OUR INSTITUTION:
Vilniaus kolegija / Higher Education Institution (VIKO) is the leading and largest accredited public institution of higher vocational education in Lithuania. VIKO has long experience in the implementation and coordination of various types of national and international development projects. Each year, VIKO carries out about 20 projects from different programmes, such as Erasmus, Nordplus, COST, INTERREG, etc. The aim of VIKO RDI is to emphasise collaboration with the world of work and contracted activities.
VIKO is strategically oriented to the issues of sustainable development and social responsibility for its implementation and development. The priorities of VIKO Social Responsibility and Sustainable Development are the promotion of a socially responsible society, the development of skills in sustainable development, the increase of employment and the training of professionals in the labour market who can create added value for society in accordance with the principles of sustainable development and social responsibility. The other strength of VIKO is the area of creativity and entrepreneurship. VIKO is a partner of the COST programme, whose actions help connect research initiatives across Europe and beyond and allow researchers and innovators to grow their ideas in any field of science and technology by sharing them with their peers. The development of internationalisation is one of VIKO’s strategic objectives. The
institution seeks to develop a multicultural environment, which should encourage students and staff to achieve professionalism, academic advantage and competitiveness, and — equally important — to constantly develop generic competences based on human values. The element of internationalisation is included in all VIKO’s strategic objectives: the development of the contemporary study process, applied R & D, staff skills, strategic partnerships, study environments and significant visibility, recognition and reputation.
Over its 20 years of existence, VIKO has gained experience in all Erasmus+ activities and has achieved significant results in international mobility and project experience. VIKO occupies a prominent position in the national rankings, has received different awards, for example, three times (in 2005, 2007 and 2017) received the nomination for achievements, established by the Vilnius Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Crafts. As a member of the Global Compact (since 2018), VIKO is strategically oriented to the issues of sustainable development and social responsibility that must be implemented and developed.
OUR TEAM:
Nijolė Zinkevičienė is the Vice-Rector for Research and Partnerships at Vilnius University of Applied Sciences. She has received her PhD in Social Sciences and her research field is educational science. For many years she has been involved in the national Bologna experts’ group, Commission of International Studies at the Educational Exchanges Support Foundation of Lithuania, Higher Education Institutions’ Evaluation Committee at the Centre for Quality Assessment in Higher Education (Lithuania). She is the head of the R&I Committee at the Lithuanian College Directors’ Conference, a member of EURASHE Board. Nijole Zinkevičienė constantly participates in different international projects.
Jolanta Preidienė has been head of the Department of International Relations and Projects and has been the institutional coordinator of the Erasmus+ programme in Vilniaus Kolegija since 2000. Her functions are related to leading the development of the institution’s internationalisation policy and has experience in many different EU projects. She was Vice- President of the Association of Erasmus Coordinators in Europe from 2005 to 2009. She also teaches applied ICT classes in Vilniaus kolegija.
Sophio Tabatadze works as a project manager in the Department of International Relations and Projects in Vilniaus Kolegija, with the responsibility of coordinating new students entering the university. She has worked as a communications specialist at Trans European Policy Studies Association (TEPSA). She also participates in additional creative engagement activities related to other agency projects such as NGO Embassy of Georgian – Lithuanian friendship. Sophio Tabatadze holds a bachelor’s degree in English Philology from Tbilisi State University (2019) and a master’s degree in social sciences from Vytautas Magnus University (2021).
Muhammad Sohail works as a full professor and senior researcher at Vilniaus kolegija, University of Applied Sciences. He has two Masters: of Business Administration, and Information Systems. He holds numerous training certificates and regularly participates in individual mobilities, trainings, conferences and seminars. His experience and research approach are related to creativity, social entrepreneurship and innovation and digitalisation. In addition, he is a research leader in social innovation/social entrepreneurship projects funded by Erasmus+ and Horizon 2020.
Dalia Karlaitė is lecturing business ethics and socially responsible business in module Sustainable Development at the Faculty of Business Management at VIKO. The researcher is exploring the impact of corporate social responsibility on public welfare: not only the role of CSR in reducing all forms of poverty and inequality in the countries, but also the importance of CSR in increasing society’s opportunities to obtain quality and safe goods and services at an affordable price. The responsible consumption and production are in the interest too. Dalia Karlaitė is a member of the council of experts at Lithuanian Responsible Business Association (LAVA), which is working on the UN SDGs 2030.