News
December 15, 2025
Mykolas Romeris University (MRU), together with partners from Ukraine, Moldova, Austria, and Estonia, is implementing the project “The Critical Role of Public Employees in Circular Economy Implementation: Embedding Circular Economy Thinking in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs)”. The project aims to enhance the competencies and expertise of students and highly qualified professionals who are or will be employed in the public sector or private enterprises.
In response to the project’s objective of strengthening the educational and scientific capacities of partner universities in Ukraine and Moldova, an intensive training programme focusing on best practices in circular economy and energy efficiency was organised.
The training programme provided a comprehensive exploration of key topics, including sustainability challenges within the university environment, the policies of the European Union’s Green Deal, and the evolving role of the circular economy. Guest lecturers and practitioners from Lithuania, Estonia, Austria, Denmark, Israel, and the United Arab Emirates shared insights into their countries’ progress and opportunities in the transition towards greener practices.
Circular Economy as a Mindset Shift
Reflecting on the broader significance of the initiative, Prof. Dr. Birutė Mockevičienė of Mykolas Romeris University highlighted that the circular economy requires a fundamental shift in thinking:
“The circular economy is not merely an environmental initiative – it is a shift in mindset that transforms how society, business, and the public sector operate. By investing in the competences of students and educators, we are laying the foundation for a future Europe where sustainability becomes not a challenge, but a natural principle of everyday life,” she noted.
Alongside the lectures, interactive workshops offered hands-on learning experiences. Teachers were introduced to modern, innovative teaching methods designed to enhance engagement in sustainability-related studies. Students took part in practical case-study sessions, addressing real-world challenges through creative and collaborative learning approaches.
Bridging Education and the Labour Market
Recognising the relevance of the training topics to a wide range of organisations and stakeholders, the final day of the programme included a public event hosted at Vilnius City Municipality. The event aimed to strengthen links with the labour market, introduce students to essential skills and mindsets for professional and personal development, and promote future employment opportunities.
According to Inga Staniūnė, Chief HR Officer at Avia Solutions Group, green skills are becoming increasingly important in today’s labour market:
“As organisations shift towards sustainable practices and climate-conscious strategies, green skills are becoming essential. Future employees will need a strong understanding of environmental responsibility and the ability to integrate sustainable thinking into everyday decisions,” she emphasised.
This view was echoed by Eliza Romanovska, CEO of OBT, who stressed the growing importance of flexibility and creativity in the workforce:
“Employee flexibility, the ability to adapt to change, and creative problem-solving are becoming key competitive advantages in the market. In our company, we strive to create positive change by nurturing new talent and engaging with students in an international environment. This not only helps us attract new team members but also contributes to the goals of sustainability and sustainable growth,” she noted.
The initiative reaffirmed the critical importance of preparing future professionals to contribute to Europe’s sustainable transformation and highlighted the strong commitment of academia, industry, and public institutions to building a greener future.
The project is partly funded by the ERASMUS+ Strategic Partnerships Programme. Project No. ERASMUS-EDU-2024-CBHE 101179344.
#Erasmus+ #PubCirEco #CircularEconomyThinking
Kviečiame į tarptautinį renginį Vilniaus miesto savivaldybėje: žiedinės ekonomikos praktikos ir karjeros galimybės
Gruodžio 11 d. (ketvirtadienį) 10.00 val. Vilniaus miesto savivaldybėje vyks tarptautinis renginys, skirtas žiedinei ekonomikai, tvarumui ir jaunimo karjeros galimybėms žaliųjų inovacijų srityje.
Renginys – „Vilnius – Europos žalioji sostinė 2025“ programos dalis organizuojamas bendradarbiaujant su Mykolo Romerio Universitetu, vykdančiu Erasmus+ projektą PubCirEco.
Dalyviai išgirs tarptautinių įmonių pranešimus, susipažins su žiedinės ekonomikos profesijomis, globaliomis stažuotėmis ir tvarios karjeros kryptimis.
Kviečiame studentus, kuriuos domina apmokamos tarptautinės stažuotės ir kurie nori įgyti patirties logistikos projektų valdymo srityje. Tarptautinė įmonė OBT pristatys patrauklias galimybes.
Vieta: Vilniaus miesto savivaldybė, Konstitucijos pr. 3 (20 aukštas)
Laikas: gruodžio 11 d., 10:00–12:30
Tikslinė grupė: studentai, jaunieji tyrėjai, jauni specialistai, visi besidomintys tvarumu ir inovacijomis
Dalyvavimas nemokamas, registracija e.paštu birutė.mockevičienė@mruni.eu, registracija būtina, įėjimas tik su leidimais.
Renginio kalba: anglų.
Renginį organizuoja Mykolo Romerio universitetas kartu su tarptautiniais partneriais iš Ukrainos, Moldovos, Austrijos, Estijos
____
Agenda:
Welcome coffee
10.00-10.30 Circular economy from the lenses of an international company (presenter Inga Staniūnė, Avia Solution Group)
10.30-12.30 Introduction to OBT Talent Program – Career opportunities in West Africa (presenters Eliza Romanovska – Group HR Director, Martin Andersen – CEO, OBT , United Arab Emirates).
12.30-12.45 Awarding ceremony and summary
Join the PubCirEco Intensive Training Programme in Vilnius: Empowering Change Through Circular Economy Education
October 8, 2025
The PubCirEco Erasmus+ project warmly invites teachers, students, researchers, business representatives, and public authorities to join us for an engaging Intensive Training Programme on Circular Economy. This exciting event will be held from December 8–12, 2025, in Vilnius, Lithuania, at the prestigious Mykolas Romeris University (MRU) and the vibrant Vilnius City Municipality.
This inspiring three-day international event offers a wonderful opportunity to explore innovation, sustainability, and academic excellence. It aims to support and empower universities in Ukraine and Moldova while fostering sustainable ideas throughout higher education and the wider community. We look forward to sharing this exciting journey together!
Organised under the Erasmus+ project “Strengthening Circular Economy Practices in Higher Education in Ukraine and Moldova” (PubCirEco), this training is designed to warmly equip academic staff and students with the skills to introduce new study modules, innovative teaching methods, and circular economy solutions at their institutions. It also aims to foster a welcoming platform where universities, businesses, and policymakers can come together to share good practices and build stronger cooperation.
Throughout the programme, participants will have the opportunity to join engaging lectures, dynamic workshops, and interactive sessions led by renowned international experts from Lithuania, Austria, Israel, Slovakia, and other European countries. The training combines collaborative learning, student-centred workshops, and specially designed sessions to support academic staff development, creating a welcoming and enriching environment for everyone involved.
Among the highlights of the programme are:
- Sessions by international experts such as Assoc. Prof. Dr. Peter Hanajik (Comenius University, Slovakia), Dr. Romeo V. Turcan (Aalborg University, Denmark), and Dr. Ilan Bar Shalom (Kaye Academic College of Education, Israel).
- A special talk on Circular Economy in International Companies presented by Inga Staniūnė, Avia Solutions Group.
- Student and teacher sessions focusing on innovative and problem-based learning methods.
- A visit to the Museum of Energy and Technology and a closing session at the Vilnius City Municipality, featuring a discussion on EU Green Deal policy and the role of higher education in the circular economy, presented by Lina Sveiklaitė.
The intensive programme will culminate with group presentations, a farewell lunch, and the awarding of certificates of participation.
The event is part of Vilnius – European Green Capital 2025 activities and is open not only to teachers and students from partner universities in Ukraine and Moldova but also to academic staff from other European universities, business representatives, and public authorities interested in sustainable innovation and green transformation.
“This training marks a significant step in embedding sustainability and circular thinking into higher education,” said Prof. Dr. Birutė Mockevičienė, project coordinator at Mykolas Romeris University. “We invite everyone interested in sustainability, innovation, and international cooperation to join us in Vilnius and become part of the change.”
Event details:
? 8–12 December 2025
? Mykolas Romeris University (Didlaukio 55, Vilnius) and Vilnius City Municipality (Konstitucijos pr. 3)
? Participation: Open to academic staff, students, PhD students, policymakers, and business representatives
? Certificates will be issued to all participants.
For more information and registration, please contact:
? birute.mockeviciene@mruni.eu | strucko@mruni.eu
The project is partly funded by the ERASMUS+ Strategic Partnerships Programme. Project No. ERASMUS-EDU-2024-CBHE 101179344.
#Erasmus+ #PubCirEco #CircularEconomyThinking
PubCirEco Project Steering Committee Sets Agenda for the Next Phase of Circular Economy Education
October 1, 2025
On 30 September 2025, the PubCirEco Erasmus+ project consortium held its third Steering Committee meeting – the first after the summer break. The online session brought together partners from Lithuania, Ukraine, Moldova, Austria, and Estonia to review progress and plan for an active period ahead.
The meeting began with positive news: the project has started an amendment to extend the timeline for short study visits, giving partners more flexibility to organise high-quality exchanges. These visits are now scheduled to take place in Estonia and Austria in 2026, creating new opportunities for practical learning and collaboration.
Project partners also reviewed their summer achievements. Over the past months, course descriptions were finalised, and now each university in Ukraine and Moldova must take the next essential step – securing official approval and integrating these new courses into their study programmes. This process, which involves each university’s rectorate, senate, or faculty-level structures depending on national regulations, must be completed by February 2026.
Looking ahead, attention is shifting to the first Intensive Training Week, scheduled to take place in Vilnius, Lithuania, in December 2025. Organised by Mykolas Romeris University, the training will bring together Ukrainian and Moldovan students and academic staff for lectures, workshops, and study visits, including sessions at the Museum of Energy and Technology and Vilnius City Municipality. Participants will receive certificates, and this will be the first in a series of programmes, with additional sessions planned in Austria and Estonia in 2026. Each Ukrainian and Moldovan partner university will send six participants to ensure broad engagement of teachers and students.
Alongside the training, the project is preparing to launch its first webinar in December, which will focus on circular economy education and reach a broader audience, including policymakers, business representatives, and researchers. Another webinar is scheduled for February 2026. Quality assurance activities are also in progress, with a survey on project management to be shared with partners in October, and the results will be discussed during the December meeting in Vilnius.
Project Leader prof. dr. Birutė Mockevičienė stressed the importance of this stage:
We appreciate all partners for their dedication during the summer months. With courses prepared for approval and training sessions coming up, we are entering an important phase where our efforts will directly influence students and professionals in Ukraine and Moldova.
The upcoming in-person consortium meeting will occur alongside the Intensive Training Week in Vilnius this December, marking another milestone in strengthening academic collaborations and promoting circular economy education throughout the region.
#Erasmus+ #PubCirEco #CircularEconomy #HigherEducation #Sustainability #Ukraine #Moldova
The project is partly funded by the ERASMUS+ Strategic Partnerships Programme. Project No. ERASMUS-EDU-2024-CBHE 101179344.
PubCirEco Project Prepares Innovative Circular Economy Education Solutions for Ukraine and Moldova
September 10, 2025
The Erasmus+ project PubCirEco spent the summer months developing new teaching materials that will modernize circular economy education in Ukraine and Moldova. Coordinated by Mykolas Romeris University (Lithuania), the project brings together universities from Lithuania, Ukraine, Moldova, Estonia, and Austria.
The project is designed to enhance the competencies and expertise of students and highly qualified professionals working in both the public and private sectors. It also promotes inclusivity in academic programs and supports the internationalisation of higher education in Eastern Europe, with a special focus on Ukraine and Moldova. A key goal is to highlight the role of universities in shaping values, skills, and behaviours that reflect the European model of “green” development and circular economy practices.
This summer, the partner institutions worked on course descriptions, each incorporating at least one innovative teaching method such as interactive learning, peer teaching, project-based learning, crossover learning, or co-created digital textbooks. These methods will be introduced to students in the following stages of the project.
Through this work, PubCirEco moves closer to its main objectives:
• equipping teachers in Ukraine and Moldova with deeper sustainability expertise,
• helping students gain skills directly relevant to their future workplaces,
• building bridges between academia, business, and public administration, and
• promoting inclusive, digitalised education and academic mobility.
The next partner meeting after long summer is scheduled to take place on September 30, 2025.
The project’s target groups include university staff and students, as well as policymakers, business representatives, PhD students, and researchers. By engaging all of these groups, PubCirEco is laying the foundations for a stronger academic and professional community committed to sustainability and the European Green Deal.
Project partners include: Mykolas Romeris University (Lithuania), Simon Kuznets National University of Economics in Kharkiv (Ukraine), TTK University of Applied Sciences (Estonia), Kharkiv National University of Radio Electronics (Ukraine), Open International University for Human Development “Ukraine” (Ukraine), FH CAMPUS 02 University of Applied Sciences (Austria), Technical University of Moldova (Moldova), Moldovan Academy of Economic Sciences (Moldova), and Moldovan State University (Moldova).
#Erasmus+ #PubCirEco #CircularEconomy #HigherEducation #Sustainability #Ukraine #Moldova
The project is partly funded by the ERASMUS+ Strategic Partnerships Programme.
The project is partly funded by the ERASMUS+ Strategic Partnerships Programme. Project No. ERASMUS-EDU-2024-CBHE 101179344.
PubCirEco Project Partners Advance Work on Course Development and Mapping Activities
May 12, 2025
On May 9, 2025, the PubCirEco Steering Committee held its second meeting, bringing together 20 project partners for an online session focused on sharing progress and experiences related to course development and mapping activities. The meeting fostered live discussions and valuable exchange of ideas on designing study modules aligned with circular economy principles.
A key part of the meeting focused on reviewing draft course descriptions. Each partner provided a brief overview of their progress, shared feedback, and discussed ways to improve alignment across institutions. Another important topic was the ongoing effort to map existing circular economy initiatives and institutional needs, which will help inform the broader goals of the project.
The next partner meeting is scheduled to take place on June 12, 2025.
PubCirEco remains committed to building the capacity of higher education institutions in Ukraine and Moldova, equipping public sector professionals with the knowledge and skills necessary to drive sustainable change in line with the European Green Deal.
#Erasmus+ #PubCirEco #CircularEconomy #HigherEducation #Sustainability #Ukraine #Moldova
The project is partly funded by the ERASMUS+ Strategic Partnerships Programme.
Project No. ERASMUS-EDU-2024-CBHE 101179344.
Developing Sustainability Skills in Ukraine and Moldova: Kick-off Meeting of the MRU Project
January 20, 2025
On January 17, 2025, Mykolas Romeris University (MRU) hosted the official kick-off meeting of the PubCirEco project (Critical Role of Public Employees in Circular Economy Implementation: Embedding Circular Economy Thinking in HEIs). This marks the official launch of the initiative, which aims to integrate circular economy principles into higher education institutions.
The virtual event brought together representatives from all project partner institutions, alongside MRU administration. A key milestone of the meeting was the election of the PubCirEco Steering Committee, which will guide the project’s strategic direction. Additionally, all 30 participants outlined their planned contributions and shared their objectives and expectations for the next three years.
With a strong collaborative effort, PubCirEco is set to drive meaningful change by equipping public employees with the knowledge and skills needed to advance circular economy practices in higher education and beyond.
PubCirEco aims to strengthen circular economy knowledge at universities in Ukraine and Moldova by training professionals from the public and private sectors to contribute to sustainable change in these countries. In addition to fostering the growth of a skilled workforce, the project actively contributes to the implementation of the European Green Deal by strengthening the integration of Ukraine and Moldova into the European Union.
The project partners are Mykolas Romeris University (Lithuania) (coordinator), Simon Kuznets National University of Economics in Kharkiv (Ukraine), TTK University of Applied Sciences (Estonia), Kharkiv National University of Radio Electronics (Ukraine), Open International University for Human Development “Ukraine” (Ukraine), FH CAMPUS 02 University of Applied Sciences (Austria), Technical University of Moldova (Moldova), Moldovan Academy of Economic Sciences (Moldova), and Moldovan State University (Moldova).
The project is partly funded by the ERASMUS+ Strategic Partnerships Programme.
Project No. ERASMUS-EDU-2024-CBHE 101179344.
#Erasmus+ #PubCirEco #CircularEconomyThinking
MRU to contribute to the development of sustainability skills in Ukraine and Moldova
November 14, 2024
Mykolas Romeris University (MRU), together with its partners, Ukrainian and Moldovan universities, is launching the ERASMUS+ project “PubCirEco”, which aims to develop the capacities and skills of students and highly-qualified professionals in the field of sustainability, to increase the synergies between universities and employers, and to foster the inclusiveness and internationalisation of studies of higher education institutions in the Eastern Neighbourhood countries (Ukraine and Moldova).
MRU has been entrusted with the important role of project coordinator, ensuring the overall management of the consortium. The project is led by Prof. Dr. Birutė Mockevičienė and supported by Prof. Dr. Vainius Smalskys, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Aušra Šukvietienė and Dr. Monika Petkevičiūtė-Stručko.
PubCirEco aims to strengthen circular economy knowledge at universities in Ukraine and Moldova by training professionals from the public and private sectors to contribute to sustainable change in these countries. In addition to fostering the growth of a skilled workforce, the project actively contributes to the implementation of the European Green Deal by strengthening the integration of Ukraine and Moldova into the European Union.
The project partners are Mykolas Romeris University (Lithuania) (coordinator), Simon Kuznets National University of Economics in Kharkiv (Ukraine), TTK University of Applied Sciences (Estonia), Kharkiv National University of Radio Electronics (Ukraine), Open International University for Human Development “Ukraine” (Ukraine), FH CAMPUS 02 University of Applied Sciences (Austria), Technical University of Moldova (Moldova), Moldovan Academy of Economic Sciences (Moldova), and Moldovan State University (Moldova).
The project is partly funded by the ERASMUS+ Strategic Partnerships Programme.
Project No. ERASMUS-EDU-2024-CBHE 101179344.
#Erasmus+ #PubCirEco #CircularEconomyThinking
