VU Rector Prof. Dr Rimvydas Petrauskas and Prof. Dr (HP) Janina Tutkuvienė of the VU Faculty of Medicine / Photo by Adas Vasiliauskas
On 19 September, Vilnius University (VU) once again came alive with the joy of returning, curiosity, laughter and reunions as it hosted the VU Alumni Festival. Alumni returning to their Alma Mater, together with university staff, students and their families, spent the day reconnecting and discovering new experiences, while the Faculty of Medicine (MF) team ensured that the festival programme offered plenty of engaging activities and opportunities for discovery for participants of all ages.
The Faculty of Medicine stand in the Grand Courtyard of VU was a lively meeting point throughout the day. Former students and lecturers, members of the Faculty community, guests from other faculties and curious young festival-goers gathered here. Some shared memories of their student years, while others found out more about the Faculty's current activities.
Moments from the VU Alumni Festival / Photo by Adas Vasiliauskas
Anatomy enthusiasts were welcomed by models of human internal organs and the skeleton, reminding visitors that the world of medicine begins with curiosity and a desire to understand the human body. Festival participants had the opportunity to meet the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Prof. Dalius Jatužis, and Vice-Deans Assoc. Prof. Laura Nedzinskienė, Assoc. Prof. Karolis Ažukaitis, Dr Aleksas Pikturna and Prof. Vytautas Kasiulevičius, who became festival ambassadors this year. Visitors gathering at the stand were also welcomed by Prof. Rimantas Stukas, Assoc. Prof. Ramunė Čepulienė, Assoc. Prof. Eglė Jakimavičienė, Junior Assistant Eglė Stukaitė-Ruibienė, Assistant Dr Rūta Morkūnienė, Gražina Jankauskienė and the Communications Division team.
Festival guests were also invited to sample turnips donated by the Leonpolis Manor Farm, including two varieties that were playfully dubbed the Lithuanian supervegetable at the festival. According to Prof. Dr R. Stukas, turnips are rich in fibre, vitamin C and antioxidants, while also being low in calories. “Long before Columbus brought potatoes to Europe, people in our region had already been eating turnips for generations. Lithuanians are therefore genetically well adapted to absorbing the beneficial nutrients found in these vegetables,” Prof. Dr R. Stukas explained, encouraging festival-goers to give them a try.
Moments from the VU Alumni Festival / Photo by Adas Vasiliauskas
Exploring Our Family History
Festival participants were also invited to the educational session “The Kinship Labyrinth: My Place in the Family Tree”. Held in two sessions, the activity invited participants to explore their origins through the lens of science, led by geneticist Assoc. Prof. Dr Ingrida Domarkienė and anthropologists Dr Justina Kozakaitė and Rūta Brindzaitė.
Participants learned what genetic and anthropological research can reveal about kinship and the history of our ancestors, explored the possibilities offered by scientific research, and took part in a practical activity by drawing their own family trees. The session provided an opportunity not only to discover new and fascinating facts, but also to look at one's family history from a fresh perspective.
Moments from the educational session “The Kinship Labyrinth: My Place in the Family Tree” / Photo by Adas Vasiliauskas
Encouraging Young Festival-Goers to Move, Smile and Learn
The VU Children's University area in K. Sirvydas Courtyard offered plenty of excitement for the youngest festival participants. Two Faculty of Medicine teams were on hand, ready to engage children in fun, active and educational activities.
Physiotherapy students Valerija Svorobovič, Dominyka Lapė and Augustė Kazbaraitė prepared an entertaining obstacle course, “Fun Tracks and Clever Fingers”, where children could test their agility, strength and endurance, feel like real adventurers and enjoy being active. Fine motor skills activities encouraged them to concentrate, test their abilities and discover that learning about the human body can be great fun.
Representatives of the Dentistry study programme Roberta Petrylaitė, Aurelija Šulskutė and Greta Volosevičiūtė invited the youngest festival guests to embark on a “Healthy Smile Journey”. Using special dental models, children had the opportunity to practise brushing their teeth and cleaning between them correctly. They also took part in interactive games and explored which foods are true friends to their teeth and which are better kept off the everyday menu. Correct answers were rewarded with prizes, but the most important takeaways were plenty of smiles and new knowledge.
Moments from the VU Alumni Festival / Photo by Adas Vasiliauskas
Alumni Contributions to Science and a Healthier Future
The Biobank of Lithuanian Population and Rare Disorders, located in the M. K. Sarbievijus Courtyard, also attracted considerable interest from alumni. During the festival, representatives of the Biobank – Dr Giedrė Kvedaravičienė, Gabrielė Indriuškaitė, Gabrielė Židonytė, Jurgita Valatkaitė-Žilinskienė, Hugas Tauras Jasinskas and Ignas Juodžiūnas – together with a team of nurses and other volunteers, invited members of the community to contribute to scientific research and the future of personalised medicine by donating a blood sample to the Biobank.
In just half a day, 50 participants contributed to the initiative. Each sample collected provides researchers with an opportunity to better understand the causes of diseases, explore new approaches to prevention and treatment, and contribute to the advancement of medicine in Lithuania.
“It is wonderful to see the alumni community so willing to take part not only in the celebrations, but also in initiatives that have a lasting impact. Every sample donated to the Biobank is a small yet highly valuable contribution to science and the medicine of the future. We sincerely thank everyone who chose to take part – their openness and trust help us build a healthier future for Lithuania based on data and scientific knowledge,” said Dr Giedrė Kvedaravičienė, Head of the Biobank of Lithuanian Population and Rare Disorders.
Editor-in-Chief of LRT.lt Mindaugas Jackevičius Participates in the Biobank Initiative / Photo by Adas Vasiliauskas
Childhood, Human Development and a World That Is Changing Us
The focus on science and understanding human beings continued with the Innovation Club discussion “Science Solutions 360°. Childhood Today: The Influence of Heredity, Environment and Technology on Personality Development”, held in the Observatory Courtyard. The discussion explored questions about what shapes human personality most – heredity, environment or technology – how childhood is being transformed by an increasingly digital world, and what contemporary science can tell us about human development.
Moderated by Ignas Klėjus, the discussion brought together VU experts from different fields: Prof. Dr (HP) Janina Tutkuvienė, Head of the Department of Anatomy, Histology and Anthropology at the Faculty of Medicine; Prof. Dr Roma Jusienė of the Institute of Psychology at the Faculty of Philosophy; and Prof. Habil. Dr Rimas Norvaiša of the Institute of Applied Mathematics at the Faculty of Mathematics and Informatics.
The experts shared insights into how heredity, environment and technology influence childhood, human development and the formation of personality. The discussion addressed not only the latest research findings, but also emerging innovations and R&D (research and experimental development) solutions that are helping us better understand people, their environment and a constantly changing world.
Moments from the VU Alumni Festival / Photo by Adas Vasiliauskas
A Homecoming That Reminds Us: VU Is Always a Place to Return To
For the third year in a row, the VU Alumni Festival brought together people who have studied or worked at the University and those who continue to maintain a connection with VU. It is a day when alumni return to their Alma Mater not only to look back, but also to rediscover the University, its people and the activities taking place today.
The Faculty of Medicine community was delighted to be part of this special day – to meet, reconnect, share knowledge and bring a little of the world of medicine to the festival. Above all, the occasion was another reminder that the sense of community created at university does not end with a degree. It continues through people, memories, new encounters and meaningful initiatives.
Photo gallery / by Adas Vasiliauskas
