During meetings with KU Rector Prof. Dr. Artūras Razbadauskas, Vice-Rector for Research and Innovation Dr. Laura Šaltytė-Vaisiauskė, and Director of the Marine Research Institute Prof. Dr. Zita Rasuolė Gasiūnaitė, the university’s research infrastructure was presented, along with its ongoing work in environmental protection and energy, as well as KU’s strategic directions in studies and research. The discussions also highlighted concrete plans: KU’s readiness to bring together joint KU–MIT research teams under the Massachusetts Institute of Technology – International Science and Technology Initiatives (MIT MISTI) Lithuania program, efforts to attract U.S. students both through exchange schemes and full English-language degree programs, as well as potential collaboration in the emerging field of research security.
A significant part of the visit took place at the KU STEAM Center, where Director prof. dr. Aelita Bredelytė presented the center’s activities. It was agreed that this week’s GLOBE events – part of an international NASA program that engages students worldwide in observing the environment, collecting data, and uploading it to a shared database – would also be held in KU STEAM laboratories in cooperation with the U.S. Embassy. Discussions further covered opportunities to increase girls’ participation in STEAM fields, new initiatives to use art as a creative tool for science communication, and insights on the development of artificial intelligence – noting that this field is advancing more rapidly in the United States, while Europe’s pace remains more reserved.
At the end of the visit, the U.S. Embassy representatives toured the laboratories of the Marine Research Institute and met with their leaders and scientists. Both sides agreed to continue the dialogue and to specify joint initiatives that would open up new opportunities for the advancement of science, studies, and innovation.
