Speeches

Welcome Address by H.E. Dalia Grybauskaitė, President of the Republic of Lithuania, at the International Conference “Ethics and Values in Higher Education in the Era of Globalisation"

Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,

First of all, I would like to welcome all of you who have come to Vilnius from all over the world. We are proud and honored that the International Association of Universities has chosen Lithuania as the host country for the Conference. The Conference topic - Ethics and Values in Higher Education - is very relevant in today's globalized world.

The goal of higher education is not only to teach and spread knowledge, but also to promote cultural values and to educate the mind and spirit. The state and society want to create an environment in higher education that would encourage the development an overall personality. They say that almost every crisis, including economic, is caused by a crisis of values. Therefore, universities must instill in their students such values as tolerance, integrity, responsibility, justice, respect, solidarity, and fairness. These are the values that remain true and universal across times and cultures.

Every country should pursue a sustainable future for its people. Because of their unique role, universities can contribute to achieving this goal. I therefore believe that higher education institutions have a mission to create the architects of the future. Higher education that is based on universal values serves as a platform to develop young people of vision, while global university cooperation can help find solutions and ways to achieve the goal.

Ethics and values in higher education is the area where all universities have common goals. Only by fostering the highest ethical and moral values, can we ensure the well-being of our people, social and economic development. Both big and small countries have the same commitment to promote ethical higher education for the sake of our people and global society. The prerequisite for this course is interaction and exchange of ideas. Lithuania is taking the initiative to spread, at regional and global level, the highest ethical and moral values by promoting fundamental principles such as peace, dialogue, democracy, respect, integrity, and tolerance.

I hope that at this conference we will hear many valuable insights into developing the values we share. You will also discuss how different disciplinary approaches and cultural backgrounds can promote value-based higher education and speak about building bridges and common understanding. This, in turn, will help us improve access to education opportunities in today's changing and competitive world, uphold academic freedom and thought, and enhance research cooperation.

I wish you many splendid ideas, new partnerships and the best of success!