VU SR proposals to the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport of the Republic of Lithuania

Vilnius University Students' Association (VU SR) actively cooperates with relevant institutions to improve various aspects of student life. On March 6th, VU SR President Klėja Merčaitytė met with the Minister of Education, Science and Sport of the Republic of Lithuania, Raminta Popovienė and the Vice-Minister Regina Valutytė, to discuss the necessary changes and existing problems, with a focus on the development of the social dimension of higher education, the integration of international students, and PhD studies.

Priorities for developing the social dimension

VU SR advocates a review of the criteria for the second round of social support. We propose that the conditions allowing those with 12-24 months of work experience to apply to higher education institutions together with other groups less representative of higher education institutions should not be retained in the second competitive queue.

Based on the 2015 Peer Learning 4 Social dimension in Lithuania study, VU SR proposes to abandon academic criteria in the allocation of social support. In particular, we propose to remove academic debt and leave as factors that disqualify socially disadvantaged students from receiving scholarships.

VU SR proposes to increase the financial support for students with disabilities, suggesting to extend it to those with a participation rate of 55% or less. This participation rate may include mobility, hearing, visual impairments or internal impairments, which makes targeted learning support essential. The current MEA specifies 45%.

Furthermore, VU SR highlights the diverse needs of students with disabilities and proposes to differentiate financial support according to individual needs in order to improve access to studies.

Attracting and integrating international students in Lithuania

VU SR's expectation that an implementation plan for the promotion of internationalisation of higher education and Lithuanian studies abroad for the period 2024-2026 will be prepared. In the meantime, the main challenges faced by international students in Lithuania are:

• Job and internship search – VU SR suggests incentive programmes for companies and organisations. We also advocate the recognition of internships as professional practice;

• Learning Lithuanian – A clear language acquisition mechanism is needed, especially in view of the A2 level requirement for employment from next year;

• Legal assistance – International students often need legal assistance to understand national regulations, especially those related to employment;

• Health insurance – Access to compulsory health insurance (MHI) is a concern for students from third countries. VU SR proposes to explore the possibility of opening up PSD to targeted qualifications or countries;

• Loans for international students – VU SR raises the issue of expanding the availability of loans to international students, while acknowledging the associated risks that need to be addressed.

Doctoral studies and the social situation of doctoral students

VU SR notes different opinions in the academic community regarding the status of PhD students as student-employees. We are concerned about the potential risks and uncertainties that exist, which we hope will lead to hasty decisions and the early inclusion of external expert opinions in the debate in order to find optimal solutions.

On the issue of doctoral studies improvement, VU SR expects to be involved in the processes and emphasises the need for interdisciplinary, joint doctoral studies, focusing on the quality of doctoral outcomes rather than the quantity.

Other insights

In meetings with the Centre for Quality Assessment in Higher Education (CQA), we have been discussing the possibility of implementing a new higher education assessment model in the future. We see a strong case for focusing more on the analysis of the integration of international students and the quality of studies, the quality of internships and the adaptability of studies to students with individual needs arising from disabilities.

Regarding dormitories and student accommodation, VU SR proposes to revise the Law on Support for the Acquisition or Rental of Housing, noting that recent changes in the Ministry of Social Security and Labour of the Republic of Lithuania have made it more difficult for students to receive compensation for renting housing. Furthermore, we note that the student dormitories themselves still lack quality maintenance and additional measures to ensure their renovation and better conditions.

VU SR President Klėja Merčaitytė together with the organisation welcomes the ongoing dialogue with the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport of the Republic of Lithuania and looks forward to receiving invitations to the planned discussions on issues of relevance to students, where the insights of the students can make an important contribution.

Vilnius university Students’ representation (VU SR) – is the oldest and biggest public, non-profit, non-political, expert organization of education in Lithuania which represents the interests of the students in Vilnius university and beyond, nurturing university culture and creating the most favorable conditions for students’ self-expression.