News

On September 16, a delegation from the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Technology at Riga Technical University visited the Vilnius University (VU) Faculty of Chemistry and Geosciences (FCHG).

During the visit, FCHG representatives introduced the guests to Vilnius University's experience in developing cosmetic chemistry studies. The meeting included discussions on study program development processes, curriculum design, and quality assurance principles. Student internships, career opportunities and the links between studies, science, and industry were also discussed. The representatives emphasized the importance of maintaining close cooperation with social partners, businesses and professional organizations to meet the demand for cosmetic chemistry specialists in the Baltic States and to train highly qualified professionals. Furthermore, the guests were given a tour of the Faculty's research and teaching laboratories. This infrastructure and the opportunities for developing practical skills are an integral part of training cosmetic chemistry specialists.

The "Advanced Materials and Technologies" conference took place in Palanga on August 24–28.It was attended by our faculty's postdoctoral researchers dr. Maab Elsheikh, dr. Agnieszka Lipke and PhD students Agnė Giniūnaitė, Justina Karčiauskaitė, Diana Vištorskaja, Olzhas Shalkha, Gabrielė Klydžiūtė, Edvardas Brimas, Aigul Dastankyzy.

Registration for Vilnius University's (VU) "Smart Internship", aimed at VU students, is open until September 20. During the internship, students tackle real business and institutional challenges in interdisciplinary teams of 5–7 people, working according to the Design Thinking methodology. Through the internship, students gain practical experience and build professional connections, and for some of them it becomes a first step toward their future career. The whole process is guided by an internship supervisor both at the University and at the partner organization, and is accompanied by additional training sessions to strengthen time management, teamwork, public speaking, and reflection skills.

A young researchers' team from Vilnius University (VU), led by Dr. Denis Sokol and PhD student Jonas Žurauskas from the Faculty of Chemistry and Geosciences (FCHG), has won the Research Council of Lithuania funding project titled “My First Research Team.” The team has been awarded 350,000 euros for three years of research aimed at developing an innovative method for destroying microplastics using light and sound. It is an idea developed by young scientists in the university's laboratory that could become an answer to one of today's most pressing global problems.

Vilnius University (VU) Faculty of Chemistry and Geosciences third-year Climatology and Hydrology student Gustė Gečaitė presented the results of her research on marine heatwaves in Baltic Sea lagoons at the 2026 student summer research internship conference “Summer of Science with RCL”, organised by the Research Council of Lithuania. Her presentation was recived a diploma for the best and most impactful presentation.

On August 26, the Research Council of Lithuania (RCL) held the closing conference of its student summer research internship program, "Summer of Science with RCL." We are delighted to announce that VU FCHG students received awards at this conference.

Vilnius University Faculty of Chemistry and Geosciences student Augustas Reikertas, studying Cartography and GIS, has been named one of this year’s winners of the Esri Young Scholars Award. This summer, he represented Vilnius University at the global Esri User Conference in San Diego, USA, where he presented his project “Cemeteries as Urban Green Spaces.”

We are delighted to announce that the first organic chemistry seminar-meeting of the upcoming 2026 academic year will take place this September, aiming to bring the field’s community together! The exact date of the first meeting will be announced soon.

In July, Pranciškus Brazdžiūnas, a PhD student at the VU FCHG Institute of Geosciences, took part in the ICAR2026 (International Conference on Aeolian Research) held in Swakopmund, Namibia. This conference, organized every three years in a different part of the world, is hosted by the International Society for Aeolian Research (ISAR) together with the University of Oxford. It brings together scientists studying wind-blown sand, related processes, and landform development.

How did the Baltic Sea coast respond to the most powerful storms of the 20th century, and what can the traces they left behind reveal about future threats? Scientists from the United States , together with Donatas Pupienis, a professor at Vilnius University's Faculty of Chemistry and Geosciences, are seeking answers to these questions. In mid-July this year, they carried out detailed geophysical, geological, and morphometric surveys along the stretch of Baltic coast between Šventoji and the Latvian settlement of Nida to determine whether traces of 20th-century hurricane-force storms remain in the coastal sediments. The research team included Philip Reeder a professor at Duquesne University , Harry Jol, a professor at the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire , geospatial technology coordinator Martin Goettl, students Brock Johnson, Gracie Sime, Megan Doles, Grace Schmidt, and Gavin Comiskey,  and professor D. Pupienis.