TSPMIJean Monnet Chair prof. R. Vilpišauskas

Jean Monnet Chair prof. R. Vilpišauskas

About

The Jean Monnet Chair “Teaching, researching and debating contemporary European issues” (TRENDS) aimed to revise, expand, and upgrade the EU studies to increase their popularity in Vilnius university and systematically integrate contemporary European issues into the study curriculum of the Institute of International Relations and Political Science (IIRPS VU). The Chair was established in October 2020 and continued activities until October 2023, supported by a grant from the EU’s Erasmus+ Programme for Education, Training, Youth and Sport. 

The underlying motivation for the proposed activities was based on the need to reinvigorate interest in the EU issues among young generation and to contribute to public debates on the contemporary European issues in Lithuania. The JM Chair activities were directed towards overcoming decline in the society’s interest in the EU matters, which became visible compared to the EU accession period more than fifteen years ago. This decline was manifested in fewer students opting to study EU subjects, reduction of the number of theses written on the EU subjects, fewer books published on EU–related subjects in Lithuanian, decline of high-quality debates on European issues and intellectual exchange between policy makers and academia.  

The activities of Jean Monnet Chair were guided by the three main goals. First, to motivate bachelor students to pursue master level studies of the EU and choose professional carrier in Lithuanian and EU public institutions, working with European issues. Second, to strengthen attractiveness and widen access to European studies to students of other departments of Vilnius University. Third, to stimulate the evidence-based public debate on European issues, counter misleading narratives about the EU, and provide knowledge to non-academic audiences about the EU institutions, policies, and current issues.

Professor Ramūnas Vilpišauskas held Jean Monnet Chair position in the IIRPS VU, which is one of the leading social sciences institutions in Central and Eastern Europe and the Baltic region as well as a community of prominent experts on national, European and international politics. The Chair supported IIRPS VU course offerings that includes three MA-level courses, focused on public policies, political economy, and institutional developments of the EU as well as a created BA-level selective course on Contemporary issues of the EU. Besides intensive teaching activities, professor Vilpišauskas also facilitated academic and public discussion events, provided opinion in Lithuanian and foreign media, and engaged in research activities.  

Taken together, the activities of Jean Monnet Chair contributed to bringing the EU issues to the spotlight in Lithuania, encouraging critical debates about the mutual relation between the EU and Lithuania as well as strengthening ties between society, students, scholars, and policymakers. The impact of TRENDS is also relevant after the project lifetime due to active communication and wider dissemination of educational activities, extending beyond the students of the IIRPS and beyond traditional public commentaries.

The European Commission’s support for the production of this content does not constitute an endorsement of the contents, which reflect the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

Professor R.Vilpišauskas

Ramūnas Vilpišauskas is a professor at the Institute of International Relations and Political Science, Vilnius University (IIRPS VU), where he has been teaching since 1996. Since October 2020 to October 2023, he held a distinctive position of Jean Monnet Chair.   

Between 2009 and 2019 prof. Vilpišauskas was the director of IIRPS VU. He developed relevant practical experience of policy advice working as a Chief Economic and Social Policy Advisor to the President of Lithuania Valdas Adamkus during his second term in 2004-2009 (for three years in 2006-2009 also working as a Chief of staff of the President). In addition, professor was a member of consultative policy advisory bodies in Lithuania such as the Sunset Commission (2009-2016), the High Education Board (2010-2013), and the Progress Council (2010-2016). 

The research and academic interests of prof. Vilpišauskas focuses on the EU-related fields, such as political economy of European integration, EU public policies (including transatlantic relations), effects of international agreements on public policies, public sector reforms and foreign economic policies. He has participated in both national and international research projects, such as Horizon 2020 project on reforms in Eastern partnership countries EU-STRAT (financed by European Commission; 2016-2019), “Negotiating Brexit” (financed by British Economic and Social Research Council; 2017-2019), “Navigating in the Storm” on security of small states (financed by European Commission, 2017-2020), small states in the EMU (coordinated by the Institute for European Integration Research, Austria), response to the COVID-19 Pandemic in Lithuania and other EU Member States (COPOVAL) (financed by the Lithuanian Research Council, 2020) and others. Prof. Vilpišauskas is also a country expert for Bertelsmann Foundation for the evaluation of Sustainable Governance Indicators. 

Recent publications of prof. Vilpišauskas include articles in leading international journals on fiscal consolidation and structural reforms in Lithuania as well as analyses of Eurozone crisis, book chapters on the future of Europe, Lithuanian attitudes towards the EU, and changes happening in the country after the accession. List of prof. Vilpišauskas publications can be found here. 

The European Commission’s support for the production of this content does not constitute an endorsement of the contents, which reflect the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

Commentaries in media

As Jean Monnet Chair, prof. Vilpišauskas aimed to initiate public discussions on the EU affairs, strengthen the quality of current debates and encourage closer cooperation between society, academia, and decision makers. As a result, he actively reacted to the most relevant European issues while providing commentaries in media, writing articles, or sharing his views on TV. Public activities of Jean Monnet Chair are presented below: 

Comments and articles in online newspapers

Participation in TV and radio programmes

Participation in podcasts

Jean Monnet Chair Professor R. Vilpišauskas’ podcasts

The vision of Europe’s future: a discussion with V. Amendola, A. Pranckevičius and VU TSPMI students. 16 November, 2021 The recording of the podcast is available here.

Discussion between Vincenzo Amendola, Italian State Secretary for European Affairs, and Arnoldas Pranckevičius, Deputy Foreign Minister of Lithuania, and students of the Institute of International Relations and Political Science of Vilnius University on how Lithuania and Italy see the situation in Europe, what are the most important challenges in the EU and what are the ways to address them. The discussion was moderated by Jean Monnet Chair Professor Ramūnas Vilpišauskas.

Discussion between the Jean Monnet Chair Prof. Ramūnas Vilpišauskas and Member of the European Parliament Andrius Kubilius. (Lithuanian) 1 March, 2022. The recording of the podcast is available here.

A discussion between a Member of the European Parliament, former Prime Minister of Lithuania Andrius Kubilius and students of the Master’s degree programmes in European Studies and Public Policy Analysis on the role of the European Parliament in the EU political process, inter-institutional relations and involvement in managing emerging crises and addressing current issues of the EU political agenda. The discussion was moderated by Jean Monnet Chair Professor Ramūnas Vilpišauskas.

Jean Monnet Chair Prof. Ramūnas Vilpišauskas and Dr. Ieva Giedraitytė discussion on Ukraine-EU relations. (Lithuanian) 17 March, 2022. The recording of the podcast is available here.

As part of the course Contemporary EU Challenges, Jean Monnet Chair Professor Ramūnas Vilpišauskas and Dr. Ieva Giedraitytė held a discussion on the current events of the war in Ukraine, the relationship between Ukraine and the EU, and the prospects and challenges of Ukraine’s membership in the EU.

Baltic-EU conversations – Panel conversation: on cybersecurity in a digital Europe. 18 March, 2022. The recording of the podcast is available here.

The COVID-19 pandemic has triggered a structural change in society and the economy as more and more people rely on digital solutions and technologies. However, as digitisation increases, Europe and its citizens become more vulnerable to cyber threats. Cyber-attacks against EU Member States and their citizens have increased dramatically since Russia’s aggression in Ukraine. The aim of this debate is therefore to explore how to make digital Europe more resilient to cyber threats. The panellists were Thibaut Kleiner, Deputy Director for Networks and Technology at the European Commission, Károly Dán, Ambassador at the Hungarian Permanent Mission to the OSCE, UN and other international organisations, and Verónica Hernández, Deputy Director of the Spanish National Observatory of Technology and Society. The discussion was moderated by Jean Monnet Chair Professor Ramūnas Vilpišauskas.

Discussion between the Jean Monnet Chair Prof. Ramūnas Vilpišauskas and Dr. Magnus Schoeller on the role of small states in EU and eurozone. 15 November, 2022. The recording of the podcast is available here. 

Discussion between the Jean Monnet Chair Prof. Ramūnas Vilpišauskas, Dr. Magnus Schoeller and students of the IIRPS VU Master’s degree programme in European Studies on the role of small states in EU and eurozone. The discussion was focused on the strategies that small states can use to pursue their interests via-à-vis Germany or the Franco-German tandem. Emphasis was also placed on the conditions under which small states can upload their preferences to EU policymaking rather than being only decision-takers, their role, and what makes their efforts to advance their interests more effective. Ongoing debates on EMU reform and economic governance and other instances of collective EU decision-making in addressing recent crises, especially concerning (dis)agreement between Germany and France, were also discussed during the event. 

Discussion between the Jean Monnet Chair prof. Ramūnas Vilpišauskas and prof. Frank Schimmelfennig: “Russia’s war and the EU: united in response to crisis or crisis of unity?” 20 December, 2022. The recording of the podcast is available here.

Discussion between the Jean Monnet Chair prof. Ramūnas Vilpišauskas, prof. Frank Schimmelfennig and students of the IIRPS VU was focused on the response of the EU member states to the geopolitical crisis in Europe triggered by Russia’s full-scale war of aggression against Ukraine, locating the response within the wider context of the poly-crises faced by the EU in recent years. The discussion was dedicated to the question, whether the effects of the current geopolitical crisis on the EU resembles more the reaction to the euro zone crisis, characterised by more integration and coordinated response, or rather EU’s reaction to the refugee crisis in 2015 when uncoordinated unilateral policies of member states prevailed. Moreover, this discussion included questions like: What can we say about the response of the EU and its member states taking into account the effects of Russia’s war in different policy areas such as energy, migration, security and defence and EU enlargement? Are policies of EU member states including their policies towards Russia converging as a result of this crisis or not? Is the initial EU unity with respect to sanctioning Russia and supporting Ukraine gradually fading as EU member states increasingly focus on domestic inflation related concerns and lag behind the US in terms of their support to Ukraine?

„Small states in a challenging world – How EU membership protects & advances our interests’’. A discussion with Jovita Neliupšienė, Declan Kelleher and Lykke Friis. 26 January, 2023. Recording of the event is available here.

Jean Monnet Chair Prof. Ramūnas Vilpišauskas, together with the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Denmark in Lithuania Hans Brask and the Ambassador of the Republic of Ireland Séadhna MacHugh, held a discussion to mark the 50th anniversary of Denmark and Ireland’s membership in the EU, during which they discussed the significance of the EU’s membership to small states. The participants in the discussion were Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania – Jovita Neliupšienė, former Permanent Representative of Ireland to the European Union – Declan Kelleher, Director of the think tank EUROPA and former Minister for Climate, Energy and Gender Equality of Denmark Lykke Friis. The discussion was moderated by Jean Monnet Chair Prof. Ramūnas Vilpišauskas.

Discussion between the Jean Monnet Chair prof. Ramūnas Vilpišauskas and prof. Wolfgang Wessels on the role of European Council in times of crisis. 14 February, 2023. The recording of the podcast is available here.

Discussion between the Jean Monnet Chair prof. Ramūnas Vilpišauskas, prof. Wolfgang Wessels and students of the IIRPS VU on the role of the European Council in times of crisis. The discussion covered how the European Council contributes to the management of major emerging crises and the EU’s strategic agenda, with a particular focus on the contribution of the European Council to the management of the COVID-19 pandemic and the geopolitical crisis caused by Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Discussion between the Jean Monnet Chair prof. Ramūnas Vilpišauskas and Director for Internal Market of BusinessEurope Martynas Barysas on the lobbying in the EU. 14 March, 2023. The recording of the podcast is available here.

Discussion between the Jean Monnet Chair prof. Ramūnas Vilpišauskas, Director for Internal Market of BusinessEurope Martynas Barysas and students of the IIRPS VU was focused on the lobbying practices in the EU. The discussion addressed how interest groups are involved in the EU political process, what lobbying strategies interest groups use to lobby the EU institutions, and at which decision-making stages interest groups seek to exert influence on the EU. Moreover, the discussion payed attention to the role of interest groups in the current state of the EU single market.

Baltic-EU conversations – Panel conversation „Conversation on the EU’s Role in the Future of Ukraine“. 17 March, 2023. The recording of the podcast is available here.

Russia’s war against Ukraine poses the greatest challenge to the European security architecture since the end of the Cold War and is a threat to Ukraine’s statehood. The EU has been unwavering in its support for Ukraine, swiftly adopting far-reaching sanctions against Russia, providing military assistance for the first time ever, and granting Ukraine the status of an EU candidate country. Yet there are significant divisions among EU partners, whether on arms supplies, the scope of sanctions, or visa bans. Some countries – including the Baltic and Nordic states – have sought to maximise pressure on Russia, while some other EU members have been more hesitant. The aim of the panel conversation is to outline the EU’s vision on Ukraine’s future. Discussion was moderated by Jean Monnet Chair prof. Ramūnas Vilpišauskas.

Discussion between the Jean Monnet Chair prof. Ramūnas Vilpišauskas and Member of the European Parliament Andrius Kubilius on the role of the European Parliament in the EU political process. 21 March, 2023 The recording of the podcast is available here.

Discussion between the Jean Monnet Chair prof. Ramūnas Vilpišauskas, Member of the European Parliament, former Prime Minister of Lithuania Andrius Kubilius and students of the Master’s degree programmes in European Studies and Public Policy Analysis on the role of the European Parliament in the EU political process. The discussion was focused on the EP’s relations with the other EU institutions and the EP’s involvement in responding to emerging and ongoing crises, in particular Russia’s war against Ukraine. The future of the EU was also highlighted during the discussion, with a particular focus on the enlargement of the Community and its relationship with the EU’s institutional reforms.

The European Commission’s support for the production of this content does not constitute an endorsement of the contents, which reflect the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

Teaching

One of the aims of Jean Monnet Chair TRENDS project was related to the development of new courses and continuous improvement of courses on the EU issues, taught by prof. Vilpišauskas. During the period of the project, the following courses were introduced or renewed: 

Spring 2022

Contemporary EU Challenges (BA-level). It is a completely new optional course for students from various faculties of Vilnius University that was launched in Spring 2022. It seeks to provide students with an in-depth knowledge of the most relevant challenges of the EU domestic and foreign politics; to develop abilities to assess the EU events critically; to discuss and formulate argument-based suggestions for tackling the relevant issues. The topics of the course reflect the processes of internal and foreign politics and the role of various actors in this process, including discussions on the role of Lithuania in the EU and national interests of the country. During the lectures, contemporary EU challenges are presented, while in seminars they are analyzed from the perspective of Lithuanian national interests as well as supported by the latest (research) material that provides different points of view regarding the issues discussed. The best policy papers, written by the students, were disseminated through various media channels and contributed to societal discussions on the EU affairs. Students’ commentaries and policy briefs:

Autumn 2021

Global Challenges and the EU (MA-level). The main objective of this course is to introduce the concepts of the international political economy and to develop analytical capabilities to understand and critically assess the processes taking place on the international economic and political arena, political factors and their impact on global, regional and national economic developments and the role of the EU in managing global issues. Different forms of interaction with students, including lectures, tutorials, and discussions on the contemporary issues of the EU are combined. After the course refinement in 2021, the major emphasis was put on the development of analytical skills of the students. This is made while analyzing a broad range of topics, related with the contemporary issues of the EU, in particular, international trade, international financial integration and causes of financial crises, migration, climate change politics, energy security, the role of small states in the global economic system, etc. Students are also asked to provide essays and comments, which contribute to the development of their critical thinking and analytical skills as well as provide in-depth knowledge on a chosen issue.  

Spring 2021 

EU Public Policies (MA-level). The course aims to provide students with an in-depth knowledge of the main EU institutions, stages of decision–making process, and relations of different institutions, their importance for different public policy areas, and the latest debates on institutional reforms. After a thorough revision in 2021, the course was strengthened by practical application of knowledge. It develops a broad range of students’ skills, ranging from the expansion of their theoretical knowledge on the EU public policies to its application in practice. A vivid mixture of lectures and seminars, combined with practical tasks, such as preparation of a policy brief encourages students to apply their knowledge on explaining as well as solving dilemmas of contemporary EU public policies. The best policy papers, written by the students, are disseminated through various media channels and contribute to societal discussions on the EU affairs. Students’ commentaries and policy briefs:

  • Raivydas Rakauskas, Using Referendums in Decision-Making Regarding European Union: Alternatives and Recommendations for Lithuanian Policymakers. Policy brief is available here, commentary is available here (in English).
  • Aušrinė Diržinskaitė, Social (politics) distance after pandemic: should the EU gain more rights to shape social policy? [Socialinė (politikos) distancija po pandemijos: ar ES turėtų įgyti daugiau kompetencijų socialinės politikos srityje?] Policy brief is available here.
  • Karolina Jocytė, Why Referendums on the Issues of the European Union is not the Best Way of Citizens Empowerment? [Kodėl referendumai Europos Sąjungoje svarstomais klausimais nėra geriausias piliečių įgalinimo būdas?] Policy brief (in Lithuanian) is available here.
  • Diana Čop, Should Referendums on the European Union Issues be Organized More Often? [Ar reikėtų dažniau rengti referendumus ES svarstomais klausimais?] Policy brief (in Lithuanian) is available here.

Autumn 2020 

Political Economy of European Integration (MA-level). Taught since 2001, the course was significantly improved to provide fundamental knowledge and develop a deeper understanding of political economy of European (dis)integration applied to most recent developments such as the exit of the UK from the EU and COVID-19 crisis. The course focuses on providing ability to evaluate the political economy of European integration primarily in functional terms (integration developments in key economic policies and their interpretations), as well as geographic (integration) approaches. Prof. Vilpišauskas revised the course with a focus on assessing recent processes of differentiation in Europe and the effects of different crises on the state of the EU. 

 

Prof. Ramūnas Vilpišauskas is a lecturer at the “School of Political Scientists” organised by the Lithuanian centre of non-formal youth education and the RePublica Student Corporation of the Institute of International Relations and Political Science, Vilnius University. This school is designed for high school students interested in political science. JMC professor’s lectures focus on EU-related issues.

  1. 17 February 2021.Lecture by Prof. Ramūnas Vilpišauskas “Does EU Membership Limit Lithuania’s Sovereignty?” (23 students attended the lecture).
  2. 16 December 2021. Lecture by Prof. Ramūnas Vilpišauskas “Does EU Membership Limit Lithuania’s Sovereignty?” (22 students attended the lecture).
  3. 9 December 2022. Lecture by Prof. Ramūnas Vilpišauskas “Does EU Membership Limit Lithuania’s Sovereignty?” (25 students attended the lecture).

Lectures at other courses

  1. 8 December, 2021. Lecture by Prof. Ramūnas Vilpišauskas “Contestation of EU power in its Eastern Neighbourhood?” in the course “EU External Relations” taught by Dr. Ieva Giedraitytė. Around 40 students from Université Jean Monnet Saint-Étienne, ENS de Lyon and the IIRPS VU attended the lecture.
  2. 4 November, 2022.Lecture by Prof. Ramūnas Vilpišauskas “Lithuania in the EU: Pace-Setter in the Efforts to Decouple from Autocracies?” in University of Turin, EU Voices Seminars organised by prof. Giovanni Finizio.

The European Commission’s support for the production of this content does not constitute an endorsement of the contents, which reflect the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

Research

One of the core pillars of TRENDS was research activities. After the project, a monograph on the role of different EU, national and other actors in policy process of the EU, the main policy issues in the areas of regulatory, redistributive, and allocative policies, internal as well as external policy issues (enlargement, neighbourhood policies, international trade and relations with the US, China, and Russia), debates on EU institutional reforms, will be published. In each chapter, cases relevant to Lithuania will be presented from different analytical perspectives to make the material more accessible to the public and useful for educational purposes.

In addition, the Jean Monnet Chair is constantly involved in various research projects that overlap with his EU-related research interests.

  • Vilpišauskas, Ramūnas (2023). “Climate change policies in Lithuania: as usual, words speak louder than actions”. In Michael Kaeding, Johannes Pollak, Paul Schmidt (eds.) Climate change and the future of Europe: views from the capitals. Springer, 73-76.  Access the publication here.
  • Vilpišauskas, Ramūnas (2023). “Lithuania’s vision and evaluation: be careful what you wish for”. In Una Aleksandra Bērziņa-Čerenkova, Kārlis Bukovskis (eds.), People’s Republic of China in the Baltic States. The Latvian Institute of International Affairs, 76-102. Access the publication here.
  • Vilpišauskas, Ramūnas (2023). “Lithuania: Executive Dominance in the Context of Usual Confrontational Politics”. In Kennet Lynggaard, Mads Dagnis Jensen, Michael Kluth (eds.), Governments’ responses to the Covid-19 pandemic in Europe. Palgrave Macmillan, 195-207. Access the publication here.
  • Vilpišauskas, Ramūnas (2022). “Harnessing the EU accession perspective for consolidating democracy in association trio countries”. In Harnessing the EU accession perspective for consolidating democracy in accession trio countries : experts’ debrief special issue. TEPSA. p. 24. Access the publication here.
  • Vilpišauskas, Ramūnas (2022). „Lithuania’s Approach: Push Back Autocrats and Engage Democratic Activists“. Kn. Michael Kaeding, Johannes Pollak Paul Schmidt (sud.), Russia and the Future of Europe Views from the Capitals. Cham: Springer, 67-70. Access the publication here.
  • Patkauskaitė-Tiuchtienė, Inga, Rasa Bortkevičiūtė, Vitalis Nakrošis, Ramūnas Vilpišauskas (2022). “The Impact of Significant Events on Public Policy and Institutional Change: Towards a Research Agenda”, Politologija, 105(1), 8-52. Access the publication here.
  • Vilpišauskas, Ramūnas (2022). “Perceptions of European Solidarity in Lithuania—plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose?“. In Michael Kaeding, Johannes Pollak, Paul Schmidt (eds.), European Solidarity in Action and the Future of Europe. Cham: Springer, 71–74. Access the publication here.
  • Vilpišauskas, Ramūnas (2021). “Lithuania. From another (failed) attempt at rapprochement with the regime to the pacesetter of EU’s sanctions policy”. In Andris Sprūds, Māris Andžāns, Evija Djatkoviča (eds.), Baltic and Nordic Responses to the 2020 Post-Election Crisis in Belarus. Rīga: Latvian Institute of International Affairs, 24-29. Access the publication here.
  • Vilpišauskas, Ramūnas, Dovilė Jakniūnaitė, Marta Jaroszewicz, Laurynas Jonavičius (2021). “Susceptibility of Ukrainian and Belarussian domestic actors to external actors’ approaches: puzzling patterns of transition” East European politics 37(1), 65-88. Access the publication here.
  • Vilpišauskas, Ramūnas (2021). “More action than discussion in Lithuania’s response to the pandemic”, EPIN Report The effect of Covid on EU democracies. Access the publication here.
  • Vilpišauskas, Ramūnas (2021). „Lithuania: focus on participation and policy results, support for
    institutional status quo“, EPIN Report Managed Expectations. EU Member States’ Views on the Conference on the Future of Europe. Access the publication here.
  • Vilpišauskas, Ramūnas (2021). „Lithuania“, The UK in a Changing Europe. EU-UK 2030. Access the publication here.
  • Vinogradnaitė, Inga, Ramūnas Vilpišauskas (2021). “The politics of differentiated integration : what do governments want? Country report – Lithuania”, Working Paper, EUI RSC, 2021/10, Integrating Diversity in the European Union (InDivEU). Access the publication here.
  • Vilpišauskas, Ramūnas (2021). “Lithuania-Russia relationship: why so difficult?”, Baltic Rim Economies. Access the publication here.
  • Vilpišauskas, Ramūnas (2021). “Lithuania: Regulatory Patchwork that Evolved in Response to External Threats, Legal Approximation and Domestic Influences”, “Lithuania: Regular Public Reporting Yet Society Feels Uninformed”. In Māris Andžāns, Andris Sprūds, Ulf Sverdrup (eds.), Critical infrastructure in the Baltic states and Norway: strategies and practices of protection and communication. Rīga: Latvian Institute of International Affairs, 59-97, 154-168. Access the publication here.
  • Vilpišauskas, Ramūnas (2021). “Perspective from Lithuania: Towards no Illusions of an Independent Belarus”. In Māris Andžāns, Evija Djatkoviča, Andris Sprūds (eds.), Post-2020 Belarus: Security and Defence Implications for the Baltic States, Poland, and NATO. Rīga: Latvian Institute of International Affairs, 26-38. Access the publication here.
  • Vilpišauskas, Ramūnas (2021). Discussion Paper “Science for policy ecosystems in Lithuania” prepared for the workshop Science for policymaking in Lithuania, organised by the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) and Vyriausybės strateginės analizės centras (STRATA). Access the publication here.
  • Vilpišauskas, Ramūnas (2021). “The Baltic States in the Economic and Monetary Union: Standing in the Shadow of Germany or Helping to Counterbalance the ‘South’?”, German Politics. Access the publication here.

The European Commission’s support for the production of this content does not constitute an endorsement of the contents, which reflect the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

Events

To engage various groups of society in fruitful discussions on the EU issues, Jean Monnet Chair initiated and actively participated in various events related to the EU topics. One of his initiatives – Euro debates that targeted policy makers and civic society by increasing awareness between political and public deliberations taking place on the EU level, and local issues, showing the links between governance on the EU level and the most important economic, social, demographic, environmental issues in Lithuania. To break dominant stereotypes about the EU and provide the basic information about its functioning, recent events and impact on the national development, prof. Vilpišauskas also initiated open (online) lectures in various Lithuanian regions.

Discussion series – Euro Debates

16 November, 2021. The vision of Europe’s future: a discussion with V. Amendola, A. Pranckevičius and VU TSPMI students. More information. (Audio recording of the event is available here).

Discussion between Vincenzo Amendola, Italian State Secretary for European Affairs, and Arnoldas Pranckevičius, Deputy Foreign Minister of Lithuania, and students of the Institute of International Relations and Political Science of Vilnius University on how Lithuania and Italy see the situation in Europe, what are the most important challenges in the EU and what are the ways to address them. The discussion was moderated by Jean Monnet Chair Professor Ramūnas Vilpišauskas.

1 March, 2022. Discussion between the Jean Monnet Chair Prof. Ramūnas Vilpišauskas and Member of the European Parliament Andrius Kubilius. Remote event in Lithuanian language. More information. (Recording of the event is available here).

A discussion between a Member of the European Parliament, former Prime Minister of Lithuania Andrius Kubilius and students of the Master’s degree programmes in European Studies and Public Policy Analysis on the role of the European Parliament in the EU political process, inter-institutional relations and involvement in managing emerging crises and addressing current issues of the EU political agenda. The discussion was moderated by Jean Monnet Chair Professor Ramūnas Vilpišauskas.

17 March, 2022. Jean Monnet Chair Prof. Ramūnas Vilpišauskas and Dr. Ieva Giedraitytė discussion on Ukraine-EU relations. Remote event in Lithuanian language. (Recording of the event is available here).

As part of the course Contemporary EU Challenges, Jean Monnet Chair Professor Ramūnas Vilpišauskas and Dr. Ieva Giedraitytė held a discussion on the current events of the war in Ukraine, the relationship between Ukraine and the EU, and the prospects and challenges of Ukraine’s membership in the EU.

18 March, 2022. Baltic-EU conversations – Panel conversation: on cybersecurity in a digital Europe. More information. (Recording of the event is available here).

The COVID-19 pandemic has triggered a structural change in society and the economy as more and more people rely on digital solutions and technologies. However, as digitisation increases, Europe and its citizens become more vulnerable to cyber threats. Cyber-attacks against EU Member States and their citizens have increased dramatically since Russia’s aggression in Ukraine. The aim of this debate is therefore to explore how to make digital Europe more resilient to cyber threats. The panellists were Thibaut Kleiner, Deputy Director for Networks and Technology at the European Commission, Károly Dán, Ambassador at the Hungarian Permanent Mission to the OSCE, UN and other international organisations, and Verónica Hernández, Deputy Director of the Spanish National Observatory of Technology and Society. The discussion was moderated by Jean Monnet Chair Professor Ramūnas Vilpišauskas.

15 November, 2022. Discussion between the Jean Monnet Chair Prof. Ramūnas Vilpišauskas and Dr. Magnus Schoeller, who is Principal Investigator at the University of Vienna. Remote event. More information. (Recording of the event is available here). 

Discussion between the Jean Monnet Chair Prof. Ramūnas Vilpišauskas, Dr. Magnus Schoeller and students of the IIRPS VU Master’s degree programme in European Studies on the role of small states in EU and eurozone. The discussion was focused on the strategies that small states can use to pursue their interests via-à-vis Germany or the Franco-German tandem. Emphasis was also placed on the conditions under which small states can upload their preferences to EU policymaking rather than being only decision-takers, their role, and what makes their efforts to advance their interests more effective. Ongoing debates on EMU reform and economic governance and other instances of collective EU decision-making in addressing recent crises, especially concerning (dis)agreement between Germany and France, were also discussed during the event.

20 December, 2022. Discussion between the Jean Monnet Chair prof. Ramūnas Vilpišauskas and prof. Frank Schimmelfennig: “Russia’s war and the EU: united in response to crisis or crisis of unity?”. More information. (Recording of the event is available here).

Discussion between the Jean Monnet Chair prof. Ramūnas Vilpišauskas, prof. Frank Schimmelfennig and students of the IIRPS VU was focused on the response of the EU member states to the geopolitical crisis in Europe triggered by Russia’s full-scale war of aggression against Ukraine, locating the response within the wider context of the poly-crises faced by the EU in recent years. The discussion was dedicated to the question, whether the effects of the current geopolitical crisis on the EU resembles more the reaction to the euro zone crisis, characterised by more integration and coordinated response, or rather EU’s reaction to the refugee crisis in 2015 when uncoordinated unilateral policies of member states prevailed. Moreover, this discussion included questions like: What can we say about the response of the EU and its member states taking into account the effects of Russia’s war in different policy areas such as energy, migration, security and defence and EU enlargement? Are policies of EU member states including their policies towards Russia converging as a result of this crisis or not? Is the initial EU unity with respect to sanctioning Russia and supporting Ukraine gradually fading as EU member states increasingly focus on domestic inflation related concerns and lag behind the US in terms of their support to Ukraine?

26 January, 2023. Discussion “Small states in a challenging world – How EU membership protects & advances our interests.” More information. (Recording of the event is available here).

Jean Monnet Chair Prof. Ramūnas Vilpišauskas, together with the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Denmark in Lithuania Hans Brask and the Ambassador of the Republic of Ireland Séadhna MacHugh, held a discussion to mark the 50th anniversary of Denmark and Ireland’s membership in the EU, during which they discussed the significance of the EU’s membership to small states. The participants in the discussion were Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania – Jovita Neliupšienė, former Permanent Representative of Ireland to the European Union – Declan Kelleher, Director of the think tank EUROPA and former Minister for Climate, Energy and Gender Equality of Denmark Lykke Friis. The discussion was moderated by Jean Monnet Chair Prof. Ramūnas Vilpišauskas.

14 February, 2023. Discussion between the Jean Monnet Chair prof. Ramūnas Vilpišauskas and prof. Wolfgang Wessels on the role of European Council in times of crisis. (Audio recording of the event is available here).

Discussion between the Jean Monnet Chair prof. Ramūnas Vilpišauskas, prof. Wolfgang Wessels and students of the IIRPS VU on the role of the European Council in times of crisis. The discussion covered how the European Council contributes to the management of major emerging crises and the EU’s strategic agenda, with a particular focus on the contribution of the European Council to the management of the COVID-19 pandemic and the geopolitical crisis caused by Russia’s war in Ukraine.

14 March, 2023. Discussion between the Jean Monnet Chair prof. Ramūnas Vilpišauskas and Director for Internal Market of BusinessEurope Martynas Barysas on the lobbying in the EU. More information. (Recording of the event is available here).

Discussion between the Jean Monnet Chair prof. Ramūnas Vilpišauskas, Director for Internal Market of BusinessEurope Martynas Barysas and students of the IIRPS VU was focused on the lobbying practices in the EU. The discussion addressed how interest groups are involved in the EU political process, what lobbying strategies interest groups use to lobby the EU institutions, and at which decision-making stages interest groups seek to exert influence on the EU. Moreover, the discussion payed attention to the role of interest groups in the current state of the EU single market.

17 March, 2023. Baltic-EU conversations – Panel conversation on the EU’s Role in the Future of Ukraine More information. (Recording of the event is available here).

Russia’s war against Ukraine poses the greatest challenge to the European security architecture since the end of the Cold War and is a threat to Ukraine’s statehood. The EU has been unwavering in its support for Ukraine, swiftly adopting far-reaching sanctions against Russia, providing military assistance for the first time ever, and granting Ukraine the status of an EU candidate country. Yet there are significant divisions among EU partners, whether on arms supplies, the scope of sanctions, or visa bans. Some countries – including the Baltic and Nordic states – have sought to maximise pressure on Russia, while some other EU members have been more hesitant. The aim of the panel conversation is to outline the EU’s vision on Ukraine’s future. Discussion was moderated by Jean Monnet Chair prof. Ramūnas Vilpišauskas.

21 March, 2023. Discussion between the Jean Monnet Chair prof. Ramūnas Vilpišauskas and Member of the European Parliament Andrius Kubilius on the role of the European Parliament in the EU political process. More information. (Recording of the event is available here).

Discussion between the Jean Monnet Chair prof. Ramūnas Vilpišauskas, Member of the European Parliament, former Prime Minister of Lithuania Andrius Kubilius and students of the Master’s degree programmes in European Studies and Public Policy Analysis on the role of the European Parliament in the EU political process. The discussion was focused on the EP’s relations with the other EU institutions and the EP’s involvement in responding to emerging and ongoing crises, in particular Russia’s war against Ukraine. The future of the EU was also highlighted during the discussion, with a particular focus on the enlargement of the Community and its relationship with the EU’s institutional reforms.

Other events in which Jean Monnet Chair Professor R. Vilpišauskas has taken part

  • Discussion of the Future Committee of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania on “The Future of the Republic and Democracy in Europe and Our Intellectual Autonomy”, 17 February 2021 (a recording of the event is available here).
  • Online debate “Solidarity in Action and the Future of Europe – Views from the Capitals”, 26 February, 2021. The debate was an occasion to present TEPSA’s publication of its book series aiming at bringing the Member States perspectives on the theme of solidarity, touching upon several areas, from COVID-19 to economy and migration. During the debate, three of the authors of the book presented their chapter and opened a broader discussion with participants on the role of solidarity in the future of Europe. More information is provided here.
  • Discussion “Baltic and Nordic Responses to 2020 Post-Election Crisis in Belarus”, 8 April, 2021. The event gathered field experts from Latvia, Lithuania, Sweden and Belarus to discuss the results of the policy brief “Baltic and Nordic Responses to the 2020 Post-Election Crisis in Belarus”, assessing how have Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway and Sweden responded to the 2020 post-election crisis so far and what more can be done to assist Belarusians on their pathway to democracy. The recording of the event is provided here.
  • Annual conference of the European Union Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs “Preparing for 2022: what challenges does Lithuania face in the European Union?”, 20 December 2021 (conference agenda available here).
  • Discussion “Baltic Reactions to Russia’s War Against Ukraine”, 11 May, 2022. Remote discussion organized by Carleton University. The event gathered experts from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania to discuss the perspectives of the Baltic states on the war in Ukraine and its effects on European security. More information is provided here.
  • Participation in a Committee’s on European Affairs discussion on the future of democracy, 16 May 2022 12 am. The slides of the presentation given by Prof. Ramūnas Vilpišauskas are available here. Event programme.
  • Training of members of the Youth Europe Team at the European Commission Representation in Lithuania, 25 August 2022. Professor Ramūnas Vilpišauskas delivered a lecture on “The European Union and its key elements”. Programme of the event.
  • Conference “30 Years of the Single Market: Achievements and Pitfalls”, 28 April 2023. The event was organized by the Lithuanian Confederation of Industrialists, the Representation of the European Commission in Lithuania and the Ministry of Economy and Innovation of the Republic of Lithuania. Prof. Ramūnas Vilpišauskas’ presentation “30 years of the EU Single market: doomed for further muddling through?” slides can be accessed here. Programme of the event.
  • Discussion “EU enlargement: creating an opportunity for a stronger EU instead of becoming a hostage of institutional debate”, June 12, 2023. More information is provided here and in discussion report.
  • Discussion “The future of the EU: preparing the ground for future enlargement”, 11 September, 2023. More information is provided here.

Visiting lecturers at Jean Monnet Chair Professor’s courses

  • Lecture „The EU of the Member States in Times of Crises“, 22 December, 2020. The lecture was given by Professor Adriaan Schout from Radboud University. More information about the event.
  • Lecture “The role of the European Council within the EU in managing the COVID-19 crisis: a transformative actor once again?”, 9 March, 2021. The lecture was given by a leading researcher in the field of European Union political system and European integration, prof. Wolfgang Wessels. The recording of the event is provided here.
  • Seminar “The role of the European Council in EU policy and crisis management”. 4 March, 2022 The seminar featured guest speaker Prof. Wolfgang Wessels, who has been awarded the prestigious Jean Monnet Professor of Political Science Award for his contribution to science and is currently based at the University of Cologne. (More information about the seminar and a recording of the seminar can be accessed here).

Jean Monnet Chair Professor Ramūnas Vilpišauskas organised student meetings with representatives of the EU institutions in order to strengthen students’ interest in EU activities and to encourage them to get to know the EU institutions.

  1. Public Policy Analysis and European Studies Masters students’ meeting with European Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevičius (22 February, 2022).
  2. Remote event on traineeship opportunities in the EU institutions (European Parliament, Council of Europe, European Commission) (21 April, 2022).
  3. Public Policy Analysis and European Studies Masters students’ meeting with European Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevičius (28 February 2023).
  4. Public Policy Analysis and European Studies Masters students’ meeting with the president of Lithuania Dalia Grybauskaitė (28 March 2023).
  5. Event on traineeship opportunities in the EU institutions (European Commission, European Parliament, General Secretariat of the EU Council and European External Action Service) (25 April, 2023).

8-9 December 2022 Annual Lithuanian Political Science Conference.  Panel “What EU reforms Lithuania needs”.

For the Annual Political Science Conference, Jean Monnet Chair Prof. Ramūnas Vilpišauskas initiated a panel to discuss the EU reforms. During this panel, students of Master’s degree programs presented their research on various EU reforms. Jean Monnet Chair Prof. Ramūnas Vilpišauskas moderated the discussion. Dr Jovita Neliupšienė, Vice-Minister of the Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, commented on the presentations of the young EU researchers.

Session participants and papers presented:

  • Monika Gabalytė (VU TSPMI), “Abolition of the veto on the Common Foreign and Security Policy of the European Union – an opportunity or a problem for Lithuania?”
  • Kęstutis Vanagas (VU TSPMI), “The current number of European Commissioners is far too high”
  • Vincentas Botyrius (VU TSPMI), “Is a geopolitical European Commission useful for Lithuania?”
  • Ignas Repčys (VU TSPMI), “To be or not to be: the abolition of the veto in EU foreign policy”

Series of Events dedicated to The Conference on the Future of Europe 

European Commission Representation in Lithuania, Europe Direct centres, Institute of International Relations and Political Science of Vilnius University, along with Jean Monnet Chair professor Ramūnas Vilpišauskas collaborated to organise a series of events that was a part of Conference on the Future of Europe. The concept of the events corresponded with the main goal of the Conference – to allow people from all over Europe to share their ideas and to contribute to the formation of a common future of our continent.

Citizen discussions in various regions of Lithuania took place inviting to analyze issues within the main spheres of the EU governance and their possible solutions. In all the events, prominent experts of respective spheres shared their insights as well as collaborated with other participants to develop ideas for the future of Europe. The list of events: 

  • 20 September, 2021 4.30 pm. Discussion on health in the future Europe. Venue: “Europe Direct Utena” centre in Utena A. and M. Miškiniai public library. More information about the event and its results is available on Facebook and on the website of the Conference on the Future of Europe. Recording of the experts discussion is available here;
  • 14 October, 2021 4 pm. (Visaginas, topic: Migration). More information about the event and its results is available on Facebook and on the website of the Conference on the Future of Europe. Recording of the experts discussion is available here;
  • 25 November, 2021 4 pm. (online with communities of Marijampolė, topic: Digital Democracy). More information about the event and its results is available on Facebook and on the website of the Conference on the Future of Europe. Recording of the experts discussion is available here;
  • 29 November, 2021 3 pm. (Kaunas, topic: EU in the World). More information about the event and its results is available on Facebook and on the website of the Conference on the Future of Europe. Recording of the experts discussion is available here;
  • 2 December, 2021 4 pm. (online with communities of Telšiai, topic: Environmental Protection). More information about the event and its results is available on Facebook and on the website of the Conference on the Future of Europe. Recording of the experts discussion is available here;
  • 9 December, 2021 4 pm. (online with communities of Šiauliai, topic: Economics). More information about the event and its results is available on Facebook and on the website of the Conference on the Future of Europe. Recording of the experts discussion is available here;
  • 15 January, 2022 13:30 pm. Discussion on the economic role of the EU. Venue: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania. More information about the event is available on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website. Photo of an event;
  • 20 January, 2022 2 pm. (online with communities of Klaipėda, topic: European Democracy). More information about the event and its results is available on Facebook and on the website of the Conference on the Future of Europe;
  • 27 January, 2022 4 pm. (online with communities of Tauragė, topic: Education). More information about the event and its results is available on Facebook and on the website of the Conference on the Future of Europe;
  • 3 February, 2022 4 pm. (online with communities of Panevėžys, topic: Values and Rights). More information about the event and its results is available on Facebook and on the website of the Conference on the Future of Europe;
  • 14 February, 2022 2 pm. (Šiauliai, hybrid event with industry and business community). Discussion “The Future of the European Union: the Attitude of Lithuanian Industry and Business”. More information about the event and its overview are available on the Lithuanian Confederation of Industrialists website.
  • 4 May, 2022 1:30 pm. Forum „Energy independence of the EU and the perspectives of relations with Russia”. Venue: Šiauliai City Municipality Education Centre. Prof. Ramūnas Vilpišauskas’ presentation “What has Russia’s war revealed about the European Union?” slides can be accessed here. Programme of the event.
  • 22 February, 2023 10 am. Europe Direct Kaunas. Prof. Ramūnas Vilpišauskas’ lecture on the EU and its members’ response to Russia’s war against Ukraine. Venue: Kauno kolegija. More information about the event.

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Contact

Ramūnas Vilpišauskas 

Ramunas.vilpisauskas@tspmi.vu.lt 

+370 5 251 4131 

VU TSPMI

Vokiečių str. 10, LT-01130, Vilnius

tspmi@tspmi.vu.lt Phone: +370 5 2514130 Fax:
Prospective students
vilius.mickunas@tspmi.vu.lt Phone: +370 5 251 4135 Fax:
Media
augustas.plaipa@tspmi.vu.lt Phone: +370 (6) 157 3283 Fax: