Vilnius University (VU) has solemnly concluded another academic year. During the traditional Finis anni academici ceremony held at VU’s St. Johns’ Church, distinguished members of the academic community were honored, awards were presented for outstanding scientific achievements, and symbolic memory diplomas were ceremonially bestowed upon members of the VU community who were persecuted and expelled during totalitarian regimes. A moment of silence was held to commemorate VU students, staff, and seniors who passed away during the academic year.
Memory Diploma Ceremony
At St. John’s Church, 42 former members of the university community of Lithuanian, Jewish, and Polish descent - persecuted and expelled from VU during totalitarian regimes – were ceremonially honored with symbolic memory diplomas.
Among them were students of the Faculty of Economics and Trade: Vytautas Stonis, expelled in 1948 for being a "kulak’s child," and Gediminas Šinkūnas, expelled in 1977 for "behavior incompatible with the title of a Soviet student."
VU Rector Prof. Rimvydas Petrauskas personally presented several symbolic diplomas to the relatives of VU students and staff who suffered injustices during the occupation period. The remaining diplomas were transferred to the VU Museum after the names were read aloud, as neither the honorees nor their relatives could be located.
Honorary Patron Titles Bestowed
The title of VU Honorary Patron was awarded for outstanding support of VU’s mission and substantial financial contributions to Alma Mater.
The title was posthumously granted to Lithuanian public figure Mantvydas Juozapavičius for his donation exceeding €1 million to the VU Endowment Fund. His diploma and commemorative gift were received by his mother, Irena Juozapavičienė, and his brother, Mykolas Juozapavičius.
The title was also granted to Prof. Eugenijus Arvydas Janulaitis, founder of the Future Biomedicine Fund, for his donation exceeding €1 million to the VU Endowment Fund.
Awards for Scientific Achievements
To promote excellence in scientific research, the VU Rector presented honorary awards to the authors and research groups behind the most significant scientific achievements of 2024, including several from the Life Sciences Center (LSC).
In the category of Best International Project, an award was granted to Dr. Patrick Pausch, Senior Research Fellow at the VU LSC EMBL Partnership Institute, for the project “Jumbo Phages in Translational Enzyme Research” (JUPITER). The project explores so-called jumbo phages - large, relatively unexplored viruses that infect bacteria. It aims to uncover how these phages modulate genetic material and hijack host bacterial gene expression mechanisms. The results are expected to provide new insights into fundamental biological processes and pave the way for developing novel antimicrobials and innovative genome-editing technologies applicable in medicine and agriculture.
For Best Applied Research, Dr. Dalius Ratautas was honored for developing a bioelectrochemical lactate and urea analyzer for monitoring patients in intensive care units. The device enables real-time assessment of metabolic status and is expected to become a valuable tool in clinical practice.
The Rector’s Prize for Best Publication in the fields of natural sciences, technology, medicine and health, and agriculture was awarded to a research group at the VU LSC EMBL Partnership Institute: Dr. Rimvydė Čepaitė, Algirdas Mikšys, Lina Malinauskaitė, Aistė Skorupskaitė, Viktoras Ragožius, and Dr. Patrick Pausch. The team was recognized for their publication in Nature Communications, which investigated structural variations of CRISPR types IV-A1 and IV-A3 and their roles in gene silencing.
Unlike the well-known CRISPR gene-editing system, often described as 'molecular scissors,' the newly studied type IV-A CRISPR system does not cut genes. Instead, it employs a DNA-targeting effector complex with the DinG helicase, which travels along the DNA strand to silence target genes subtly," explains Dr. Pausch.
Community Member Recognitions
VU Rector Prof. Rimvydas Petrauskas also presented acknowledgments to university community members for their long-standing contributions to VU, including Prof. Edita Sužiedėlienė and Researcher Dr. Arvydas Kanopka from the LSC.
Graduate Recognitions
Commendations were also given to graduates whose academic and scientific achievements were recognized with Magna cum laude diplomas.
Bachelor’s graduates from the Life Sciences Center:
Lukrecija Kneižytė, Miglė Šarpilo, Gintarė Žvejytė, Povilas Kruopis, Aina El Ravvas, Rokas Bertašius, Edvard Romanovski, Dominykas Slančiauskas, Simonas Slančiauskas, Vytautė Blekaitytė, Beatričė Gudaitė.
Master’s graduates from the Life Sciences Center:
Aleksandras Čečkauskas, Brigita Duchovska, Anastasija Kudrevceva, Ieva Sokė, Pijus Serapinas, Milda Milčiūtė, Gelminė Vansevičiūtė, Agnija Fedukovičiūtė, Aistė Petruškevičiūtė, Agnė Kvietkauskaitė, Karolina Limanovskaja.
After the ceremony, the VU flag was ceremonially lowered, marking the official end of the academic year. On September 1, the flag will rise again, welcoming the community to a new academic year.
 |
 |