March 29th, 2019, ambassadors, dignitaries, Supreme Court Justices, academics, lawyers and numerous guests attended the inauguration ceremonies of Mykolas Romeris University's (MRU) Rector Professor Dr. Inga Žalėnienė.
Words of congratulations were delivered by Lithuania's Education, Science and Sport Minister Assoc. Prof. Dr. Algirdas Monkevičius. Then followed Constitutional Court Chairman Prof. Dr. Dainius Žalimas; Lithuania's Supreme Court Chairman Prof. Rimvydas Norkus; Seimas Deputy Chairman Gediminas Kirkilas; Seimas Deputy Chairman Committee of Legal Affairs Stasys Šedbaras; long-time MRU Law Prof. Stasys Vėlyvis, Lithuania's Supreme Court Justice Prof. Dr. Gediminas Sagatys and Vilnius University (VU) Rector and LURK President Prof. Artūras Žukauskas.
In her inauguration speech, Rector Prof. Žalėnienė noted that higher education globally and education overall is confronting new challenges, which have to become new opportunities.
"One of the greatest 21st century Social Sciences and Humanities missions is the humanisation of technologies. Artificial intelligence, robotics, nano, bio and other technologies enter our daily life at an unprecedented rate. However, at the same time, we increasingly confront increasing social exclusion, discrimination, inequality challenges and growing poverty, terrorism, wars and the threat of occupation of other countries, migration, climate change, radical, anti-democratic forces, escalation between the political and economic elite and citizens, and other global challenges."
According to Rector Prof. Žalėnienė, the role of social sciences and humanities was always important and so remains and will grow stronger in the future modelling solutions for these problems, developing necessary competencies for future changes and challenges and implementing a high-level of scientific research, creating innovations.
As one of the biggest goals, Rector Žalėnienė mentioned application of principles of sustainable university in the processes of university studies and in research activities and environment, developing codirectionality and interdisciplinarity, assuring sustainable cooperation models between universities nationally and internationally.
MRU Rector Prof. Žalėnienė emphasized that there should be much attention devoted to attracting talented researchers, doctoral and postdoctoral students and visiting professors as well as creation of a new structural network.
She emphasized changes in the contemporary studies process and encouragement of a mobile studies model and said digitalisation was one of the priorities: "Creation of innovative means and methods and their testing is a necessity that will beget a flexible, innovative studies' model," she said.
Other noted guests at the ceremony included: Vilnius Gediminas Technical University (VGTU) Rector Prof. Alfonsas Daniūnas; LSMU Medical Academy Chancellor Prof. Daiva Rastenytė, Šiaulių University Acting Rector Prof. Darius Šiaučiūnas; General Žemaitis Military Academy of Lithuania Commandant Col. Juozas Kačergius; and Kaunas VDU Rector Prof. Juozas Augutis.
Azerbaijan's Ambassador Tamerlan Elmar Iglu Garayev, China's Ambassador Zhifei Shen and Japan's Ambassador Shiro Yamasaki attended the ceremonies.
Former MRU Rector Prof. Alvydas Pumputis as well as former Rector Assoc. Prof. Monkevičius, now a Minister, were also present at the extraordinary ceremony.
Rector Prof. Žalėnienė was appointed to a 5-year term.