of September. For undergraduate students 2nd and 3rd are integration events and study activities begin on 6th of September.

All foreign students are welcome on September 1, 12:30 in Dean's office (9 Saulėtekio Ave., Building III, Room 203).

More information about integration at Vilnius University: https://www.vu.lt/en/news-events/news/9507-studentauk-integration-of-first-year-students-at-vilnius-university

See you soon!

Have an innovative idea and want to turn it into a startup? Doubt if you can? Lack of experience, team members, mentors? Join un in the TechHub pre-accelerator Info Day and find out about the opportunity to turn your idea into a business!

During the event, program manager dr. Gediminas Rumšas will present the benefits of participating in the pre-accelerator, training plan, elaborate on how the selection of startups will be carried out and what awaits at the end of the program.

Graduates of the program will answer your questions and share their experience in the program.

The program contains a total of twelve training topics. Startups will refine the target customer, perform market and competitor analysis, create market entry strategy, learn about business and product development, positioning, branding, team building, intellectual property, investing.

Successful graduates will have the opportunity to present themselves to the investors at the final “Demo Day” event. In addition, the best performing teams will be awarded valuable prizes - tickets to accelerators abroad and trips to meetings with partners or events in the EU countries.

Startups (small companies with high and innovation-based business development potential, operating for up to 5 years) as well as teams with an innovative idea intending to register a company during the pre-accelerator can apply for participation. Each applicant team will have to provide information about the startup, team and service (product). The received applications will be evaluated and the participants will be selected by the project experts.

Registration to the pre-acceleration program will start on September 13^th.

Join the Info Day on ZOOM on September 21, 4 PM: www.facebook.com/events/233400842046786/

More information about the program: mita.lrv.lt/techhub/pre-akceleratorius

The academic year at Vilnius University is at the end. However, we already prepare for the next study year of 2021/2022! 

After persisting through the COVID pandemic for more than a year, we plan to have study activities for the academic year 2021/2022 physically at the Faculty of Physics campus in Saulėtekis. The academic year starts on the 1st of September. However, 1st day of the new academic year is celebratory and, therefore, study activities will only begin on the 2nd of September.

For the 1st and 2nd-year students of our undergraduate study programmes, we prepared some special activities during the first study week. We will inform you about this in due time.

You can find preliminary schedules here. However, please be informed that schedules might change, so, do not forget to check them from time to time. 

Have a pleasant summer, stay safe and let's meet physically at the beginning of the 2021/2022 academic year in the Faculty of Physics!

In the latest QS World University Rankings 2022, Vilnius University (VU) took a record high position and for the first time, ranked 400th in this ranking.

This is also the highest rating ever achieved by Lithuanian universities in the global ranking of QS universities; therefore, this position is significant not only for the history of higher education at VU but also for the whole of Lithuanian higher education.

“Being among the 400 best universities in the world is a significant achievement for all Lithuanian higher education, testifying to the fact that our country has all the prerequisites for the highest level of international science and studies.

I am certain that we are strong enough to establish ourselves among the best universities in the world and to adhere to the highest standards as they are understood in the international scientific community. However, this requires constant constructive dialogue with the public authorities so that the funding of science and studies allows for the planning of a long-term perspective.

We prove that we can achieve and exceed the set goals, the state must prove that it considers education a priority,” VU Rector Prof. Rimvydas Petrauskas said.

VU has been ranked in the global QS rankings among more than one and a half thousand other higher education institutions for almost a decade, and this time has risen by more than 200 positions in total. First evaluated in 2014, VU ranked 601-650. Currently, being in the 400th position, VU represents Lithuania by shaping high scientific standards, which increasingly contribute to attracting international researchers and becomes a serious competitor to prestigious European universities.

“We are proud of the academic community of Vilnius University. Its efforts strengthen not only the global image of the university but also the image of the city. This time, by being among the top 400, VU has once again proved that it has the energy to grow and create breakthrough ideas,” Vilnius Mayor Remigijus Šimašius said.

This year, VU ranked especially high - 135 position - in terms of teaching quality. According to the criterion of academic reputation, rising by 27 positions compared to last year, this year VU ranks 400th, and 434th in terms of employee evaluation.

When compiling QS world university rankings, higher education institutions are evaluated according to a total of six criteria: Academic Reputation, rating of the best institutions in terms of research, Employer Reputation, rating of the best professional training institutions, Citations per Faculty, the ratio of the number of students and lecturers in the departments (Faculty Student), the share of foreign lecturers (International Faculty) and the number of foreign students (International Students).

Dear Physics faculty community members,

I write to inform you about the decisions dictated by the current period. In response to the epidemiological situation the study activities at Vilnius University in spring semester 2021 are to be carried out remotely.

Only study activities related to final thesis preparation may be carried out in scientific laboratories.

All study results evaluations should be carried out remotely.

Deans office will work remotely or in a mixed manner.

Deans office may be contacted by official phone numbers or official e-mails:

((+370  5) 236 6000 – faculty administrator, ((+370  5) 236 6001 (+370 682 25742) – faculty dean, ((+370  5) 236 6002 – faculty vicedean for studies.

The meeting in dean’s office may be arranged if necessary after preliminary agreement by phone or e-mail.

All necessary virus safety requirements must be preserved during work in scientific laboratories and visits to the dean’s office.

With best regards,

Juozas Šulskus 

ERASMUS+ programme for Vilnius University students for autumn semester of the academic year 2021-2022. 

Fellowship to perform the Ph. D. in the group of Andrés Cantarero (Molecular Science Institute, University of Valencia, Spain)

Requirements: To have already the Master Thesis in Physics or Electrical Engineering.

Title of the project: Thermal and magneto-thermal measurements at the nanoscale

Despite of the fact that the current semester is to be finalised remotely, Vilnius University has decided to hold traditional graduation ceremonies.

Taking into account the decisions taken by the Government of the Republic of Lithuania, under which the quarantine measures are being eased. The graduation ceremony of the Faculty of Physics will take place on June 25, at 3 pm, in the Grand Courtyard of Vilnius University ensemble located in the Old Town.

In order to complete this semester properly and as efficiently as possible, the Senate of Vilnius University (VU) has decided to carry out all study activities at VU remotely until the end of the spring semester.

Representatives of the study programme committees or the administration of the core academic units will inform you about all specific changes in the near future.

Also, from now on, all the relevant information regarding the ever-changing situation will be provided and constantly updated in the special section of the VU website, including information gathered and structured for lecturers on what to keep in mind when shifting to remote learning, what tools are recommended to be used, dates of upcoming training sessions and other useful material. Students will also find the information concerning not only remote work systems and VU Library resources but also relating to various support opportunities or remote work ethics.

Decision on remote-work-related restrictions will follow soon, taking into account the threat of the spread of COVID-19 and the related decisions by the Government of the Republic of Lithuania.

Vilnius University (VU) Council elected a new rector of VU. Prof Dr Rimvydas Petrauskas will lead the largest higher education institution in Lithuania for five years and will commence his term of office on 1 April.