News
President Adamkus Examines Leadership Potential in EHU Seminar
31/05/2010
The former president of Lithuania, Mr Valdas Adamkus, took a closer look at the leadership potential to be found in the EU's eastern neighbours at a seminar organized by the EHU at the Baltic Development Forum in Vilnius on June 1.
"Those who are young today are the leaders of the future, so it is therefore important that we grasp the potential out there. At EHU young Belarusians receive a higher education based on academic freedom and the leadership potential amongst these students is enormous," said Valdas Adamkus.
The aim of the seminar was to explore the great leadership potential to be found in the EU's eastern neighbours, with a focus on EHU, which was forced to move from Minsk to an existence in exile in Vilnius in 2004.
"The EU has adopted the Europe 2020 strategy, and in that context, we have immense possibilities for cooperation in order to promote understanding, confront challenges as a result of post-Soviet adaptations, and build contacts and partnerships with academic groups, young talent and institutions in the EU's eastern neighbouring countries," says Hálldor Ásgrímsson, Secretary General of the Nordic Council of Ministers. Ásgrímsson moderated the seminar in Vilnius.
In addition to Adamkus and Ásgrímsson, Dr. Jonathan Fanton spoke on his extensive experience in higher education and long term association with EHU. He is President Emeritus of the New School for Social Research, a university that began in exile in 1933 as an emergency rescue program for threatened scholars. EHU's Rector, Prof. Dr. Anatoli Mikhailov, discussed the case of EHU and its contribution towards higher education in Belarus.
