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The 2nd Student Conference, held on April 23, brought together a large and diverse academic community – the opening ceremony in the Donelaitis Auditorium was so well attended that there was not enough seating for everyone.

Building on last year’s initiative, the conference continues to grow: this year, participants included students from Vilnius University, LCC International University, Erasmus students from Italy and Poland, as well as students from Kazakhstan, further strengthening international academic dialogue.

The conference became a vibrant academic space in which students acted as active contributors – presenting their research, engaging in discussions, reflecting, and evaluating their academic development. This experience provided not only an opportunity to rehearse for thesis defences, but also to recognise the value of their work and identify areas for further improvement.

We are also pleased that the conference attracted international attention – Her Excellency Jeanette Sautner, Ambassador of Canada to Lithuania, and Robin Gingerich from LCC International University participated in the event and have already expressed interest in the upcoming Third Conference.

We sincerely thank everyone who contributed – both lecturers and students – to the development and continuity of this initiative.

Learn more 

On April 28, we invite you to an event dedicated to celebrating the Days of the Georgian Language at Vilnius University and marking the tenth anniversary of teaching the Georgian language at the university!

The opening session will feature welcome remarks by VU Rector Rimvydas Petrauskas, President of Caucasus University Kakha Shengelia, Ambassador of Lithuania to Georgia (2020–2024) Andrius Kalindra, Dean of the Faculty of Philology at VU Mindaugas Kvietkauskas, and Prof. Dr. Vilija Targamadzė, Member of the Seimas.

Presentations: 

1. Roma Kriaučiūnienė (Vilnius University, Lithuania) – Opening the Door to Georgian: Teaching and Learning at Vilnius University
2. Mariam Manjgaladze (Cauacasus University, Georgia) – "I Love Georgian – My State Language!": Project Based at Vilnius University in 2016
3. Birutė Jonuškaitė (Lithuanian Writers’ Union, Lithuania) – Georgian-Lithuanian Literary Relations
4. Violeta Meiliūnaitė (State Commission of the Lithuanian Language, Lithuania) – Commonness of the Lithuanian Language: Between Values ​​and Pragmatics
5. Jolanta Zabarskaitė (Kazimieras Simonavičius University, Lithuania) – Why Handwriting Becomes Essential in the Age of Artificial Intelligence
6. Nestan Bagauri (Georgian Calligraphers Association, Georgia) – The Calligrapher's Heritage: History and Modernity
7. Laima Niciene (Vilnius University, Lithuania, Former Student) – My Experience - Studying Georgian Language and Culture.

The event will conclude with an awards ceremony recognizing outstanding contributions to the promotion of the Georgian language and literature, as well as honoring the winners of the Georgian Dictation Contest and presenting certificates to participants of the Calligraphy Masterclass (registration is open until April 24).

Guests will also have the opportunity to visit an exhibition, enjoy a Georgian folk performance, and socialize over wine and refreshments.

If you plan to participate, please fill out the registration form.

The event will take place from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM in the K. Donelaitis Auditorium.

Organized by:

• Caucasus University
• Vilnius University, Faculty of Philology, Institute of Foreign Languages

Supported by:

• Lithuanian Writers' Union
• Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania to Georgia
• Georgian Calligraphers Association
• Publishing House "Intellect".

Ever wondered how a single stroke of ink can carry 1,500 years of history? Join the Georgian Calligraphy Masterclass on April 27 and discover the art of pen and ink.

Caucasus University and the Georgian Calligraphers Association (Tbilisi, Georgia) are proud to invite you to the masterclass in the art of Georgian calligraphy, the unique tradition with fifteen centuries of continuous history.

Professional calligraphers Nestan Bagauri and Ana Gokadze will share the story of unique Georgian script and introduce you to the refined art of pen and ink. During the session, you will have the opportunity to independently create a delicate and sophisticated piece of calligraphy featuring a text that is meaningful to you.

Date: April 27, 2026

Time: 15:00 – 17:00

Venue: K. Donelaitis Auditorium

Please register by 17:00 on April 24 at the following link

About Georgian calligraphy:

Even though the exact time of the creation of Georgian script is not fully determined in science, we can trace the development of calligraphy at least from the 5th century, with the first samples executed in Asomtavruli letters with strictly observed geometric principles.

As years pass, these strict rules are gradually violated and calligraphers begin to explore new forms, and inspired by “distorted” outlines, they create new styles, which leads to the emergence of Nuskhuri. In the 9th, 10th, and 11th centuries, numerous calligraphic schools are formed in monastic scriptoriums across different regions, and it can be said that Georgian calligraphic creativity of this period has no boundaries.

In addition to meticulously copied spiritual manuscripts and stone-carved inscriptions, royal documents were also written in a quick and businesslike hand, and for this purpose a new script, Mkhedruli, is developed in the 10th century.

Calligraphy tradition is interrupted at the beginning of the 20th century, when the past is rejected with the idea that “The past is bad, everything new should serve new ideas.” From the second half of the 20th century, Georgian calligraphy begins to restore connections with past traditions; new works and competitions appear, and finally, the Georgian Calligraphers Association is established with the goal of maintaining, developing, and renewing the tradition.

Event Organizers: Caucasus University, Vilnius University

This masterclass is held as part of the project I Love Georgian – My State Language! It was first launched ten years ago at Vilnius University. Project Author: Professor Mariam Manjgaladze.

Celebrate Georgian Language Days at Vilnius University! Discover the beauty, history, and artistry of the Georgian language with us. Join a special series of events organised as part of the project “I Love Georgian – My State Language!” and experience Georgian culture firsthand.

Event Programme:

April 25 | 15:00
Georgian Dictation Contest
(with the participation of the Georgian diaspora)

April 27 | 15:00
Calligraphy Masterclass

April 28 | 16:00–18:00
Final Event of the Project

Venue:
K. Donelaitis Auditorium
Faculty of Philology
Universiteto g. 5, Vilnius

Organised by:
Caucasus University
Vilnius University, Faculty of Philology, Institute of Foreign Languages, 

Supported by:
Lithuanian Writers’ Union
Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania to Georgia
Georgian Calligraphers Association
Publishing House “Intellect”

Come and discover the richness of the Georgian language, culture, and traditions — everyone is welcome!

We invite you to submit abstracts for the Nordic Network of Intercultural Communication (NIC) 2026 Conference, which will take place at Vilnius University from 17 to 19 August. The conference is organised by the VU Faculty of Communication, in collaboration with the Faculty of Philology and the Faculty of Philosophy. The submission deadline is April 20, 2026.

Call for abstracts

The topic of this year’s conference is Intercultural Communication for Change. With this theme, we encourage discussion of intercultural communication as a way of engaging with change at multiple levels (individual, organisational, societal, and global), as well as of the implications of intercultural communication research for policy-making, institutional and educational practices, and everyday communication.

We invite contributions that explore intercultural communication as a process of (ex)change of meanings, understandings, values, and knowledge, and examine its role in contexts of transformation and uncertainty. We particularly welcome work addressing intercultural communication as a response to change, a driver of change, or a means of anticipating, managing, and potentially preventing disruptive forms of change, including crises.

We also encourage critical reflection on the relationship between intercultural communication research, practice, and policy, including possible mismatches between them and the ways research can (or should) contribute to changes in individual behaviours, professional practices, education, and public policy.

In addition to contributions addressing the conference theme, we also welcome proposals concerning other aspects of intercultural communication.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, transcultural, polycultural, cross-cultural, and intercultural encounters and relationships in the following areas:

• migration, mobility, inter-ethnic relations within societies, and transnational diaspora communication
• social work and public services
• local and international political contexts, public discourse, and governance
• organisations and workplaces
• business and tourism
• educational contexts, including student mobility
• language use, bi- and multilingualism, and language policy
• (social) media, digital environments and algorithms

We invite submissions from researchers at all career stages, as well as practitioners, across the social sciences and humanities.

Please note that the conference will be held in person, and online presentations will not be available.

Abstract Submission Guidelines

The deadline for submitting your abstract is April 20, 2026. 

• The conference accepts oral presentations only.
• Abstract submissions may include multiple authors.
• Abstracts should be submitted in English.
• Abstracts should not exceed 300 words in length, excluding references.
• Please include 3–5 keywords.
• Please provide author affiliation and contact details in the submission form.

All abstracts will be reviewed by the scientific committee.

Submit your abstract HERE.

The conference will be the 32nd conference of the Nordic Network of Intercultural Communication. NIC conferences have been organised since 1994 and are held annually in different cities across the Nordic and Baltic countries. The purpose of NIC is to promote cooperation among researchers and practitioners interested in intercultural communication in the Nordic and Baltic countries. The conferences are open to scholars and practitioners from around the world.

More information about the conference is available on the conference website at www.nicvilnius2026.kf.vu.lt

We invite you to a lecture by one of the most important and influential scholars of the Viking Age – Uppsala University professor Neil Price!

Neil Price’s research and major publications (his book Children of Ash and Elm was named The Times Book of the Year in 2020) have had a significant impact on shaping a more accurate and nuanced understanding of Viking Age society, identity, social norms, and religion—one that moves beyond long-established stereotypes. 

This lecture will be both engaging and insightful for those who still know Vikings only from films portraying them as raiding and ruthlessly violent seafarers, as well as for all lovers of quality cinema. Professor Neil Price also served as the principal historical consultant to director Robert Eggers on the historical action film The Northman (2022). 

About lecture:

Few periods in European history are as familiar, and yet as misunderstood, as the Viking Age. Images of warriors and raids have long shaped how the Vikings are remembered, but they reveal only a fragment of a far more intricate and varied past. Who were the Vikings beyond these enduring myths, how did their societies function, and what forces drove their expansion across the Baltic and beyond?

The Viking Age, from about 750 to 1050, saw the Norse world reach from eastern North America to the Asian steppe. For centuries, however, the Vikings have been viewed through interpretations shaped by later societies, which rarely reflect the richness or sophistication of their culture. 

This lecture explores the Vikings through their own political life, their cosmology and religion, and the material world that structured their daily existence. Although often associated with seaborne violence, the Vikings also carried ideas, goods, technologies, and beliefs to the peoples they encountered, and were themselves changed through these contacts.

The lecture will be given in English on March 9th at 17:00 in Room 92 (Zigmo Zinkevičiaus) at the Vilnius university Faculty of Philology.

More information: https://shorturl.at/8E7Z6