Margarita Šešelgytė has been elected director of the Institute of International Relations and Political Science (TSPMI) at Vilnius University.
Šešelgytė has been a deputy director of the institute and is set to replace Ramūnas Vilpišauskas who has headed it for the past ten years.
Šešelgytė ran for the position against associate professor Algimantas Jankauskas. The institute's director is elected by its council consisting of 19 members of the TSPMI academic community. Fifteen voted for Šešelgytė, one voted for Jankauskas and two ballot papers were invalidated.
“For me, just as for many community members, the TSPMI is more than a workplace or an education place. It’s a place were ideas are born, like-minded people meet and create projects,” Šešelgytė was quoted as saying in a statement.
She said she was convinced that the institute will remain a centre of attraction for social sciences not only in Lithuania, but also in the Baltic states.
Šešelgytė has worked at the TSPMI since 2007 after receiving her BA, MA and doctoral degrees here. The future director has also lectured at the Baltic Defence College, the General Jonas Žemaitis Military Academy of Lithuania and served on the European Committee under the Lithuanian government.
She will assume her new position in September.
Meanwhile, Vilpišauskas has told BNS he plans to finish his academic work soon and will think about further career options later in the summer.
