News

On 5 December, Jonas Banys successfully defended his PhD thesis titled "Investigation of Optical Parametric Light Sources Pumped by the Subnanosecond Microlaser Pulses". Supervisor - Assoc. Prof. Dr Vygandas Jarutis. 

These advances bring microlaser‑based parametric sources closer to commercial use, broaden their applications, and provide powerful tools for researchers across various disciplines. It also highlights Lithuania’s growing role as a regional leader in cutting‑edge laser technologies.

Vilnius University (VU) scientists are working on a project that may advance cancer diagnostics. In order to develop highly sensitive biosensors, one of the most effective methods in material science is applied – Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering, SERS. The project is led by Professor Valdas Šablinskas from the Institute of Chemical Physics at VU Faculty of Physics.

The call to finance proof-of-concept activities of the R&D solutions created at Vilnius University aims to facilitate the commercialisation of R&D solutions developed at the University. When participating in this call, the university community members who have developed an R&D solution with possible commercial potential but still lack technological maturity for successful commercialisation can increase the value of the R&D solution.

Vilnius University (VU) launches a call “My First Research Team” for young researchers to apply for group leader positions. The programme offers an opportunity for 26 young scientists to establish their first independent research group and implement an original research project. The expected start date of project activities is no later than 1 September 2026.

The results of the 2024 call for proposals for Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Postdoctoral Fellowships under the EU's Framework Programme Horizon Europe were especially favourable to Vilnius University (VU), with funding allocated to 12 out of 19 proposals submitted. Ten more proposals that received high evaluations from international experts have been added to the two postdoctoral fellowship projects selected to be funded during the main EC competition, namely the Dr Lukas Waltenberger (Faculty of Medicine, MF) Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Postdoctoral Fellowship and Dr Owen Gohori (Kaunas Faculty, KnF) ERA Fellowships projects. The funding of the projects was made possible by the new mechanism for reallocating EU funds, which allows some of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) funds to be channelled to Horizon Europe.

On December 3, the Community Welfare Department of Vilnius University (VU) invites the community to a conference "Beyond the Wall of Silence: The Challenges of Neurodiversity," dedicated to openly discussing what is still too often overlooked in society—different ways of thinking, perceiving, and communicating, and the challenges and opportunities associated with them. The conference will be opened by Prof. Vilmantė Pakalniškienė, Vice-Rector for Organizational Development and Community Affairs at Vilnius University.

Dr Mažena Mackoit-Sinkevičienė, a scientist from the Faculty of Physics at Vilnius University (VU), has been awarded the Baltic Women in Science fellowship, within a program co-organised by the Baltic National Academies of Sciences and National Commissions for UNESCO. A researcher has been awarded a 2025 fellowship in the category of Doctor of Sciences in Natural Sciences, Engineering, and Technology. The €7,000 fellowship recognises her scientific achievements and supports further research.

The joint award ceremony for the Baltic laureates will take place on Thursday, 27 November at 13:00 at the Latvian Academy of Sciences in Riga.

Scientists from the Laser Research Center at Vilnius University (VU) Faculty of Physics, together with colleagues from the University of Geneva, have conducted a study that may pave the way for the development of new materials. The results, published in the journal “Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics”, reveal how the light affects special compounds called photoinitiators, that trigger formation of polymers and usually governs the final quality of 3D structure.

Scientists from Vilnius University’s (VU) Physics Faculty, led by Dr Karolis Kazlauskas, have contributed to an international study published in the prestigious journal “Nature Communications”. Cooperating with colleagues from Barcelona, Spain, and other countries, they demonstrated a non-invasive optical method for controlling the heart rhythms of tadpoles. The breakthrough is expected to open new possibilities in photopharmacology – a field of science that uses light to control biological processes.

The Lithuanian Academy of Sciences is announcing three calls for proposals for researchers and students. We invite you to participate actively.

We ask candidates to send the title of the work to be submitted and an abstract of up to one page in length to the Head of the relevant Department of Faculty of Physics  (ff.vu.lt/en/about/structure/departments) by 12:00 on December 1, 2025.

We announce the election results confirmed by the Election Commission of the Faculty of Physics of Vilnius University (VU). 

An event dedicated to the European Space Agency’s Gaia space telescope mission will take place at 11:00 on 28 November in the Research Council of Lithuania, Great Hall, Gedimino Avenue 3, Vilnius.

From 27 July 2014 to 15 January 2025, Gaia has made more than three trillion observations of two billion stars and other objects throughout our Milky Way galaxy and beyond, mapping their motions, luminosity, temperature and composition. Gaia's extraordinarily precise three-dimensional map will provide the data needed to tackle an enormous range of important questions related to the origin, structure and evolutionary history of our galaxy.

Ana Ulla, Professor at the University of Vigo and Member of the Gaia Data Processing and Analysis Consortium (DPAC) Consortium Team, will give a public lecture "GAIA: A Wealth of Galactic Achievements". She will speak about the European Space Agency’s Gaia mission – the most precise and comprehensive astrometric study of space ever undertaken.

On 26 November at 16:00 in A101 aud. (National Center for Physical and Technological Sciences, Saulėtekio ave. 3), Dr Adam Benjamin Morris will give a public seminar "Computing at the LHC". He is a long-standing member of the LHCb experiment.

As November progresses and the State Tax Inspectorate (VMI) publishes the final results of the allocation of 1.2% of personal income tax (PIT) for donations, it has become clear that the Vilnius University (VU) Foundation received strong public support this year – a total of €50,847 was donated.

Congratulations to our faculty students and alumni – Center's for Physical Sciences and Technology team “Quantum Bäcon“ (A. Paskačimaitė, V. Šilys, J. Dobilas, P. Rindzevičius ir U. Šilingaitė).

The Faculty of Physics students team “Not Today, Eve” (G. Usevičius, I. Pocius, J. Turčak, U. Tarvydytė, J. Minkevičius) took second place.

What connects Vilnius University (VU) with Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis’ symphonic poem The Sea, cents, and stars? As it turns out – quite a lot, according to VU students. To mark the International Students’ Day on 17 November, we asked them to share their favourite places on campus, their most memorable university moments, and what being part of VU means to them.

The Arqus Alliance and the University of Graz invite instructors from Arqus Universities to the Arqus Teaching Innovation Workshop on beneficial self-study settings. Join us on Friday, 12 December from 9:00 to 13:00 CET.

Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming teaching in higher education – but how can these opportunities be used most effectively?