Jurgis Vilemas

Garbės profesorius / Honorary Professor (Suteiktas vardas 1994-03-09)

Jurgis Vilemas was born on 20 November 1938 in Klaipeda. In 1956, he began his studies at the Kaunas Polytechnic Institute. In 1958, by government decision, he was transferred to study at the Moscow Energy Institute, where he graduated in 1962, specialising in nuclear engineering. There, in 1966, he defended his Candidate of Technical Sciences (PhD) thesis in the field of heat transfer in nuclear reactors, and in 1980, his doctoral thesis in the field of nuclear energy. In 1983, he was awarded the title of Professor.

He was elected member-correspondent of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences in 1985 and became a full member in 1987. Since 1966 he has been working at the Lithuanian Energy Institute (formerly the Institute of Physical and Technical Problems of Energy), first as a junior and later as a senior researcher, and from 1973 to 1981 as the Head of the Laboratory. He was elected Director of the Institute in 1981 and re-elected in 1986, 1990, 1992, 1996, and 2000. Since 2004 he has served as a senior researcher and Chair of the Council (2004-2010) at the Institute.

Vilemas’ main area of scientific work involves studying thermohydrodynamic processes in nuclear reactors of various types and purposes, examining the fundamental patterns of hydro and gas dynamics related to this field, and addressing safety issues in nuclear power plants. He has published several monographs and over 270 scientific articles, and has participated in many international conferences discussing these issues.

Vilemas is a current or former member of various international organisations and committees: member of the Executive Committee of the Hydrogen Implementing Agreement of the International Energy Agency, Chair of the Lithuanian Nuclear Safety Advisory Committee, member of the Scientific Council of the International Centre for Heat and Mass Transfer, honorary member of the Lithuanian Member Committee of the World Energy Council, member of the European Atomic Energy Community, Foreign member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences and the Finnish Academy of Technology, member of the International Association for Energy Economics, Rector of VMU by the decision of the Re-establishment Senate (1989-1990), Chair of the Re-establishment Council and the Re-establishment Senate (1989-1993), member of the Council of Kaunas University of Medicine (2000-2010) and of the Council of Vytautas Magnus University (2001-2006), member of VMU Senate and later its Chair (2008-2010), Vice-Chair of VMU Council (2010-2015).

From 1970 to 1984, he worked in secondary teaching positions at Kaunas Polytechnic Institute, lecturing in general physics, nuclear reactors, and nuclear power plants. From 1994 to 1997, he was a member of the Ignalina NPP Safety Committee. This committee oversaw the EBRD-funded Ignalina NPP safety analysis project. The results and recommendations of the work were presented to the Lithuanian Government and, based on this work, a programme for improving the safety of the Ignalina NPP was prepared and fully implemented. From 1993 to 2008, he chaired the Lithuanian Nuclear Safety Advisory Committee established by the Lithuanian Government, comprising mostly nuclear safety experts delegated by foreign governments.

Since 1990, Vilemas has been involved in energy economics and strategic planning, dedicating a significant portion of his scientific and organisational work to issues regarding Lithuanian energy policy, economics, and safety. He has either led or actively contributed to research programmes for developing Lithuanian energy strategies. He was Chair of the Lithuanian Association for Energy Economics and a member of the Ukrainian Nuclear Safety Advisory Committee. From 2000 to 2008, he was Chair of the Board of AB Lietuvos Energija, and from 1993 to 2007, he was an Advisor to the Government of the Republic of Lithuania (on a voluntary basis) on energy issues.

Vilemas devotes significant attention to the development of research in the field of hydrogen energy, consolidating the scientific potential of the Lithuanian Energy Institute, Vytautas Magnus University, and Kaunas University of Technology, and engaging in international programmes dedicated to this purpose. He initiated the establishment of the Lithuanian Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology Platform and led the Hydrogen Energy Association.

He was also the Editor-in-Chief of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences journal “Energetika” (Energetics), and a member of the editorial board of the journal “Mokslas ir technika” (Science and Technology). His awards include the 3rd degree Order of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas; Honorary Professor of Vytautas Magnus University; Honorary Doctor of Kaunas University of Technology; Honoured Scientist of Lithuania; and laureate of the Lithuanian State Science Prize, the A. V. Lykov Award of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, and the A. Žukauskas Prize.

Based on information provided by VMU Library.