News

Speaking at the official opening of the 2026–2027 academic year at European Humanities University, Rimantas Vaitkus, Adviser at Lithuania’s Ministry of Education, Science and Sport, emphasized the fundamental importance of freedom of speech, freedom of thought, and academic freedom.

Addressing the EHU community, Vaitkus reflected on his own experience of living through both the Soviet period and the decades of independent Lithuania.

“I am very proud to be here with you and to share ideas of freedom, freedom of speech, and freedom of mind,” he said.

Recalling the fall of the Berlin Wall, Vaitkus spoke about the hopes of his generation that Europe would become a continent united by peace, openness, and shared democratic values.

He noted, however, that authoritarian regimes continue to challenge these principles and referred to the decision of the Belarusian authorities to designate EHU as an “extremist organization.”

“Tyrants are afraid of freedom. That’s why they called the university an extremist organization,” Vaitkus said.

Using a metaphor drawn from his background as a chemist, he questioned what could make a university so threatening to an authoritarian system.

“But the strongest explosive is freedom. That’s what they are afraid of,” he said.

Vaitkus emphasized that EHU’s strength lies not in weapons, but in ideas — particularly its commitment to freedom of speech and freedom of thought.

He expressed confidence that the University would continue to uphold and share these values through its academic community and its students.

“I think that this university will continue to share the values of freedom: freedom of speech, freedom of mind,” Vaitkus concluded.

He wished the EHU community a successful new academic year and encouraged students and faculty to continue protecting and advancing the values of intellectual and personal freedom.