Spaudos centras
Spaudos centras
On Tuesday 6 May, in Kyiv, Ukraine, Prof. Dr. Ineta Dabašinskienė, the Rector-Elect of Vytautas Magnus University (VMU) and institutional coordinator of the Transform4Europe Alliance, was awarded the title of Honorary Professor of Mariupol State University (MSU).
In a festive ceremony, Prof. Dr. Ineta Dabašinskienė received the regalia of Honorary Professor from MSU Rector Mykola Trofymenko, who congratulated a reliable partner and dear friend, expressing gratitude for her deep concern for the fate of MSU – a university that preserves the identity of Mariupol.
“To receive such recognition from a university that is not only a centre of knowledge but also a symbol of dignity, resilience, and unbreakable spirit in the face of war is an honour that is hard to compare to anything else. I sincerely thank you from the bottom of my heart for this award, but even more, I am grateful for your example, your friendship, and your belief in the power of knowledge to heal and to build”, Prof. Dr. Ineta Dabašinskienė said in her speech.
As the institutional coordinator of Transform4Europe, VMU Rector-Elect Prof. Dabašinskienė facilitated MSU’s inclusion in the alliance, thereby offering its academic staff and students the opportunity to adopt best practices and fulfil a vital mission – to be the voice of their native Mariupol and Ukraine on the international stage.
The event was also attended by Jurgita Jankūnienė, Advisor to the Ambassador of the Republic of Lithuania to Ukraine. “I never thought that while the war is ongoing, I would be able to be here today ‘in Mariupol’. Lithuania is a small country, but it has always stood with you – it helped, is helping, and will continue to help. We will definitely defeat the enemy and celebrate that day as the greatest in our history. Together to Victory and beyond”, the ambassador’s advisor said.
During her intensive four-day visit in Kyiv, Prof. Dr. Dabašinskienė also congratulated the participants of the Leadership for the Renewal of Donetsk Region program, including Ukraine’s Minister of Education and Science Oksen Lisovyi, Governor of Donetsk Oblast Vadym Filashkin, and representatives of the President’s Office. VMU Rector-Elect also delivered a lecture titled The Courage to Act, the Power to Change. Vadym Filashkin awarded her the Order of Donetsk Region, which is the highest honour of the region.
Mariupol State University, which is currently conducting its activities in Kyiv due to the war, cherishes its friendship with Vytautas Magnus University – an institution that shares common values and goals. VMU was the first university to lend a helping hand to Mariupol’s academic community. In 2022, VMU welcomed three hundred students who had been forced to leave Ukraine, providing them not only with an opportunity to study but also with accommodation in the university’s dormitories.
That same year, VMU established Centre of Ukraine, which became an important hub of humanitarian support and an oasis of education for thousands of Ukrainians. The university has maintained long-lasting and close ties with Ukraine and its academic community, with whom it has signed over 30 cooperation agreements. Last year, in recognition of this support, VMU Rector Prof. Juozas Augutis was also awarded the title of MSU Honorary Professor.
