Vilnius Gediminas Technical University (VGTU) | Lithuania
Vilnius Tech (Vilnius Gediminas Technical University) is a leading higher education institution in Lithuania established in 1956. Vilnius Tech‘s mission is to develop a publicly responsible, creative, competitive individual who is receptive to science, the latest technologies and cultural values; to promote scientific progress, social and economic well-being; and to create value that ensures the development of both Lithuania and the region in a global context. Vilnius Tech has 13 research institutes, 3 research centres and 44 research laboratories. Vilnius Tech is a multidisciplinary university based on integration between technical and social sciences. In 2017, Vilnius Tech revised its focus areas of research to address the trends of sustainability and socially responsible innovation.
Key societal challenges
The Citizen Science Hub of VGTU sets to address the following societal challenges:
- Migration loss
- Income disparity
- Low level of environmental sustainability
Mission of VGTU Hub
The central mission of the Hub is to provide high-quality resources, training, and services to the community and partners of Vilnius Tech to promote active engagement of civil society in the Research & Innovation process based on RRI principles.
Objectives of VGTU Hub
The Hub aims to raise awareness about the benefits of Open Science, CS, and principles of RRI while preparing training resources in the local language. It also seeks to promote the implementation of RRI, CS, and Open Science principles into different stages of the research process. Moreover, the Hub aims to create networking opportunities for community members willing to participate in co-creative research and to facilitate the development of new competencies and skills in Vilnius Tech.
KEY LOCAL STAKEHOLDERS
- Vilnius Gediminas Technical University
- National Creative and Cultural Industries Association
- KOG Marketing and Communication Science Institute
- The Bored Panda start-up collective in Vilnius
CORE VALUES OF THE HUB
The VGTU Citizen Science Hub prioritises lifelong learning, creativity, co-creation, openness & transparency, sharing of know-how, and community-driven science. Inclusiveness and Learning are the key RRI-based values for its CSH, the preferable CSH for VGTU engages with citizens with different backgrounds, researchers, and policy makers.
MAIN ACTIVITIES OF THE HUB
- Communication and dissemination
- Awareness raising on RRI and Citizen Science
- Network building and maintenance
- Strengthening international cooperation with experienced partners
- Education and training of the community