Vilnius University

Vilnius University (VU) is the oldest classical university in North-Eastern Europe with over 440 years of academic tradition and the widest range of study programs in Lithuania. VU leads the national ranking of universities and belongs to the top 1.5 percent of universities in the world, according to the QS World University Ranking. The Institute of International Relations and Political Science (IIRPS) at Vilnius University is one of the Baltic region's most prominent social sciences institutions. In recognition of its scholars’ high-level international publications, participation in various international research networks, and important research projects carried out, IIRPS is consistently among the highest-rated research institutions in Lithuania. The Institute also conducts three-level university studies: two BA programs (Political Science and English-language Politics of Global Challenges), six MA programs (International Relations and Diplomacy, European Studies, Studies of Contemporary Politics, Public Policy Analysis, Politics and Media, and English-language Eastern European and Russian Studies) and PhD studies. Eastern Europe and the post-Soviet region have been one of the key focus areas of research at the Institute, with special attention on the legacies of post-communism on state capacity and civil society.