Institute of International Relations and Political Science
10 Vokie膷i懦, LT-01130 Vilnius
Tel. 251 4130, fax 251 4134
www
Director 鈥 Prof. Dr. Ram奴nas Vilpi拧auskas
STAFF
44 teachers (incl. 30 holding research degree), 4 research fellows (incl. 2 holding research degree), 17 doctoral students.
DEPARTMENTS OF THE FACULTY
Department of European Studies
Department of International Relations
Department of Political Theory
RESEARCH AREAS
Transformations of Lithuanian Political life: Theory and Practice
Development of the European Union after Lisbon Treaty
International Politics: Problems, Research Methods and Challenges for Lithuanian Foreign Policy
DOCTORAL DISSERTATIONS DEFENDED IN 2017
V. Ber啪i奴nas. Lithuanian foreign policy formation and the factors of identity.
A. P奴ras. The many faces of Jean Monnet: European identity projects in scholarly narratives.
MAIN CONFERENCES ORGANIZED IN 2017
International conference Bridging Gender Research and Policy Making (At-Gender Annual Conference)
International conference The EU and Eastern Partnership Countries: An Inside-Out Analysis and Strategic Assessment (EU-STRAT Mid-term conference)
National conference Meeting the Centenary: The Trajectories of Lithuanian Statehood
DEPARTMENT OF EUROPEAN STUDIES
10 Vokie膷i懦, LT-01130 Vilnius
Tel. 251 4142, fax 251 4134
Head 鈥 Prof. Dr. Gediminas Vitkus
STAFF
Professors: Dr. V. Nakro拧is, Dr. V. Rad啪vilas, Dr. R.Vilpi拧auskas, Dr. G. Vitkus.
Associate professors: Dr. E. Barcevi膷ius, Dr. V. Kuok拧tis, Dr. 沤. Martinaitis.
Lecturer: Dr. D. Jonavi膷ien臈.
Assistants and junior research fellows: I. Giedraityt臈, L. Jurkonis, A. Moz奴ras, V. Pukinait臈, R. Stasiukynait臈.
Doctoral students: M. Bernatavi膷ius, I. Giedraityt臈, L. Kojala, D. Skusevi膷ien臈.
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Europeanization process in the EU member states
EU enlargement and EU institutional reforms
Public administration reforms and public policy change
RESEARCH PROJECTS CARRIED OUT IN 2017
National Research Projects
Research Council of Lithuania. Good Governance and Trust in Public Institutions Creating Welfare Society in Lithuania (No. GER-003/2015). Assoc. Prof. Dr. L. Gud啪inskas. 2015鈥2017.
This project aims at uniting three important concepts of social sciences 鈥 institutions, trust and good governance 鈥 and explaining the welfare society development in Lithuania as well as providing a policy brief for decision鈥恗akers. Three objectives are identified: to construct a theoretical model which substantiates the impact of public policy on social and political trust; to generate a regression analysis which explores correlation between interpersonal trust and trust in political institutions and to use process鈥恡racing analysis to compare key public policies and their impact on political trust in Lithuania and Estonia; to provide recommendations how to fix public policies and ensure higher political trust in Lithuania.
Main publications:
Gud啪inskas, L. 2017. Trends in confidence in public institutions: a comparative analysis of the Baltic countries. Politics in Central Europe, vol. 13(1), p. 7鈥33.
Gud啪inskas L. et al. 2017. Pasitik臈jimas valstybe: prielaidos, i拧拧奴kiai, sprendimai. Vilnius: Vilniaus universiteto leidykla.
International Research Projects
COST action project. Local Public Sector Reforms: An International Comparison. Prof. V. Nakro拧is. 2013鈥2017.
The action will generate coherent data bases for systematic comparison of local governments with a view to streamlining analytical approaches and synthesizing research outcomes using methodological triangulation (qualitative/quantitative techniques). The Action will provide a platform for establishing a new set of comparative (descriptive, explanatory, and evaluative) knowledge on local public sector reforms and for integrating the fragmented research activities in this neglected area of investigation. It aims to enhance the scope of the conceptual foundations as well as the methodological rigour of comparative public administration.
Main publication:
Nakro拧is, V. 2017. The quantitative and qualitative analysis of public administration reforms in post-communist countries. Baltic Journal of Political Science, vol. 6, p. 7鈥28.
Horizon 2020. The EU and Eastern Partnership Countries: An Inside-Out Analysis and Strategic Assessment. Prof. R. Vilpi拧auskas. 2016鈥2019.
The main goal of the project is to investigate under what conditions the EU strategies and instruments for its Eastern neighbours can be more effective.
Ten years after its inception, the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) has fallen short of accomplishing its mission. The war in Ukraine and the rising tensions with Russia have made a re-assessment of the ENP both more urgent and more challenging. This project will address two questions: first, why has the EU fallen short of creating peace, prosperity and stability in its Eastern neighbourhood? Second, what can be done to strengthen the EU transformative power in supporting political and economic change in the six Eastern Partnership (EaP) countries? The findings will be submitted to the European Commission.
Main publication:
Dragneva, R., Delcour, L., Jonavi膷ius, L. 2017. Assessing legal and political compatibility between the European Union engagement strategies and membership of the Eurasian Economic Union. EU-STRAT working paper, (7), 1-32. (EU-STRAT Working Paper Series).
Erasmus +. Jean Monnet Networks: Enhancing Visibility of the Academic Dialogue on EU-Turkey Cooperation (VIADUCT). Assoc. Prof. K. Andrijauskas. 2017鈥2020.
VIADUCT鈥檚 general objective is to foster policy dialogue and to contribute in the exchange of views among academics and practitioners on recent developments in both the EU and Turkey. The aim is to improve and to enhance the teaching and research on this topic. VIADUCT鈥檚 target groups are academics, students and practitioners, civil society and general public.
Core of the project are three VIADUCT Weeks each consisting of an Annual Conference, a Working Turkey/PhD seminar and an Informal Policy Debate.
Erasmus +. Jean Monnet Networks: Navigating in the Storm. Prof. R. Vilpi拧auskas, Assoc. Prof. V. Kuok拧tis. 2017鈥2020.
VIADUCT鈥檚 general objective is to foster policy dialogue and to contribute in the exchange of Baldur Thorhallsson, Professor of Political Science at the University of Iceland leads the project on behalf of the University of Iceland in cooperation with Pia Hansson, Director of the Institute of International Affairs and T贸mas Joensen, Project Manager at the Centre for Small State Studies. During the next three years the ten higher education institutions will develop close cooperation in the field of small state studies. The grant will be used to host workshops, roundtables for young researchers, publish academic papers, policy recommendations, and at the end of the project an academic book.
MAIN R&D&I (RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT AND INNOVATION) PARTNERS
Centre of European Integration Studies
TransEuropean Policy Studies Association (TEPSA)
EPIN - European Policy Institutes Network
European Social, Legal and Economic Projects (Lithuania)
Public Policy and Management Institute (Lithuania)
OTHER SCIENTIFIC ACTIVITIES
Prof. G. Vitkus 鈥
- editor-in-chief of the yearbook Lithuanian Annual Strategic Review;
- editorial board member of the journal Politologija (Political Science);
- member of Humanities and Social Science Committee of the Lithuanian Research Council.
Prof. R. Vilpi拧auskas 鈥
- editorial board member of the journals and series: Journal of Baltic Studies, Lithuanian Foreign Policy Review, Lithuanian Strategic Annual Review, Baltic Journal of Political Science, Politics and Society in the Baltic Sea Region;
- member of the Sunset Commission, State Progress Council.
Prof. V. Nakro拧is 鈥
- editorial board member of the journal Administrative Culture.
DEPARTMENT OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
10 Vokie膷i懦, LT-01130 Vilnius
Tel. 251 4139, fax 251 4134
Head 鈥 Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tomas Janeli奴nas
STAFF
Professor: Dr. D. Jakni奴nait臈, Dr. T. Janeli奴nas.
Senior research fellow: Prof. Dr. R. Lopata.
Associate professors: Dr. K. Andrijauskas, Dr. V. Sirutavi膷ius, Dr. M. 艩e拧elgyt臈, Dr. D.艩lekys.
Lecturers: Dr. L. Jonavi膷ius, Dr. L. Koreivait臈-Sadauskien臈, Dr. E. Leonait臈, Dr. R. Paulauskas.
Research fellow: Dr. N. Maliukevi膷ius.
Assistants and Junior research fellows: G. Bir啪yt臈, V. Jurkonis, , R. 艩vedas.
Doctoral students: M. Antonovi膷, G. Bartusevi膷i奴t臈, N. Bladait臈, J. Jachovi膷, A. Raginyt臈, N. Stankevi膷ius, I. Skurdauskait臈, A. Tumkevi膷.
RESEARCH INTERESTS
International security
Transatlantic relations
Regional studies: Belarus, Ukraine, and Kaliningrad Oblast
Geo-strategic transformation: old and new challenges for Central and Eastern Europe
Lithuanian foreign and security policy
RESEARCH PROJECTS CARRIED OUT IN 2017
National Research Projects
Research Council of Lithuania. Conceptualizing Borders in 21st Century: Discourses and Practices in Central Eastern Europe. (No. MIP-027/2015). Prof. Dr. D. Jakni奴nait臈. 2015鈥2017.
Project seeks to analyse the conflict, crisis situations, and as an object of analysis choose the Central Eastern European region, the territorial conflicts of Ukraine and Georgia in particular and also Lithuania as a different kind of conflict situation, and also includes the analysis of Russia, the significant actor in all contexts. The goal is to analyse the 21st century bordering practices in Central Eastern Europe in conflict situations (the cases of Ukraine, Georgia and Lithuania) by demonstrating the connection between and the role of political, historical, and day to day practices.
Main publications:
Jakni奴nait臈, D. 2017. Kaip tapti valstybe: sienos ir erdv臈s Gruzijos teritoriniuose konfliktuose. Vilnius: Vilniaus universitetas.
Jakni奴nait臈, D. 2017. When State lose territory: Georgia鈥檚 post-2008 adjustment. Baltic Journal of Political Science, vol. 6, p. 60鈥74.
Research Council of Lithuania. The Lithuanian Perception of War during the Interwar Period (1918鈥1940). (No. LIP 鈥 001/2016). Prof. Dr. D. 艩lekys. 2016鈥2018.
The aim of this project is to write and publish monograph about Lithuanian perception of war during the interwar period (1918鈥1940). The history of Lithuania it is clear that Lithuanians were a warring state. To prove the point it is enough to think about such historical moments like defence of Pil臈nai, battle of 沤algiris, Wars of Independence and Resistance. The so-called heroic historical interpretation is a very good example of this narrative of belligerent nation. Therefore, this project aims to provide concise and clear picture of debate about the war in interwar Lithuania by analysing numerous articles in intellectual journals (Naujoji Romuva, 沤idinys, Varpas, Vairas) and major works of the influential thinkers and public figures of that time.
Main publication:
艩lekys, D. 2017. Lithuania鈥檚 balancing act. Journal on Baltic Security, vol. 3(2), p. 43鈥54.
International Research Projects
Marie Curie Actions. EU-PREACC: Possibilities and Limits, Challenges and Obstacles of Transferring CEE EU Pre-Accession Best Practices and Experience to Moldova鈥檚 and Georgia鈥檚 Pre-Accession Process. Project manager Assoc. Prof. D. Jakni奴nait臈. 2013鈥2017.
The research covers areas of the EU-Moldova and EU-Georgia cooperation, linked to both, the European Neighbourhood Policy Action Plan and the EU conditionality. It looks at Moldova鈥檚 and Georgia鈥檚 economic, legal and political situation and development. The focus of the project and project-related research is structuring the CEE states鈥 reform experience and analysing the possibilities and limits of transferring the best practices and experience to Moldova鈥檚 and Georgia's (possible) EU pre-accession process. It analyses the situation in Moldova and Georgia and suggests benchmarking opportunities best suitable for Moldova and Georgia. The results of the analysis and researchers/lecturers exchange are wrapped up via regular thematic workshops and publications. The output of the research results is also used in improving and developing the European Union-related curricula and courses in all participating universities: in Tartu, Vilnius, Moldova and Georgia.
Main publications:
Janeli奴nas, T. 2017. Gruzijos saugumo politikos poky膷iai po 2012 met懦 ir kintanti saugumo tapatyb臈. Politologija, vol. 1, p. 56鈥101.
Jakni奴nait臈, D. 2017. When State loses territory: Georgia鈥檚 post-2008 adjustment. Baltic Journal of Political Science, vol. 6, p. 60鈥74.
Horizon 2020. The EU and Eastern Partnership Countries: An Inside-Out Analysis and Strategic Assessment. Prof. R. Vilpi拧auskas. 2016鈥2019.
The main goal of the project is to investigate under what conditions the EU鈥檚 strategies and instruments for its Eastern neighbours can be more effective.
Ten years after its inception, the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) has fallen short of accomplishing its mission. The war in Ukraine and the rising tensions with Russia have made a re-assessment of the ENP both more urgent and more challenging. This project will address two questions: first, why has the EU fallen short of creating peace, prosperity and stability in its Eastern neighbourhood? Second, what can be done to strengthen the EU鈥檚 transformative power in supporting political and economic change in the six Eastern Partnership (EaP) countries? The findings will be submitted to the European Commission.
Main publication:
Dragneva, R., Delcour, L., Jonavi膷ius, L. 2017. Assessing legal and political compatibility between the European Union engagement strategies and membership of the Eurasian Economic Union. EU-STRAT Working Paper, vol. 7, p. 1鈥32. (EU-STRAT Working Paper Series).
Erasmus +. Small States Winter School Small States in Europe: Towards a Cross-Disciplinary Approach. Assoc. Prof. M. 艩e拧elgyt臈. 2016鈥2018.
The primary objective of this partnership is to create a pan-European consortium of experts in small state studies that will train young teachers and researchers from International Relations and Political Science as well as other disciplines, such as Economics, Business, Public Administration and Law, in applying insights from small state studies to their research and teaching. As part of this project the partners organized two summer academies in Reykjav铆k, and intensive study programs in Ljubljana and Vilnius. At the end of the project the consortium will develop four new and innovative inter-disciplinary curricula in small state studies based on four teaching and research themes (TRT鈥檚). TRT 1: Small states: Foreign policy and economic security; TRT 2: Small states addressing the migration crisis; TRT 3: Small states in international law; TRT 4: Small states and the challenges of good governance.
MAIN R&D&I (RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT AND INNOVATION) PARTNERS
Military Academy of Lithuania (Lithuania)
Higher School of Economics (Moscow)
Baltic Defence College (Tartu)
Institute of International Affairs and Centre for Small States Studies, University of Iceland (Iceland)
OTHER SCIENTIFIC ACTIVITIES
Prof. T. Janeli奴nas -
- editor-in-chief of the journal Politologija (Political Science).
Prof. R. Lopata -
- editorial board member of the journal Politologija (Political Science), Lithuanian Foreign Policy Review, Lithuanian Annual Strategic Review.
DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL THEORY
10 Vokie膷i懦, LT-01130 Vilnius
Tel. 219 3154, fax 5 251 4134
Head - Prof. Dr. Alvydas Jokubaitis
STAFF
Professors: Dr. N. Arlauskait臈, Dr. V. Davoli奴t臈, Dr. A. Jokubaitis, Dr. A. Ramonait臈.
Associate professors: Dr. J. Dementavi膷ius, Dr. K. Girnius, Dr. L. Gud啪inskas, Dr. A. Jankauskas, Dr. M. Jastramskis, Dr. I. Vinogradnait臈.
Senior research fellow: Dr. N. Putinait臈.
Lecturers: J. Kavaliauskait臈, Dr. I. Petronyt臈.
Assistants and junior research fellows: R. Bakutis, A. Dementavi膷ien臈, G. Karalius, V. Ma膷kinis, P. Skirkevi膷ius, J. Ulinskait臈.
Doctoral students: R. Bakutis, A. Dementavi膷ien臈, G. Karalius, A. P奴ras, V. Rimait臈, P. Skirkevi膷ius, J. Ulinskait臈, L. Verve膷kien臈.
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Modern political theory and methodology
Political communication and public relations
Party system and electoral process
Democratization process in Lithuania
RESEARCH PROJECTS CARRIED OUT IN 2017
National Research Projects
Research Council of Lithuania. Good Governance and Trust in Public Institutions Creating Welfare Society in Lithuania (No. GER-003/2015). Assoc. Prof. Dr. L. Gud啪inskas. 2015鈥2017.
This project aims at uniting three important concepts of social sciences 鈥 institutions, trust and good governance 鈥 and explaining the welfare society development in Lithuania as well as providing a policy brief for decision鈥恗akers. Three objectives are identified: to construct a theoretical model which substantiates the impact of public policy on social and political trust; to generate a regression analysis which explores correlation between interpersonal trust and trust in political institutions and to use process鈥恡racing analysis to compare key public policies and their impact on political trust in Lithuania and Estonia; to provide recommendations how to fix public policies and ensure higher political trust in Lithuania.
Main publications:
Gud啪inskas, L. 2017. Trends in confidence in public institutions: a comparative analysis of the Baltic countries. Politics in Central Europe, vol. 13(1), p. 7鈥33.
Gud啪inskas L. et al. 2017. Pasitik臈jimas valstybe: prielaidos, i拧拧奴kiai, sprendimai. Vilnius: Vilniaus universiteto leidykla.
Research Council of Lithuania. Lithuanian National Election Study 2016 (LIP-023/2016). Prof. Dr. A. Ramonait臈. 2016鈥2018.
Lithuanian National Election Study 2016 is conducted by the team of the International Relations and Political Science of 91桃色 and the Baltic Institute of Advanced Technologies. It will include a post-election survey with integrated CSES Module 5, a survey of the candidates to the Lithuanian parliament and a qualitative study of political attitudes and reception of strategic political communication.
Main publications:
Ramonait臈, A. 2017. Polinkis balsuoti u啪 partij膮 kaip naujas elgesio per rinkimus analiz臈s b奴das: galimyb臈s ir metodologin臈s problemos. Politologija, vol. 2, p. 44鈥83.
Jastramskis, M. 2017. 2016 met懦 Seimo rinkim懦 i拧拧奴kis partinei sistemai ir politologams: kaip numatyti 啪em臈s dreb臈jim膮? Politologija, vol. 2, p. 3鈥43.
Research Council of Lithuania. Soviet Life as Oral History: Challenges In Memory (Re)Construction (No. APP-10/2016). Assoc. Prof. Dr. I. Vinogradnait臈. 2016鈥2018.
The aim of the project is to develop theoretically and epistemologically justified guidelines for collecting, archiving and analysing 鈥榦ral histories鈥 as a source of memory about Soviet life, and to collect new oral history data on the logic, experience and memory of Soviet social engineering projects. The objectives are (1) to develop theoretically and epistemologically adequate methodology of oral history on Soviet times, where 鈥渁dequacy鈥 means that methodological tools take into account the challenges of reconstructing memory of life in Soviet regime; (2) to conduct interviews with direct witnesses and survivors of Soviet regime (especially its early stages in the Baltic states) in order to preserve currently available information which is on the brink of disappearance, and to prepare this material for secondary analysis; (3) to analyse the interviews (their contents, structure, the process of interviewing, the process of the analysis of interviews) with an aim to identify social mechanisms and memory regimes which have to be taken into account in collecting and archiving 鈥榦ral history鈥 as a source of information about Soviet life.
Research Council of Lithuania. Political Catholicism and Conservatism: (Trans)Formation of Tradition International Research Projects. (No. S鈥揗OD 17鈥8). Assoc. Prof. Dr. J. Dementavi膷ius. 2017鈥2019.
The main goal of this project is to analyse Lithuanian political Catholicism as a specific political ideology and to show its interrelation with contemporary conservatism. It is done by exploring its development since 19th century until present days and by researching its links with current trends in conservative ideology in Lithuania. Analysis will be done by using tools of hermeneutic interpretation, researching historical as well as contemporary trends in moderate right wing ideological worldviews. The main approach to this object will follow along the Oxford school of analysis of ideologies. One of the main features of it is attempt to research ideologies by studying their core ideas. But thick historical description can also help to link the most important right-wing representatives and their ideas with a wider European political context and intellectual debates.
Research Council of Lithuania. Voice of the Memory on the Screen: Poetics, History, and Politics. (No. S鈥揗IP鈥17鈥39). Prof. Dr. N. Arlauskait臈. 2017鈥2019.
Three principal questions of the research may be formulated: 1) How does the disembodied voice on the screen participate in producing and conveying personal and/or historical memory in relation to existing cinematic, cultural, and political conventions? 2) What kind of personal and historical memory speaks, to paraphrase Nabokov, through the multifariously invisible voice on the screen and by this 鈥 paradoxically 鈥 becomes present? 3) What viewing subjects are claimed by these narrative voice strategies?
MAIN R&D&I (RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT AND INNOVATION) PARTNERS
Creighton University, Nebraska (USA)
Public Policy and Management Institute (Lithuania)
Lithuanian Institute of History (Lithuania)
OTHER SCIENTIFIC ACTIVITIES
Prof. A. Jokubaitis -
- editorial board member of the journals Politologija (Political Science), Politeja and Horyzonty Polityki (Horizons of Politics).
Prof. A. Ramonait臈 -
- editorial board member of the journals Baltic Journal of Political Science and Politologija (Political Science).
- member of the State Progress Council.
Assoc. Prof. A. Jankauskas -
- editorial board member of the journals and series: Lithuanian Foreign Policy Review, Lithuanian Strategic Annual Review, Politologija (Political Science).
Dr. L. Gud啪inskas -
- editor-in-chief of the journal Baltic Journal of Political Science;
- President of the Lithuanian Political Science Association.