Concluding the Vibrant LSMU Culture Week 2023

Last week, the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences (LUMS) hosted the LSMU Culture Week 2023. Its purpose was to mobilise the University community, invite them to break free from the routine and immerse themselves in the plethora of cultural education activities.

This year’s theme was “Diversity and Unity”. Each day was dedicated to a different topic, such as animal or human health, sports, international relations, and culture.

“Simply put, the LSMU community is made up of existing and future health professionals who are focused on developing healthy lifestyle skills of the population, diagnosing and treating diseases. The mission of the University, however, extends well beyond these objectives. Our goal is to build and develop our community and Lithuanian society, unveil uncharted horizons, and discover new perspectives. The Culture Week is one of the instruments to achieve this. I am sure that the sharing of experiences and ideas throughout the week will touch each of us in one way or another,” said Prof. Dr. Andrius Macas, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine of the LSMU Medical Academy at the opening ceremony.

Fostering the spirit of community and cross-cultural understanding

During the Culture Week, the University hosted educational presentations, sports sessions and workouts, tours of the museums, the Emmanuel Levin Centre, and other sites of great cultural importance. The performance by the improvisation theatre “Kitas kampas”, brain maize “Do you really know everything?”, and the meeting of academic alumni attracted great interest.

The week ended with the Day of International Culture, during which the students sold their own dishes and donated the proceeds to the Lithuanian Red Cross.

“LSMU is one of the most international universities not only in Lithuania but also in Europe. We have students from all continents representing 88 countries in total, and we represent them all in Kaunas. The aim of this event is to strengthen ties between students, teachers and other members of the community, no matter where they come from. The University’s strength emanates from embracing our diversity while fostering unity, and this event serves as a striking manifestation of our strong bond within community,” said the organiser of the international evening, Jevgenij Razgulin, Project Manager of the International Relations and Study Centre.

Alumni Welcomed Back at the University

Another important event of the Culture Week was the return of academic alumni, which brought together former lecturers, professors and researchers of the Medical Academy and Veterinary Academy after many years. The aim of the meeting was to share memories and encourage the older generation to join the ranks of LSMU alumni and the activities of the Alumni Association.

“LSMU Culture Week is a great opportunity to look back at the history and experience, bringing together different generations and cultures. Our alumni, who have devoted much of their professional life to teaching and promoting the welfare of LSMU students, shared their memories and valuable insights. We are delighted that Professor Rimvydas Stropas has been awarded the title of the Academic Alumni Ambassador of the Association. We believe that the ideas of different generations, a shared academic culture and a true sense of Alma Mater will contribute to the development of the University’s activities and will help to ensure high quality of studies,” said Assoc. Prof. Dr. Laura Malakauskienė, Dean of the Student Affairs at the LSMU who initiated the meeting.

Audrius Sveikata, President of the LSMU Alumni Association, agreed and stressed that the organisation highly esteems the representatives of all generations. “The LSMU Alumni Association is a voluntary public organisation uniting all the alumni of the University. We hope that academic alumni, ambassadors and other LSMU stakeholders known for their professional achievements and successes in the field of health sciences will contribute to our activities. Our goal is to make a positive impact on the academic and managerial performance of the University. The achievement of success by today’s students in their future careers is a shared triumph for the entire community.”