With the Advancement of Technology, the Need for Learning Will Persist

At a time when lectures by the world’s leading scientists are easily accessible online and artificial intelligence can perform the most complex tasks, are university studies still relevant?What competences and skills do universities need to equip graduates with today to ensure their ability to continuously learn and successfully navigate the rapidly evolving technological and social environment?

In our interview with Prof. Dr. Julija Kiršienė, Vice-Rector for Research at Vytautas Magnus University, we discuss how science and learning are changing and what challenges both higher education institutions and prospective students have to overcome.

Vytautas Magnus University (VMU) is the only university in Lithuania that follows the philosophy of artes liberales. Can you tell us more about what this means and whether this approach is still relevant today? 

Artes liberales is a distinctive feature of the university that I myself graduated from. It encompasses not only what is taught or researched but also embodies a particular internal culture of the academic institution.

I always illustrate this point to my students by showing them a video in which professional cellists play a classical piece and then enthusiastically transition into rock music. While performing very different genres, they do so with great virtuosity, simultaneously challenging preconceived notions while still remaining professionals in their field.

This is just one illustration of what we strive for at our university: we aim for individuals to approach any profession with an artist’s mindset, fearlessly questioning, challenging established rules, and exploring new angles, all the while believing in what they do.

Today, it is not enough to solely focus on studying one’s specific field and becoming a professional in that area – it is important to develop the ability to perceive the world and situations from a broader perspective. This is why VMU fosters values such as democracy, collegiality, inclusivity, openness, diversity, and even humility. Humility in academia means not being arrogant in what you do, being open to questioning, and being willing to change your perspective. It is an integral part of the culture of the artes liberales that is reflected in science, studies, and communication.

In terms of content, VMU is recognised for its interdisciplinarity. As a legal practitioner teaching law at this university, I can confidently say that law studies at VMU differ from those offered elsewhere. After completing your studies at VMU, you can be more than just professionals in your field – you can also be artists in your field.

Could you remind us of the circumstances that led VMU to adopt the philosophy of artes liberales? When did this educational philosophy make its way to Lithuania?

The concept of artes liberales was brought to Lithuania by the returning diaspora, who made a significant contribution to the re-establishment of VMU. It was the diaspora from the United States that brought the idea of artes liberales, which is now adapted in the Lithuanian and European context. This educational model is more common in Anglo-Saxon culture, although its origins can be traced back to Ancient Greece. Consider the seven liberal arts that, in Antiquity, represented a comprehensive and well-rounded education: grammar, rhetoric, arithmetic, dialectic, geometry, music, and astronomy.

Artes liberales did not gain much traction in Europe, mainly due to the higher level of state involvement in the education system compared to the US or UK. The same applies to Lithuania. Consequently, our university has to adapt to extensive regulation, which hinders us from doing many things differently and further expanding and adapting this model.

The effectiveness of Artes Liberales was perhaps best illustrated by the merger of three universities with very different cultures. Vytautas Magnus University (VMU) merged with Aleksandras Stulginskis University (now VMU Agriculture Academy) and Lithuanian University of Educational Sciences (now VMU Education Academy). This was an unprecedented case in Lithuania, where three very different universities merged. And it was precisely the philosophy of artes liberales, based on tolerance, openness, and listening to others, that helped us come closer, listen to each other, and adopt each other’s strengths.

Based on experience, university mergers often result in the loss of academic potential, but in this particular case, there was a very successful synergy. This is clearly reflected in the achieved results. It would be fair to say that Vytautas Magnus University, since its merger, has made the most significant breakthrough in science and studies among Lithuanian universities in recent years: together with its partners, it has established the European University Alliance Transform4Europe and significantly increased its activity and achievements in national and international research projects. But most importantly, despite COVID, demographic, war, energy, and other crises and challenges, there has been a notable growth in salaries and job satisfaction among the university staff.

You mentioned that in addition to artes liberales, interdisciplinarity is also very important at VMU. How does this university’s approach to studies manifest in practice?

For instance, the Faculty of Law at VMU stands out for its interdisciplinarity, which is our strong suit. In law studies, we not only focus on mastering criminal and civil law but also delve into areas such as energy, technology, and education law.

Interdisciplinarity is also crucial in carrying out projects. VMU is taking the lead in coordinating two major international and interdisciplinary projects funded by the Horizon Europe programme: the Forest 4.0 project for the establishment of the Centre of Excellence and the DIACOMET project for the development of communication ethics and accountability in the media, with DELFI as a partner.

We were the first in Lithuania to implement the Teaming for Excellence action as part of the European Horizon project Forest 4.0, which explores how the Internet of Things can transform the entire forestry practice. Perhaps in the future we will measure the CO2 emissions of each tree and, with the aim of reducing these emissions in the air, we will be able to calculate quotas for companies and offer them advice on how to minimise their gas emissions.

Moreover, Forest 4.0 is carried out in collaboration with esteemed partners – Linneaus University (Sweden), Kaunas University of Technology (KTU), and other Lithuanian and Swedish companies, which will jointly promote innovative data-based solutions to forestry management across the entire value chain, from forest resource management to end-products.

Another significant and relevant initiative is the DIGIRES communication project, which aims to demonstrate how disinformation can be identified and to enhance the digital resilience of Lithuanian society online. The project involves the participation of the DELFI portal, which collaborated with VMU researchers in its development. It employs artificial intelligence, an open-access corpus, and a specialised dataset for the analysis of disinformation in Lithuanian. Currently, AI equipped with Lithuanian language understanding is utilised by the Seimas, the courts, and the police.

Such large-scale projects are always carried out in collaboration with partners. The work of different institutions is effectively enhanced precisely through the application of interdisciplinarity. I believe that in the future, scientific breakthroughs will continue to emerge where the boundaries of different disciplines converge.

When we look at other universities, it becomes apparent that disciplines such as rhetoric, philosophy, and philosophy of law are gradually being removed from curricula and offered as elective courses, while more “dry” subjects are made compulsory. Both young people and some employers are increasingly placing less value on university education and giving more importance to practical knowledge that can be acquired through listening to lectures on YouTube or completing internships in companies. How does VMU respond to these realities?

We understand that the government’s approach is still mass-oriented, viewing the education system as a large factory, with large groups where certain products are stamped. But the concept of the factory or the conveyor belt is about a century old and, from our point of view, it is very outdated and does not reflect reality because the world has moved on to new paradigms, with Industry to 4.0 and Society to 5.0, while Education is still stuck in the Industry’s 2.0 paradigm, as if we are still living in a society driven by factories. But everything has changed since then. In today’s world, there is a shift towards more personalised, targeted production and lifelong learning. VMU is also embracing this model.

The availability of knowledge and information through various platforms is particularly vast and valuable nowadays. It might even seem that learning can be quicker and easier compared to attending a university. The university needs to adapt to these challenges. And it is precisely the artes liberales model that is particularly well-suited to this reality. Each student receives a personalised study package. There are general, relevant subjects, but students have the freedom to choose what interests them from a variety of disciplines, for example, it is compulsory to take a subject in the arts, humanities, and sciences.

This approach allows us to expose students to the wider world, as they are being prepared not only for a specific career but also for life. And this is the essence of liberal arts education. Regardless of their field of study, students have the opportunity to learn foreign languages and other subjects at the university. Because our aim is not merely to award a degree, but to teach students how to learn.Based on the World Economic Forum’s annual list of the top ten essential skills, we can see that it is currently important to focus on prioritising lifelong learning skills, fostering emotional and social intelligence, and constantly updating professional knowledge.

The university is also a place where individuals build professional networks and meet people who are related to their field and will be important in their professional lives. While it is true that one can join various online lectures by professors from the comfort of their own home, this does not provide the same experience as being in an actual classroom with an audience, which is just as important as the content being taught. Perhaps the classmate sitting next to you will be your future work partner.

Another important issue and challenge is artificial intelligence. How does it affect the processes of teaching and learning?

AI is a reality that we cannot escape. I myself actively use ChatGPT to create tests, assignments, and reviews, and it is a wonderful helper. Of course, there are other AIs out there as well.

I think it is a great tool for lecturers, teachers, just as it is for schoolchildren, and students. We need to train them to work with this tool. This means expanding knowledge even further just to be able to accurately formulate questions.

This emphasises the need for an even higher quality of education. Ultimately, without a firm grasp of the subject matter, you won’t be able to properly formulate a question or evaluate the submitted response. These innovations only raise the bar for how much knowledge one must possess for these tools to be truly helpful rather than misleading.

We discuss with colleagues and students how to recognise whether work is done independently or with the help of AI. Exciting times lie ahead as we observe the ongoing development of technology. But one thing is certain – the need for learning will persist.

Article by news portal Delfi.lt