Vilnius University (Lithuanian: Vilniaus universitetas;
former names exist) is the oldest university
in the Baltic states and one of the oldest
in Northern Europe. It is the largest university
in Lithuania.
The university was founded in 1579 as the
Jesuit Academy (College) of Vilnius by Grand
Duke of Lithuania and King of Poland, Stephen
Báthory. It was the third oldest university
(after the Cracow Academy and the Albertina)
in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. In
the aftermath of the Third Partition of Poland
(1795) and the November Uprising (1830–1831),
the university was closed down and suspended
its operation until 1919. In the aftermath
of World War I the university saw failed attempts
to restart it by Lithuania (December 1918)
and invading Soviet forces (March 1919). It
finally resumed operations as Stefan Batory
University in Poland (August 1919), a period
followed by another Soviet occupation in 1920,
and the less than two-years of the Republic
of Central Lithuania, incorporated into Poland
in 1922.
Following Soviet invasion of Poland in September
1939, the university was briefly administered
by the Lithuanian authorities (from October
1939), and then after Soviet annexation of
Lithuania (June 1940), punctuated by a period
of German occupation after German invasion
of the Soviet Union (1941–1944), administrated
as Vilnius State University by the Lithuanian
Soviet Socialist Republic. In 1945 the Polish
community of students and scholars of Stefan
Batory University was transferred to Nicolaus
Copernicus University in Toruń. After Lithuania
regained its independence in 1990, following
the dissolution of the Soviet Union, it resumed
its status as one of the prominent universities
in Lithuania.
The wide-ranging Vilnius University ensemble
represents all major architectural styles
that predominated in Lithuania: Gothic, Renaissance,
Baroque and Classicism.
== History ==
=== 
Changes of the name ===
The university has been known by many names
during its history. Due to its long history
of Jewish, Polish and Russian influence or
rule, the city portion of its name is rendered
as Vilna (Latin), Wilna (German) or Wilno
(Polish), in addition to Lithuanian Vilnius
(see History of Vilnius).
1579–1782: Alma Academia et Universitas
Vilnensis Societatis Iesu. The Latin name
is rendered into English as Jesuit Academy,
Jesuit College, or Academy of Vilnius (Vilna/Wilna/Wilno).
1782–1803: Schola Princeps Magni Ducatus
Lithuaniae: Principal School of the Grand
Duchy of Lithuania
1803–1832: Imperatoria Universitas Vilnensis.
Rendered into English as Imperial University
of Vilnius (Vilna/Wilna/Wilno)
1832–1919: Closed, originally by order of
Tsar Nicholas I
1919–1939: Stefan Batory University (Uniwersytet
Stefana Batorego in Poland)
1940–1943: Vilnius University (this period
encompassed the first Soviet occupation and
German occupation)
1944–1955: Vilnius State University
1955–1990: Vilnius State University of Vincas
Kapsukas1971–1979: Vilnius Order of the
Red Banner of Labour State University of Vincas
Kapsukas (Vilniaus Darbo raudonosios vėliavos
ordino valstybinis Vinco Kapsuko universitetas)
1979–1990: Vilnius Orders of the Red Banner
of Labour and Friendship of Peoples State
University of Vincas Kapsukas (Vilniaus Darbo
raudonosios vėliavos ir Tautų draugystės
ordinų valstybinis V. Kapsuko universitetas)
1990–present: Vilnius University
=== 
History by period ===
==== Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth ====
In 1568, the Lithuanian nobility asked the
Jesuits to create an institution of higher
learning either in Vilnius or Kaunas. The
following year Walerian Protasewicz, the bishop
of Vilnius, purchased several buildings in
the city center and established the Vilnian
Academy (Almae Academia et Universitas Vilnensis
Societatis Jesu). Initially, the academy had
three divisions: humanities, philosophy, and
theology. The curriculum at the college and
later at the academy was taught in Latin.
At the beginning of the 17th century there
are records about special groups that taught
Lithuanian-speaking students Latin, most probably
using Konstantinas Sirvydas' compiled dictionary.
The first students were enrolled into the
Academy in 1570. A library at the college
was established in the same year, and Sigismund
II Augustus donated 2500 books to the new
college. In its first year of existence the
college enrolled 160 students.On April 1,
1579, Stefan Batory King of Poland and Grand
Duke of Lithuania, upgraded the academy and
granted it equal status with the Kraków Academy,
creating the Alma Academia et Universitas
Vilnensis Societatis Iesu. His edict was approved
by Pope Gregory XIII's bull of October 30,
1579. The first rector of the Academy was
Piotr Skarga. He invited many scientists from
various parts of Europe and expanded the library,
with the sponsorship of many notable persons:
Sigismund II Augustus, Bishop Walerian Protasewicz,
and Kazimierz Lew Sapieha. Lithuanians at
the time comprised about one third of the
students (in 1568 there were circa 700 students),
others were Germans, Poles, Swedes, and even
Hungarians.
In 1575, Duke Mikołaj Krzysztof Radziwiłł
and Elżbieta Ogińska sponsored a printing
house for the academy, one of the first in
the region. The printing house issued books
in Latin and Polish and the first surviving
book in Lithuanian printed in the Grand Duchy
of Lithuania was in 1595. It was Kathechismas,
arba Mokslas kiekvienam krikščioniui privalus
authored by Mikalojus Daukša.
The academy's growth continued until the 17th
century. The following era, known as The Deluge,
led to a dramatic drop in the number of students
who matriculated and in the quality of its
programs. In the middle of the 18th century,
education authorities tried to restore the
academy. This led to the foundation of the
first observatory in the Polish-Lithuanian
Commonwealth (the fourth such professional
facility in Europe), in 1753, by Tomasz Żebrowski.
The Commission of National Education (Polish:
Komisja Edukacji Narodowej), the world's first
ministry of education, took control of the
academy in 1773, and transformed it into a
modern University. The language of instruction
(as everywhere in the commonwealth's higher
education institutions) changed from Latin
to Polish. Thanks to the rector of the academy,
Marcin Poczobutt-Odlanicki, the academy was
granted the status of "Principal School" (Polish:
Szkoła Główna) in 1783. The commission,
the secular authority governing the academy
after the dissolution of the Jesuit order,
drew up a new statute. The school was named
Academia et Universitas Vilnensis.
==== Partitions ====
After the Partitions of Polish-Lithuanian
Commonwealth, Vilnius was annexed by the Russian
Empire. However, the Commission of National
Education retained control over the academy
until 1803, when Tsar Alexander I of Russia
accepted the new statute and renamed it The
Imperial University of Vilna (Императорскiй
Виленскiй Университетъ).
The institution was granted the rights to
the administration of all education facilities
in the former Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Among
the notable personae were the curator (governor)
Adam Jerzy Czartoryski and rector Jan Śniadecki.
The university flourished. It used Polish
as the instructional language, although Russian
was added to the curriculum. It became known
for its studies of Belarusian and Lithuanian
culture. By 1823, it was one of the largest
in Europe; the student population exceeded
that of the Oxford University. A number of
students, among them poet Adam Mickiewicz,
were arrested in 1823 for conspiracy against
the tsar (membership in Filomaci). In 1832,
after the November Uprising, the university
was closed by Tsar Nicholas I of Russia.
Two of the faculties were turned into separate
schools: the Medical and Surgical Academy
(Akademia Medyko-Chirurgiczna) and the Roman
Catholic Academy (Rzymsko-Katolicka Akademia
Duchowna). But soon they were closed as well
with Medical and Surgical Academy transformed
into Medical faculty of University of Kiev
(now Bogomolets National Medical University),
and latter one being transformed into Saint
Petersburg Roman Catholic Theological Academy
(after the October Revolution of 1917 moved
to Poland where it became Catholic University
of Lublin). The repression that followed the
failed uprising included banning the Polish
and Lithuanian languages; all education in
those languages was halted.
==== 1918-1939 ====
Lithuania declared its independence in February
1918. The university, with the rest of Vilnius
and Lithuania, was opened three times between
1918 and 1919. The Lithuanian National Council
re-established it in December 1918, with classes
to start on January 1, 1919. An invasion by
the Red Army interrupted this plan. A Lithuanian
communist, Vincas Kapsukas-Mickevičius, then
sponsored a plan to re-open it as "Labor University"
in March 1919 in the short-lived Lithuanian
Soviet Socialist Republic (later, Lithuanian–Belorussian
Soviet Socialist Republic), but the city was
taken by Poland in April 1919. Marshall Józef
Piłsudski reopened it as Stefan Batory University
(Uniwersytet Stefana Batorego) on August 28,
1919. The city would fall to the Soviets again
in 1920, who transferred it to the Lithuanian
state after their defeat in the battle of
Warsaw. Finally, in the aftermath of the Żeligowski's
Mutiny and Republic of Central Lithuania general
election, 1922, the Vilnius Region was subsequently
annexed by Poland. In response to the dispute
over the region, many Lithuanian scholars
moved to Vytautas Magnus University in Kaunas,
the interwar capital.
The university quickly recovered and gained
international prestige, largely because of
the presence of notable scientists such as
Władysław Tatarkiewicz, Marian Zdziechowski,
and Henryk Niewodniczański. Among the students
of the university at that time was future
Nobel prize winner Czesław Miłosz. The university
grew quickly, thanks to government grants
and private donations. Its library contained
600,000 volumes, including historic and cartographic
items which are still in its possession.In
1938 the university had:
7 institutes
123 professors
104 scientific units (including two hospitals)
3110 studentsThe university's international
students included 212 Russians, 94 Belarusians,
85 Lithuanians, 28 Ukrainians and 13 Germans.
Anti-Semitism increased during the 1930s and
a system of ghetto benches, in which Jewish
students were required to sit in separate
areas, was instituted at the university. Violence
erupted; the university was closed for two
weeks during January 1937. In February Jewish
students were denied entrance to its grounds.
The faculty was then authorized to decide
on an individual basis whether the segregation
should be observed in their classrooms and
expel those students who would not comply.
54 Jewish students were expelled but were
allowed to return the next day under a compromise
in which in addition to Jewish students, Lithuanian,
Belarusian, and "Polish democratic" students
were to be seated separately. Rector of the
university, Władysław Marian Jakowicki,
resigned his position in protest over the
introduction of the ghetto benches.
==== World War II ====
Following the invasion of Poland the university
continued its operations. The city was soon
occupied by the Soviet Union. Most of the
professors returned after the hostilities
ended, and the faculties reopened on October
1, 1939. On October 28, Vilnius was transferred
to Lithuania which considered the previous
eighteen years as an occupation by Poland
of its capital. The university was closed
on December 15, 1939 by the authorities of
the Republic of Lithuania. All the faculty,
staff, and its approximately 3,000 students
dismissed. Students were ordered to leave
the dormitories; 600 ended in a refugee camp.
Professors had to leave their university flats.
Following the Lithuanization policies, in
its place a new university, named Vilniaus
universitetas, was created. Its faculty came
from the Kaunas University. The new charter
specified that Vilnius University was to be
governed according to the statute of the Vytautas
Magnus University of Kaunas, and that Lithuanian
language programs and faculties would be established.
Lithuanian was named as the official language
of the university. A new academic term started
on 22 January; only 13 of the new students
had former Polish citizenship.Polish Law and
Social Sciences, Humanities, Medical, Theological,
Mathematical-Life sciences faculties continued
to work underground with lectures and exams
held in private flats until 1944. Polish professors
who took part in the underground courses included
Iwo Jaworski, Kazimierz Petrusewicz and Bronisław
Wróblewski. The diplomas of the underground
universities were accepted by many Polish
universities after the war. Soon after the
annexation of Lithuania by the Soviet Union,
while some Polish professors were allowed
to resume teaching, many others (along with
some Lithuanian professors) who were deemed
"reactionary" were arrested and sent to prisons
and gulags in Russia and Kazakhstan. Between
September 1939 and July 1941, the Soviets
arrested and deported nineteen Polish faculty
and ex-faculty of the University of Stefan
Batory, of who nine perished: Professors Stanisław
Cywinski, Władysław Marian Jakowicki, Jan
Kempisty, Józef Marcinkiewicz, Tadeusz Kolaczyński,
Piotr Oficjalski, Włodzimierz Godłowski,
Konstanty Pietkiewicz, and Konstanty Sokol-Sokolowski,
the last five victims of the Katyn massacre.The
city was occupied by Germany in 1941, and
all institutions of higher education for Poles
were closed. From 1940 until September 1944,
under Lithuanian professor and activist Mykolas
Biržiška, the University of Vilnius was
open for Lithuanian students under supervision
of the German occupation authorities. In 1944,
many of Polish students took part in Operation
Ostra Brama. The majority of them were later
arrested by the NKVD and suffered repressions
from their participation in the Armia Krajowa
resistance.
==== Soviet period (1945-1990) ====
Educated Poles were transferred to People's
Republic of Poland after World War II under
the guidance of State Repatriation Office.
As the result many of former students and
professors of Stefan Batory joined universities
in Poland. To keep contact with each other,
the professors decided to transfer whole faculties.
After 1945, most of the mathematicians, humanists
and biologists joined the Nicolaus Copernicus
University in Toruń, while a number of the
medical faculty formed the core of the newly
founded Medical University of Gdańsk. The
Toruń university is often considered to be
the successor to the Polish traditions of
the Stefan Batory University.
In 1955 the University was named after Vincas
Kapsukas. After it had been awarded the Order
of the Red Banner of Labour in 1971 and the
Order of Friendship of Peoples in 1979, its
full name until 1990 was Vilnius Order of
the Red Banner of Labour and Order of Friendship
of Peoples V. Kapsukas State University. Though
restrained by the Soviet system, Vilnius University
grew and gained significance and developed
its own, Lithuanian identity. Vilnius University
began to free itself from Soviet ideology
in 1988, thanks to the policy of glasnost.
==== After 1990 ====
On March 11, 1990, Lithuania declared independence,
and the university regained autonomy. Since
1991, Vilnius University has been a signatory
to the Magna Charta of the European Universities.
It is a member of the European University
Association (EUA) and the Conference of Baltic
University Rectors.
== Status today ==
In modern times, the university still offers
studies with an internationally recognized
content. There are 3 Bachelor and 16 Master
study programs in English.
As of 10 October 2017, there were 19768 students
attending Vilnius University.The current rector
is Professor Artūras Žukauskas.The university,
specifically the courtyard, was featured in
the American TV series The Amazing Race 12.
=== Structure ===
==== 
Faculties ====
Business School
Faculty of Chemistry and Geosciences
Faculty of Communication
Faculty of Economics and Business Administration
Faculty of History
Kaunas Faculty
Faculty of Law
Faculty of Mathematics and Informatics
Faculty of Medicine
Faculty of Philology
Faculty of Philosophy
Faculty of Physics
Institute of International Relations and Political
Science
Life Sciences Center
==== 
Other Divisions ====
Botanical garden
Centre of Information Technology Development
Centre of Property Management and Services
Cultural Centre
E-learning and Examination Centre
Library
Museum
Publishing House
Conference, seminar and leisure centre Romuva
Health and Sport Centre
=== 
Campus ===
The old campus of Vilnius University consists
of 13 buildings and 13 courtyards. At present
the Rector's Office, the Library, the Faculties
of Philology, Philosophy, and History are
situated there. The largest courtyards are:
P. Skargos (The main) courtyard;
M. K. Sarbievijaus courtyard;
Library courtyard;
Observatory courtyard.Faculties of Physics,
Economy, Law, and Communication, as well as
Business School, Life Sciences Center, and
Scholarly Communication and Information Centre
are located in Saulėtekis district.
=== Ranking ===
Vilnius University is ranked 401-410 among
World top universities by 2018 QS World University
Rankings. In 2017 QS WU Rankings by Subject,
Vilnius University is ranked 201-250 in Linguistics
and 251-300 in Physics and Astronomy. In QS
rankings of Emerging Europe and Central Asia,
Vilnius University is ranked 21.Vilnius University
is ranked 601-800 in the world and 291 in
Europe by Times Higher Education World University
Rankings.
=== Projects ===
Recent and ongoing projects at Vilnius University
include:
"Laser Spectrometer for Testing of Coatings
of Crystals and Optical Components in Wide
Spectral and Angle Range". NATO Science for
Peace programme project. NATO SfP-972534.
1999-2002.
"Cell biology and lasers: towards new technologies".
Vilnius University - UNESCO Associated Centre
of Excellence.
"Science and Society: Genomics and Benefit
Sharing with Developing Countries - From Biodiversity
to Human Genomics (GenBenefit)". Doc. E. Gefenas
(Faculty of Medicine). 2006-2009.
"Citizens and governance in a knowledge-based
society: Social Inequality and Why It Matters
for the Economic and Democratic Development
of Europe and Its Citizens. Post-Communist
Central and Eastern Europe in Comparative
Perspective (EUREQUAL)." Doc. A. Poviliūnas
(Faculty of Philosophy). 2006-2009.
"Marie Curie Chairs: Centre for Studies and
Training Experiments with Lasers and Laser
Applications (STELLA)". A. Dubietis (Faculty
of Physics). 2006-2009.
"Research Infrastructure Action: Integrated
European Laser Laboratories (LaserLab-Europe)".
Prof. A. Piskarskas (Faculty of Physics).
2004-2007.
"Nanotechnology and nanoscieces, knowledge-based
multifunctional materials, new production
processes and devices: Cell Programming by
Nanoscaled Devices (CellPROM)". Prof. A. Kareiva
(Faculty of Chemistry). 2004-2009.
Advanced European Infrastructures for Detectors
at Accelerators - AIDA-2020 (Institute of
Applied Research, Faculty of Physics). J.V.Vaitkus,
G. Tamulaitis. 2015-2019.
EU-STRAT - The EU and Eastern Partnership
Countries: An Inside-Out Analysis and Strategic
Assessment (EU-STRAT) (Institute of International
Relations and Political Science). R.Vilpišauskas.
2016-2019.
European Network of Research Ethics and Research
Integrity. European Ethics and Research Integrity
Network. E. Gefenas (Faculty of Medicine).
2016-2019.
=== International relations ===
Vilnius University has signed more than 180
bilateral cooperation agreements with universities
in 41 countries.
Under Erasmus+ programme the university has
over 800 agreements with 430 European and
55 agreements with partner country universities
for the academic exchanges.
University students actively participate in
such exchange programmes as ERASMUS+, ERASMUS
MUNDUS, ISEP, AEN-MAUI and CREPUQ
The University is a signatory of the Magna
Charta of European universities and a member
of the International Association of Universities,
European University Association, the Conference
of Baltic University Rectors, the Utrecht
Network, UNICA Network, and the Baltic Sea
Region University Network. In addition, Vilnius
University has been invited to join the Coimbra
Group, a network of prestigious European universities,
from 1 January 2016.
== People ==
=== 
Nobel Prize winners ===
Czesław Miłosz, poet, The Nobel Prize in
Literature 1980
=== Notable professors and alumni of Vilnius
University ===
in alphabetical order
== 
See also ==
List of early modern universities in Europe
List of Universities in Lithuania
Utrecht Network
Protmušis
Start FM
Vilnius University Folklore Ensemble "Ratilio"
History of Vilnius
