Science and Knowledge Day festivities on September 2nd at the MRU included the announcement and reward of the winners of the 2024 Dr. Karl A. Lamers Peace Prize Contest.

In 2018 Karl A. Lamers initiated the Peace Foundation that carries his name. The Foundation sponsors contests of university student essays on security and defence issues in different EU countries. In Lithuania the contest takes place at the MRU for the sixth year in a row.

Peace Prize certificates to the winners were presented personally by Prof. h.c. Dr. Karl A. Lamers, former member of the German Bundestag, and Prof. Dr. Inga Žalėnienė, Rector of the MRU.

The topic of the contest this year was: “Do NATO states continue to have enough willpower and strategies to help Ukraine to stop Russia and what are the prospects of Ukraine's NATO membership?”.

First Prize and 1000 Euros went to Volodimir Tsybko, graduate of the MA study program “Management of Public Relations”, Institute of Communication, Faculty of Human and Social studies.

Second prize and 600 Euros is won by Nedas Latvėnas, a student of BA program “Communication and Digital Marketing” of the same Institute of Communication.

Third Prize and 400 Euros awarded to Hayrünnisa Çelik, a student with MRU’s Law School’s BA study program “Law and Global Security”.

Law School‘s MA study program‘s „European and International Business Law“ student Maryna Vandzhurak  won a fourth place and honourable mention.

Karl A. Lamers is an influential German politician, a former veteran member of the Bundestag and of the Defence Committee of the Bundestag, former President of the NATO parliamentary assembly. He maintains regular ties with major Lithuanian politicians, who are engaged in security and defence policy making.

Also, professor is a long-time friend of the MRU, doctor honoris causa and professor honoris cause of the MRU. Every spring, barring pandemic lockdown, he is coming to MRU to take part in Dr. Lamers NATO Hearings public discussion as a key-note speaker.

In the congratulatory speech Karl A. Lamers noted the academic excellence that prospers at the MRU, he also praised the ever-increasing internationalisation of MRU’s studies and science and consistent effort to take in Ukrainian students.  

Karl A. Lamers also reflected on the situation of global security which is now largely defined by Russian aggression against Ukraine. On Ukraine he said: “There will be no free Europe without free Ukraine. Unity of EU and NATO is our strength and this is the only language Putin understands. Slava Ukraini!”.

Compiled by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Virgis Valentinavičius, coordinator for Karl A. Lamers Peace Prize Contest, Communication Institute.