Vytautas Magnus University

Community Well-being and Equal Opportunities at Vytautas Magnus University

Vytautas Magnus University strives to create a safe, healthy, and inclusive environment based on respect, attention, and tolerance. The University aims to ensure equal opportunities for all members of the community and to improve not only the quality and results of science and studies, but also working and study conditions. Vytautas Magnus University strives to be a favourable environment for studies and academic career. The University seeks to ensure respect for human rights and guarantee equal opportunities. In order to achieve community coherence and synergy, cherishing the diversity of the community and the personal autonomy of its members, the University undertakes to ensure human rights, dignity, non-discrimination, equal opportunities, and diversity on the basis of gender, age, race, religion, language, culture, disability, socio-economic, family and other grounds.

The University also strives to foster a high organisational culture, promote tolerance and fellowship, as well as closer cooperation and trust between staff and students, and create a cohesive and close-knit community. In order to strengthen the emotional and physical well-being of the community, the University monitors the psychological well-being of the community members and the factors that are relevant to it, and systematically provides the community with feedback on the results of the monitoring and the measures planned to strengthen the psychosocial well-being (e.g., psychosocial support and education, personal development training, mindfulness training, etc.).

The University and other organisations are obliged to implement the policy of equal opportunities and gender equality in accordance with Article 26 of the Labour Code of the Republic of Lithuania, which stipulates that employers employing more than fifty employees are obliged to implement the principles of gender equality and non-discrimination on other grounds, and to prepare and inform employees about the equal opportunities policy as well as the measures for its implementation and supervision. In order to ensure equal opportunities and strengthen gender equality in the field of scientific research, as of 2022, the scientific community of the European Union has subjected all universities and scientific institutions participating in the H2020 programme to the necessary condition for submitting an application – to have a Gender Equality Plan.

Currently, the Vice-Rector for Communication Vilma Bijeikienė as well as the Community Well-being Coordinator Viktorija Starkauskienė and the Equal Opportunities Coordinator Laura Lapinskė, both of whom work in the Human Resources Department, are responsible for the development and implementation of the equal opportunities policy at Vytautas Magnus University. Together with Miglė Janušauskaitė, the VMU Disability Coordinator, they strive to create community and ensure the well-being, equal opportunities, and inclusion of all members of the University community.

Trust Line

Vytautas Magnus University aims to create a safe and tolerant environment and an organisational culture based on trust and dignity. It is the belief that every member of the University community should feel free, safe, accepted, and heard, and be able to nurture their individuality and realise their potential. It is the responsibility of each member of the community to ensure that their words or actions do not contribute to the creation of a hostile environment for an individual or a specific group.

A Trust Line (pasitikejimo.linija@vdu.lt) has been established to ensure anti-discrimination policy at the University and to prevent sexual harassment.

If you have experienced or observed sexual harassment or psychological violence, oppression, mobbing, other offensive behaviour, discrimination on the basis of gender, age, race, religion, language, culture, disability, ethnicity, socio-economic status, marital status, intent to have a child/children, or on other grounds in your work environment, we invite you to feel free to report it to the Trust Line. Each case will be investigated by specialists in their field, guaranteeing complete confidentiality.

Diversity, inclusion, and equal opportunities at Vytautas Magnus University (related documents and activities)

More information and contacts

  • Community Wellbeing Coordinator Viktorija Starkauskienė
  • Phone no. +370 (699) 53100
  • E-mail viktorija.starkauskiene@vdu.lt
  • Address Studentų str. 11-206, Akademija, Kaunas district
  • Responsibilities: coordination, organization and implementation of activities related to community’s wellbeing; creating an inclusive and motivating work environment; solving problems related to matters of community welfare; dissemination of information and awareness raising; consultation of interested persons.
  • Equal Opportunities Coordinator Laura Lapinskė
  • Phone no. +370 (612) 55567
  • E-mail laura.lapinske@vdu.lt
  • Address Studentų str. 11-206, Akademija, Kaunas district
  • Responsibilities: preparation and implementation of university’s equal opportunities policies; initiation, coordination, implementation and monitoring of measures related to ensuring equal opportunities and anti-discrimination; dissemination of information and awareness raising; handling cases related to discrimination and sexual harassment; consultation of interested persons.
  • Disability Affairs Chief Coordinator Miglė Janušauskaitė
  • Phone no.: +370 (659) 763 99 / 4607 (inner)
  • E-mail migle.janusauskaite@vdu.lt
  • Internet University and disability
  • Address K. Donelaičio str. 52-106, LT-44244, Kaunas
  • Responsibilities: developing, planning, implementing, monitoring and publicising the University’s disability policy; solving problems of community members with disabilities/individual needs; counselling employees on issues of inclusion; counselling other interested parties.