The elections to the 8th Senate of Klaipėda University took place in the first week of 2022. The election of the Senate did not require additional campaigns or a second round – 27 members of the Senate representing five divisions of the University were elected by preliminary voting and on the main election day. Out of 421 KU voters, 238 voted in the 8th Senate elections, which accounted for 56.5% of the eligible Senate voters.
The statistical picture of the new KU Senate is as follows: average age (excluding members appointed by the Student Union) – 53, the youngest member is 33, and the oldest member (2), 71 years old, the percentage of women in the Senate – 48.1%, and the percentage of men is slightly higher, 51.9 %. During this election, 40.7% of the members of the Senate were replaced. Five years ago, it was prof. dr. Vaidutis Laurėnas who received the largest number of votes, and this year, it was dr. Zita Rasuolė Gasiūnaitė, Director of the Marine Research Institute. Prof. Vytautas Paulauskas was elected to the Senate for the eighth time. He is the only member of the current Senate with uninterrupted experience in this institution, from the 1st to the 8th Senate.
At the first meeting, the newly elected members were presented with certificates attesting to their status, and the election of the Chair and Deputy Chair of the Senate took place. Only one candidate was nominated for the post of the Chair of the Senate, and it was prof. dr. Vaidutis Laurėnas, who had also held the post in the 7th KU Senate. “When the situation is very good, there is no need to try to improve it, or it may lead to a collapse of an unreasonable desire. Therefore, I nominate prof. dr. Vaidutis Laurėnas. The Senate chaired by him had been working smoothly for the last year, and the work was not interrupted even by the pandemic”, – the only candidate for the post of the Chair of the Senate was nominated the member of the Senate prof. Rimantas Balsys. In a secret ballot, prof. dr. Vaidutis Laurėnas received the majority of votes. Dr. Vytautas Jokubauskas was unanimously elected Deputy Chairman; he had also worked in the team of the Chair of the 7th Senate for the last three years. Dr. A. Senulis, prof. dr. V. Denisov, dr. A. Rauckienė-Michaellson, and dr. A. Norvilienė. were approved for the posts of the Chairs of the Standing Committees of the Senate
The Senate approved the participation of KU in the establishment of the University Hospital in Klaipėda
The members of the KU Senate who participated in the meeting were united in expressing their position on the planned reform of the city hospitals and the establishment of the Klaipėda University Hospital, which had been causing a lot of discussion in the public space. Prof. dr. Artūras Razbadauskas, Rector of KU, who submitted the issue for the Senate consideration, said that if KU did not express its clear position on participation in the establishment of a university-level medical centre in Klaipėda, another higher education institution might do so.
The Senate approval does not mean the final position of KU. The issue will be submitted to the KU Council on January 31.
 |
.jpg) |
 |
 |
 |
 |
