Faculty news

10 October 1991 is considered the birthday of the Internet in Lithuania as on that day the development of the computer network LITNET of Lithuanian research and study institutions began.

Satellite communication equipment installed on the Seimas building allowed our country to connect to the world wide web for the first time. Adolfas Laimutis Telksnys, Professor at the Faculty of Mathematics and Informatics of Vilnius University, the founder of the LITNET network, notes that Lithuanian researchers did it in a very short period – three months. Financial support came from the Scandinavians.

The introduction of the Internet was discussed during the conference

Widespread use of the Internet in the Western world began in the 1990s. At that time, according to the professor, Soviet-occupied Lithuania carried out research in an attempt to create computer systems connected by communication channels but the Internet was not yet operational. The only way to connect with the world was through Moscow.

“It was the second year of the restoration of independence in Lithuania. Lithuanian connections at that time were still controlled by the Soviet services. We had to break free from their control,” the scientist recalls.

Bringing the Internet independent of Moscow to Lithuania is one of the most famous works of Prof. L. Telksnys. In June 1991, the scientist went to the international computer network conference INET 91 in Denmark and discussed having an independent computer connection in Lithuania with the specialists of the Nordic computer network NORDUnet. Over the meetings held during the international computer network conference, it was decided to install a satellite communication channel “Lithuania - Internet” between the Institute of Mathematics and Informatics of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences and the Nordic computer network NORDUnet, which was already connected to the Internet.
All experts - Danes, Swedes, Norwegians, Finns - supported Prof. L. Telksnys’s idea.

The works took three months

“The Scandinavians helped us a lot. The Norwegian government donated to Lithuania satellite antennas, the 64 Kbps satellite channel Intelsat, and the computer Norsk Data necessary for Internet connection. The works in Norway were coordinated by the University of Oslo with the help of Norwegian businessman Vidar Bjerkeland,” Prof. L. Telksnys said, talking about the support from his colleagues.

Three months later, on 10 October 1991, the computer network of Lithuanian research and study institutions LITNET was established. This was the first independent Internet connection in Lithuania, installed by the informatics specialists from the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Mathematics and Informatics, communicating with the specialists at the Supreme Council of the Republic of Lithuania, Kaunas University of Technology, and Vilnius University. “A satellite communication antenna was installed on the roof of the Palace of the Supreme Council of the Republic of Lithuania, which maintained communication with the satellite Internet communication antenna of the NORDUnet computer network. The computer satellite communication channel “Lithuania - Internet” ensured a data transmission speed of 64 Kbps. The 9.6 Kbps share of the communication channel was used for digital data transmission and the rest was used for telephone, fax, and telegraph calls,” the pioneer of the Internet in Lithuania said.

The first ones to join this network were the Institute of Mathematics and Informatics, Kaunas University of Technology, and Vilnius University. By 1993, e-mail and other services were already used by 17 academic institutions and over 60 governmental and non-profit organisations. LITNET laid the foundations for the current Lithuanian Internet. Lithuania became a member of the world computer network - the Internet.

Plans for the future - even faster connection and AI

According to Prof. L. Telksnys, sending the first black and white photo to Lithuania via LITNET took more than two hours. That is how long it took to send the first electronic photograph from Norway, University of Oslo, to the Institute of Mathematics and Informatics of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences in January 1992.

Now we can send photos in a blink of an eye, and as the connection improves, everything will become even faster, e.g., movies or other large amounts of data will be available for download in seconds.

“The upcoming 5G communication technologies will help control autonomous machines. When 6G technologies come along, and Germany’s Technical University of Munich has already started research into the practical application of these technologies, it will be even more interesting. 6G technology will not only allow for smarter devices but also provide holovision at home, showing three-dimensional nature, city images, concerts, theater performances, actors walking around the room, singers, and musicians playing in the room,” the professor shared his visions for the future of technology.

LITNET laid the foundations for the current Lithuanian Internet; therefore, according to the Lithuanian Internet founder, LITNET must remain a catalyst for progress, transferring the latest technologies to Lithuania, providing state-of-the-art computer network services for science, studies, education, helping to create a community of future humans and robots with artificial intelligence (AI).

According to the professor, in the coming decades, LITNET must help create a society of educated people and smart machines where human helpers will be not only industrial robots, machines, and intelligent objects, but also communicating Lithuanian humanoid robots and autonomous vehicles moving on land, air, and water.

“This environment will allow people to create, manufacture, operate, and export high value-added products. By acting purposefully, we will make Lithuania an example of fostering a society of educated people and machines with artificial intelligence. Lithuania will have a sustainable economy, prosperity, order, peace, and security,” Prof. L. Telksnys assures.

2021-10-11

Are you passionate about mathematics, informatics or natural sciences?
Are your studies and future career related to these areas?

Then this is an exclusive opportunity to participate in an online conference organised by two students’ unions (KTU Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences Students’ Union FUMSA and VU Faculty of Mathematics and Informatics Students’ Representation VU SA MIF) to gain beneficial knowledge and skills from well-known professionals, hear their unbelievable stories and to learn from their experiences.

You will get a chance to participate in:
• One of three professional lectures
• Workshop for soft skills
• Sharing of experiences during a discussion

The online conference will take place on October 9th, 2021, 12 a.m.
This is a great opportunity to find likeminded people or get ideas for future work.

#KarTUsuVU

More information

2021-09-28

Self-driving trucks, robotic surgical systems for complex remote surgeries - these are just a few examples of robotics that still amaze us today, but without them, the future of both people and industry is unimaginable. According to Virginijus Marcinkevičius, head of the Artificial Intelligence Laboratory at the Faculty of Mathematics and Informatics of Vilnius University (VU), almost all of us will be affected by automation processes, as the labour market includes more than half of all professions, one third of operations of which can be automated.

In the VU podcast "Science without Sermons", he talks about the rate of robotization, the competition between robots and humans, which professions are likely to be replaced by autonomous systems, and whether there will be a time when we will be able to stop working.

Singapore is a leader in robotics

The level of robotization in the world is usually measured by the number of robots. "We are seeing a 6-7% increase in the number of robots every year. While in 2013 there were 1.3 million robots in use, by 2018 there were already 2.4 million robots in the world," says the VU scientist.

Another parameter we can measure the speed of robotization is the number of robots per 10,000 jobs. According to the scientist, three years ago Slovakia was the leader in this field with 114 robots per 10,000 jobs, followed by the Czech Republic in the second place. “Meanwhile, in 2020, according to the Lithuanian Robotics Association, we had only 5 robots per 10,000 jobs, while the world leader Singapore has 2018 robots per 10,000 jobs. In Europe, the Germans are currently leading with 277 robots for the same number of jobs."

Although our country is lagging far behind in this area, we can see a significant increase in the number of robotic processes each year, with at least 0.7% more robots per year in Lithuanian companies. 4.6% of Lithuanian companies use robots in one way or another in the process of their operations. We expected that this percentage could rise up to 15% in the future.

Where are robots more efficient than humans?

According to the speaker, robots are now mostly used in packaging, agriculture, animal breeding, food industry, healthcare, automotive industry and electronics. "In a fixed industrial environment, robots can excel at monotonous tasks such as putting an item into a package, sealing it, sorting packages to pallets, labelling products, checking that the correct and undamaged item has been put in, etc."

Robotization is also relevant in agriculture. As the number of population grows and the area of land remains the same, more money is being invested in more efficient, sustainable and environmentally friendly agriculture.

“More efficiently and more products from the same area of land and materials can also be obtained through what is known as precision agriculture, which uses precise mapping and mapping of soil parameters to determine the most efficient way to plant the seedlings of a particular plant, and the most efficient way to fertilize and irrigate them for optimum yields. Drone tracking of crop growth then allows farmers to predict yields and set prices, while automatic harvesting, where tractors autonomously harvest crops based on GPS signals, saves human labour."

Robots are also used in animal breeding to automate the milking of cows, or to monitor surplus stock or health status.

He says that the most surprising thing in the medical field is still remote surgeries, which allow physicians working in one country to perform complex operations on patients living in any other country in the world with the help of precision robots. This is offered by the Da Vinci robotic surgery system, also used in Lithuania.

It's hard for a human to compete with a robot

Once asked how the labour market will change in the future and which professions are most at risk of disappearing, the VU scientist says that robots will first replace humans in monotonous operations, but everyone should think about the impact of robots on the labour market. It is estimated that around 60% of all occupations have at least 30% of operations that can be automated. It can be difficult for a human to compete with a robot in certain areas because they never get sick, they don't need holidays, they usually work for 5 years without breakdowns, they are faster, more precise, they can carry out complex tasks, they can lift heavy weights, and they can work in harmful conditions, in a polluted, hazardous environment.”

However, in certain areas, humans outperform robots in the ability to work in unfixed and undetermined environments. “Although robots use artificial intelligence to perform complex tasks similarly or even more efficiently than a human would, they will never be able to offer suggestions on how to improve performance because they only perform pre-programmed functions," an artificial intelligence expert identifies human strengths.

Automated trucks will replace some of their drivers

The need for occupations such as shop assistants, fast-food restaurant workers, data analysts, security guards and even truck and taxi drivers will be in decline, the scientist says. The transport sector is being rapidly robotized because the market is large: a lot of goods have to be shipped quickly, so companies like Volvo, Tesla are developing autonomous trucks, which they do not yet risk to put on the highway with their loads, but solutions like "autonomous truck trains" are being considered, where the driver of the first truck is followed by a series of autonomous trucks behind it, repeating its actions so that it can get from point A to B," he says.

The automation of product delivery processes is also developing rapidly. V. Marcinkevičius recalled how Amazon advertised drones that take orders from helium ballooned goods and deliver them to the customer's yard. Ideas for small 4-wheelers used for meal delivery are also being developed.

The military industry is also looking for possibilities to replace frontline soldiers with robotic troops for the most risky missions. However, so far the majority of jobs (38%) is robotic in the automotive industry.

Quality is the advantage of human labour

Fortunately, the rate of robotization is not very fast. “For over 200 years, we have been using robotic systems as tools, as a means to work, to create products and services more efficiently, therefore they won't drive people out of the labour market so quickly. For instance, in Germany robots account for only 2.7% of jobs, and with a growth rate of around 7% a year, in 20 years' time around 10% of jobs will be robotic. However, whether we like it or not, we will still be competing with robots, and certain skills can help us to create a greater advantage, guarantee success or a higher reward," says Head of the VU Artificial Intelligence Laboratory.

From a business perspective, he said, a business is competitive when it is able to produce its product or service cheaper, faster or in a better quality. It would be difficult for us to compete with robots in terms of speed, but human labour will always be cheaper because robots are expensive and require a lot of investment. Robots are also often no competitors for humans in terms of quality, as robots cannot improve themselves and are programmed to perform only a specific operation. However, applying knowledge to non-standard situations, improving the operation process and knowledge, creating high added value by proposing new solutions - that would be a human prerogative.

The scientist is convinced that one of the keys to billionaire Alan Musk's success is creativity, and looking from an educational perspective, the greatest return is achieved from the development of knowledge and the creation of new ideas.

However, V. Marcinkevičius reaffirms that, overall, the number of robots in the workplace is still very small and the impact is not very visible. This is confirmed by a study carried out in the United States, which showed that the increase in the number of robots in the world has a small impact on human wages (0.4%) and increases unemployment by around 0.2%.

He believes that even if robotics has a greater impact on the labour market, people will never become jobless, because job is one of the means allowing people to survive and, at the same time, realize their creativity, needs and ideas, and that a life without job will never be as interesting, or even as possible. Robots vacuum our houses instead of us, help us build them (we are trying to print a 3D house), do physically demanding or monotonous human tasks, and perhaps in the future they will contribute more to cooking, but we will have to generate new ideas, educate our children, and create new technologies ourselves.

2021-09-14

Would you like improve and / or learn a new foreign language, get to know a new culture, gain invaluable academic and life self?

We invite you to apply and participate in exchange program!

Application form for the ERASMUS+ exchanges can be accessed here. Online registration will be open from 1st of September till 21st of September, 24 o'clock

ATTENTION! You can apply for different mobility options at the same time.

• Apply for ERASMUS+ mobility here. The list of the partner universities.
• Apply for ARQUS ir Coimbra group mobility here
• Apply for Bilateral exchange here

Info Sessions will be held:

• in Lithuanian September 8 and September 16, 2pm
• in English will be September 15, 2pm.

More information about ERASMUS+:

On the website of the International Relations Department of Vilnius University

On the VU MIF page

2021-09-03

Welcome meeting on 1st of September 11.15 a.m. at the Faculty of Mathematics and Informatics (24, Naugarduko str., Vilnius) in the room 101. Here is the best way to find the location.

During the meeting the Faculty and its facilities will be presented and all the processes for students. So it will be easier to navigate throughout your studies in Vilnius University.

Registration form online.

WELCOME DAY PROGRAME

Following the requirements established by the Government of the Republic of Lithuania, all participants of the event must have an Opportunity Passport and  will also be required to wear protective masks.

2021-08-27

“Thermo Fisher Scientific Baltics” UAB in cooperation with Vilnius University invites prospective 1-year masters students from VU Life Sciences Center, Faculty of Chemistry and Geosciences, Faculty of Medicine, Faculty of Mathematics and Informatics to prepare Master final thesis at the Company.

Favorite students selected to prepare Master final thesis at the Company will receive Thermo Fisher Scientific Baltics nominal scholarship of 1.800 Eur per single academic year. VU students who prepare the final thesis at the Company for two academic years and if study results do not worsen, are entitled for a second-year scholarship, therefore total scholarship would amount to 3.600 Eur.

Applicants’ Bachelor final thesis (or exams) and Main study field subjects weighted average grades must be no less than 8 to qualify for the Scholarship competition.

This nominal scholarship does not impact students’ chances to receive other scholarships from the State, Vilnius University, “Thermo Fisher Scientific Baltics” or other

First year Master students must submit applications for the competition by September 27, 2021

Students must submit following documents:

• Curriculum vitae (CV);
• Motivational letter, also indicating preferred research areas;
• Copy of Bachelor studies diploma and its supplement;
• Copy of Secondary school graduation diploma;
• Copy of other achievements, such as scientific and/or social activities (e.g. participations in scientific competitions, tournaments and other);
• Recommendation from VU Faculty or Employer would be additional benefit.    

Application documents should be submitted to VU Study administration department via e-mail: and “Thermo Fisher Scientific Baltics” UAB via e-mail: titled “Thermo Fisher Scientific nominal scholarship”.

Questions regarding this competition should be addressed to “Thermo Fisher Scientific” representative – Saulius Burbulis , tel. +370 640 68532 or VU representative – Jurgita Alonderyte-Venckiene e-mail: .

“THERMO FISHER SCIENTIFIC BALTICS” NOMINAL SCHOLARSHIP COMPETITION TERMS AND CONDITIONS 2021-2022

2021-08-31

The VU freshmen integration program, which will take place throughout September, is a unique opportunity to get acquainted with the entire VU community in a short time.

Students will have the opportunity to take part in excursions organized by VU Museum and VU Library throughout the month, visit an Integration Space located at VU Central Library, and Scientific Communication and Information Center. Students will also be able to find out more about separate departments, such as VU Library, Culture Center, Sports, and Health Center, VU Student Representation, VU Student services, and career department, and to discover interesting people, inspiring places, and much more.

Student integration #StudentAUK will begin on August 31st. 10 a.m. in the Grand Courtyard of VU.

Here the freshmen will be greeted by a full-day integration event:
10.00 - 12.00 Integration of foreign students
13.00 - 16.00 Discussion festival "Ad Astra"
16.00 - 18.00 Contact fair of VU student clubs and activities
19.00 - 20.00 Baltic Balcan concert and performance of VU Culture Center groups

Following the requirements established by the Government of the Republic of Lithuania, all participants of the event must have an Opportunity Passport; registration: https://cutt.ly/JQ0oTq9

#StudentAUK program and key links:

"Student Life Guidebook": https://vusa.lt/en/studentisko-gyvenimo-vadovas
Program: www.orientationweek.vu.lt
VUSA discussion festival Ad astra: https://fb.me/e/IuFrr5Ge
Registration to #FindVU tours: https://www.studentauk.vu.lt/open-vu.html
Freshman Video Guide: VU video guide - orientationweek

2021-08-20

Congratulations for joining the Faculty of Mathematics and Informatics (MIF) of Vilnius University (VU). An interesting period is in front of you - the beginning of studies. Prospective students often ask where to look for exact information about their studies, how everything will start in the first few weeks. Here are the key steps to successfully prepare for the new academic year.

2021-08-20