T4EU University Leaders Gathered in Lithuania to Strengthen Responsible Leadership and Emotional Intelligence
9-11 June 2026 | Vytautas Magnus University, Lithuania
About
From June 9 to 11, Vytautas Magnus University (VMU), Lithuania, hosted the three-day international Transform4Europe (T4EU) Transformational Leadership Seminar & Matchmaking Event. The event brought together university leaders and academic professionals from across Europe to enhance their competencies in responsible leadership, emotional intelligence, resilience, and team collaboration.
The programme was designed to empower academic leaders not only to address shared challenges in higher education but also to move beyond traditional management styles toward building a thriving organizational culture.
“For the first time, we invited the universities of the Transform4Europe Alliance to leadership training specifically designed for executives. The main goal of this event was to create a space for T4EU university leaders to collaborate, exchange institutional best practices, and cultivate leadership competencies,” shared Dr. Aistė Ragauskaitė, Head of the Study Department at VMU, reflecting on the event. “The training programme successfully met all these needs: we dedicated the first day primarily to getting to know each other as professionals through creativity-development methods and interactive tools. The subsequent days focused on our lecturers sharing insights and practical experience regarding the significance of leadership—both in a leader’s personal life and within the organization they represent. We hope that this training will further strengthen the partnership among the alliance universities and enrich our institutions with valuable practices.”
Three Days of Creative Labs, Teamwork, and Psychological Resilience
On the first day, participants gathered for an interactive workshop titled “University Leadership Lab: Solving Shared Challenges,” facilitated by Dr. Aistė Ragauskaitė. The session included B2B meetings and creative networking games designed to encourage active engagement, experience exchange, and the exploration of potential partnerships.
The second day focused on effective communication, employee motivation, and managerial ethics, led by VMU Assoc. Prof. Dr. Vytautas Liesionis. In the afternoon, psychology specialist and art psychotherapist Dr. Evelina Savickaitė-Kazlauskė guided participants through strategies for resilient leadership and teamwork, demonstrating how to turn everyday challenges into opportunities for institutional growth.
On the final day, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Aurelija Stelmokienė invited academic leaders to the emotional intelligence lab “Feelings Matter”. The workshop focused on the five main components of EQ: self-awareness, self-regulation, social awareness, relationship skills, and motivation. To wrap up the three-day event, participants took part in optional job shadowing activities at various VMU departments, offering a direct look into the daily operations and best practices of the host university.
This seminar marks another significant step toward a deeply integrated European University ecosystem, proving that shared values, emotional intelligence, and open dialogue are the powerful tools for contemporary educational leaders.
