News

At the official opening of the 2026–2027 academic year at European Humanities University, Lithuanian Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Kristupas Vaitiekūnas reaffirmed Lithuania’s continued support for the University, its students, and its mission as a Belarusian university in exile.

Addressing the EHU community, the Vice-Minister emphasized the University’s role in promoting critical thinking, academic freedom, civic resilience, and democratic values.

“We gather not merely as an academic community, but as a guardian of a vital transformative mission: to cultivate critical thinking, uphold academic freedom, fortify civic resilience, and empower a generation of leaders destined to spearhead the democratic reconstruction of Belarus and shape the future of the wider region,” Vaitiekūnas said.

The Vice-Minister also reflected on the challenges faced by EHU over the past academic year, including the decision of the Belarusian authorities to classify the University as an “extremist organization.” He described the designation as an attack on academic freedom and access to European values based on human rights, dignity, liberty, and pluralism.

Against this background, he stressed that Lithuania’s support for EHU and the democratic future of Belarus remains firm.

“Lithuania’s commitment to EHU, the people of Belarus, and the democratic future of Belarus remains absolute, unwavering, and unshakable,” he said.

Vaitiekūnas praised EHU students for continuing their studies despite political pressure and security risks, highlighting their determination to pursue education grounded in freedom of thought and intellectual independence.

He also noted that EHU brings together democratically minded young people from Belarus and other countries in the region, including Ukraine and Russia, creating a community committed to civic responsibility and democratic principles.

The Vice-Minister described Lithuania not simply as a place of temporary refuge for EHU, but as a permanent home for intellectual freedom. He highlighted the University’s integration into Lithuania’s higher education system and its campus in the heart of Vilnius Old Town.

According to Vaitiekūnas, EHU provides a unique educational pathway for students from Belarus and the broader European neighborhood by combining its Belarusian identity with a secure and fully accredited European higher education environment.
He also welcomed the University’s ongoing institutional development and reforms aimed at modernizing academic models, strengthening internationalization, attracting distinguished faculty, and expanding opportunities for students from across the region.

“Through these actions, you are amplifying your mission of freedom and democratic development on the global stage,” the Vice-Minister said.

Addressing new students in particular, Vaitiekūnas encouraged them to see themselves as part of an institution that not only has a significant history but continues to shape the future.

“You embody a new generation of talented, thoughtful, and courageous leaders, shaping the future of Europe, Belarus, and the wider EU neighborhood,” he said.

Concluding his remarks, the Vice-Minister called on the EHU community to begin the new academic year with confidence, solidarity, and commitment to knowledge and the values of an open and democratic society.

He also congratulated European Humanities University on its 36th anniversary and wished the entire University community an inspiring, successful, and safe academic year.