E-mail sekretore@adm.vdu.lt; a.balcytiene@pmdi.vdu.lt

Born on May 12, 1966, in the village of Baisogala, Radviliškis District. In 1989, graduated from Kaunas University of Technology; From 1991 to 1996 studied at the University of Joensuu (Finland), where in 1996 received her Ph.D. in social sciences.

Since 1997 has been working at Vytautas Magnus University in Kaunas: at first as a lecturer, and from 1998 to 2006 as Head of the Department of Journalism, School of Political Science and Diplomacy. In 2006 she took administrative position of the University secretary with responsibilities in strategic planning and coordination of public and international affairs.

Associate Professor since 1998; Professor since 2009; Field of research – media and communication studies. Research interests focus on comparative aspects in studying political communication and journalism cultures, media system change, the development of European public sphere, information and communication policies as well as multicultural and multilingual journalism online. Courses taught: Creative Online Writing, Communication Cultures, EU Information Policy, Mediatization of Politics, Strategies of Integrated Communications, and others.

Auksė Balčytienė actively participates in various study visits and conferences related to journalism and media research, journalism training and quality assessment. In 2001-2002, she was granted the Erich-Brost-Professorship and gave lectures on International Journalism at the Institute of Journalism, University of Dortmund. She has also been a visiting professor under Socrates/Erasmus exchange programs at the universities of Madrid, Ulster, Tampere, Copenhagen, Dortmund, Tallinn and Tartu. She has extensive experience in project management, administration and coordination and has been actively involved in a number of international projects, i.e. the EC 6th Framework Program (AIM: Adequate Information Management in Europe, CINEFOGO: Civil Society and New Forms of Governance in Europe – the Making of European Citizenship) projects, projects within the NordPlus Neighbor program supported by the Nordic Council of Ministers; She was a national representative of Lithuania in the COST A20 (Impact of the Internet on Mass Media in Europe) and A30 (Setting New East European Media Research Agenda) projects.

She is a member of several academic and professional associations (ICA: International Communication Association, IAMCR: International Association for Media and Communication Research, ECREA: European Communication Research Association, BAMR: Baltic Association for Media Research); She is also an editorial board member of scientific periodicals (European Journal of Communication, Central European Journal of Communication, Information Science, Regional Studies, Maltese Journal for Education Research). She has published two monographs (most recent – Mass Media and Journalism in Lithuania: Changes, Development and Journalism Culture. Berlin: Vistas, 2006) and over 70 articles.

In 2008 she became a member of the Committee of Humanities and Social Sciences at the Lithuanian Science Council; Since 2008 she is also a member at the Lithuanian National Radio and Television (the LRT) Council.