International cooperation

The Lithuanian Academy of Sciences is implementing collaboration agreements with 29 foreign academies and other research centres. Together with its partners, it carries out projects important for reseach and development in Lithuania. The Academy supports and finances international mobility of scientists along the lines of bilateral agreements with other academies.

According to the international scientific cooperation agreements, the Academy’s exchange programme is accessible to all Lithuanian scientific and educational institutions. It gives the Lithuanian scientists an excellent opportunity to work at international research centres, to go abroad to gain knowledge and experience, and to receive foreign partners and carry out joint projects. The Government of Lithuania has entrusted the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences with the task of coordination and expansion of cooperation with the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN).

The most intensive international scientific links are maintained with neighbouring countries. To continue the pre-war tradition (1935-40) revived in 1999, Baltic Conferences on Intellectual Cooperation are held on a regular basis – usually every other year; they are attended by the heads of the Baltic academies of sciences and invited speakers from other countries. Featuring prominently on its agenda were the story of Baltic intellectual entente, the strategy of national academies and their unions as scientific advisers, the system of studies-science-social demand, problems of national identity, the spread of science, and other relevant problems. In the Resolutions adopted by the Conferences, it has been underlined that European national academies foster synergy for analyzing science policy, for improving science education, for enhancing science evaluation, for establishing a Codes of Conduct, etc. Better cooperation with other academies in the European Research Area is important. The following targets have been set up for the nearest future:

• To influence policymaking with the best scientific advice;
• To promote an innovation-friendly environment and legislative framework;
• To engage in an open dialogue with various interest groups over sensitive and controversial issues, such as cloning, genetic modification, nanotechnology, technoethics and bioethics, environment, social engineering, etc.;
• To educate the public through informal means and to strengthen the science communication skills of the academies’ members;
• To encourage young people to pursue careers in science.

The Lithuanian Academy of Sciences is a member of the following international organizations:

ALLEA – the Federation of ALL European Academies http://www.allea.org/
EASAC – the European Academies Science Advisory Council https://easac.eu/
ISC – the International Science Council  https://council.science/
IAP – the InterAcademy Panel http://www.interacademies.org/
FEAM – the Federation of European Academies of Medicine https://www.feam.eu/
UEAA – the Union of European Academies for Science Applied to Agriculture, Food and Nature http://ueaa.info/  SAPEA - a consortium of European academy networks https://sapea.info/