{"id":25514,"date":"2026-05-18T15:26:27","date_gmt":"2026-05-18T12:26:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tspmi.vu.lt\/?page_id=25514"},"modified":"2026-05-18T15:26:29","modified_gmt":"2026-05-18T12:26:29","slug":"jean-monnet-chair-2","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.tspmi.vu.lt\/en\/jean-monnet-chair-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Jean Monnet Chair prof. R. Vilpi\u0161auskas"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"page-admission.php","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-25514","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":{"info_blocks":[{"name":"About","content_left":false,"content_right":[{"acf_fc_layout":"text_block","text":"

The <\/span>Jean Monnet Chair \u201cTeaching, researching and debating contemporary European issues\u201d (TRENDS)\u00a0<\/strong>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<\/span>\u00a0the EU\u2019s\u202f<\/span>Erasmus+ Programme for Education, Training, Youth and Sport<\/span><\/a>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u2019s 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\u2013related subjects in Lithuanian, decline of high-quality debates on European issues and intellectual exchange between policy makers and academia. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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. <\/span><\/p>\n

Professor\u00a0<\/span>Ram\u016bnas<\/span>\u00a0Vilpi\u0161auskas<\/span><\/a> 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 Vilpi\u0161auskas also facilitated academic and public discussion events, provided opinion in Lithuanian and foreign media, and engaged in research activities.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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. <\/span><\/p>\n

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.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n"}]},{"name":"Professor R.Vilpi\u0161auskas","content_left":false,"content_right":[{"acf_fc_layout":"text_block","text":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

Ram\u016bnas Vilpi\u0161auskas<\/span><\/a> 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. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Between 2009 and 2019 prof. Vilpi\u0161auskas was the director of IIRPS VU<\/span>. He developed r<\/span>elevant practical experience of policy advice working as a Chief Economic and Social Policy\u00a0<\/span>Advisor to the President of Lithuania\u00a0<\/span>Valdas<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Adamkus<\/span>\u00a0during his second term in 2004-2009 (for three years in 2006-2009 also working as a Chief of staff of the President).\u00a0<\/span>In addition,\u00a0<\/span>professor was\u00a0<\/span>a member of consultative policy advisory bodies in Lithuania such<\/span>\u00a0as<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>the\u00a0<\/span>Sunset Commission (2009-2016),\u00a0<\/span>the\u00a0<\/span>High Education Board (2010-2013),\u00a0<\/span>and\u00a0<\/span>the\u00a0<\/span>Progress Council (2010-2016).<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The research and academic interests of prof. Vilpi\u0161auskas\u00a0<\/span>focuses on the EU-related fields, such as politic<\/span>al economy<\/span>\u00a0of European integration, EU public policies<\/span>\u00a0(<\/span>including transatlantic relations<\/span>)<\/span>, effects of international agreements on public policies, public sector reforms and foreign economic policies.\u00a0<\/span>He has participated in both national and\u00a0<\/span>international research projects<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0such as Horizon 2020 project on reforms in Eastern partnership countries<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>EU-STRAT<\/span><\/a>\u00a0(<\/span>financed by European Commission;\u00a0<\/span>2016-2019<\/span>),\u00a0<\/span>\u201c<\/span>Negotiating Brexit<\/span>\u201d<\/span>\u00a0(<\/span>financed by\u00a0<\/span>British Economic and Social Research Council<\/span>; 2017-2019<\/span>),\u00a0<\/span>\u201c<\/span>Navigating in the Storm<\/span><\/a>\u201d on\u00a0<\/span>security of\u00a0<\/span>small states (<\/span>financed by European Commission,\u00a0<\/span>2017-2020<\/span>), small states in the EMU (coordinated by the Institute for European Integration Research,\u00a0<\/span>Austria<\/span>)<\/span>,\u00a0<\/span>r<\/span>esponse to the COVID-19 Pandemic in Lithuania and other EU Member States<\/span>\u00a0(<\/span>COPOVAL<\/span><\/a>)<\/span>\u202f(financed by the Lithuanian Research Council<\/span>, 2020<\/span>)\u00a0<\/span>and others.<\/span>\u00a0Prof.\u00a0<\/span>Vilpi<\/span>\u0161auskas<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>is<\/span>\u00a0also a\u00a0<\/span>country expert for Bertelsmann Foundation<\/span>\u00a0for the evaluation of<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Sustainable Governance Indicators<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Recent publications of prof. Vilpi\u0161auskas include<\/span>\u00a0articles in leading international journals\u00a0<\/span>on fiscal consolidation and structural reforms in Lithuania<\/span>\u00a0as well as analyses of Eurozone crisis<\/span>,\u00a0<\/span>book chapters on<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>the future of Europe<\/span>, Lithuanian attitudes towards the EU, and changes happening in the country after the accession.\u00a0<\/span>List of prof. Vilpi\u0161auskas<\/span>\u00a0publications can be found\u00a0<\/span>here<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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.<\/em><\/p>\n"}]},{"name":"Commentaries in media","content_left":false,"content_right":[{"acf_fc_layout":"text_block","text":"

As Jean Monnet Chair, prof. Vilpi\u0161auskas 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. <\/span>Public activities of Jean Monnet Chair are presented below:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Comments and articles in online newspapers<\/strong><\/p>\n