On March 17, 2026, Dr. Jolanta Aidukaitė, Dr. Kristina Senkuvienė, and Dr. Rūta Ubarevičienė from the Institute of Sociology hosted the closing event for the project “Ensuring Housing Needs: Problems and Prospects in Lithuania” (No. MIP-23-37) at the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences.
The conference will take place on May 15, 2026, at the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences.
The European Commission has awarded funding to the doctoral network project “Future leaders in ageing and digitalising societies – Digi4Age”, submitted by the Lithuanian Centre for Social Sciences (LCSS) in partnership with other institutions. The project will support the doctoral school in sociology by funding three PhD positions for a period of three years.
“Digi4Age” is funded under the European Commission’s Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Doctoral Networks programme. MSCA Doctoral Networks are one of the most prestigious programs of the European Commission, financing international, interdisciplinary, and cross-sectoral doctoral studies and research.
Application deadline: March 30, 2026. Studies will begin on October 1, 2026.
Dr. Selçuk Turan carried out a Short-Term Scientific Mission at the Institute of Sociology (LCSS) from August 24 to 30, 2025. The mission was supervised by the institute’s researcher, Dr. Sarmitė Mikulionienė.
During the mission, Dr. Turan conducted research entitled “Older Workers’ Experiences of Digital Exclusion and Inequality in Higher Education: A Comparative Study of Türkiye and Lithuania”. This research investigated the impact of digitalization on older workers in higher education, focusing on their access to digital skills, workplace opportunities, and social inclusion. By comparing the cases of Turkey and Lithuania, it aimed to develop policy recommendations and actionable strategies to reduce digital inequalities.
The Institute of Sociology at the Lithuanian Centre for Social Sciences is a member of the project “Participatory Approaches with Older Adults (PAAR-Net)”. PAAR-Net is an international research network supported by the COST Action (CA22167) and coordinated by Jagiellonian University in Kraków, Poland.
PAAR-Net is dedicated to rethinking how older adults are involved in research, policymaking, and practice. The project promotes a vision of science that is inclusive, collaborative, and people-centered—science for the people, by the people.
The Institute of Sociology at the Lithuanian Centre for Social Sciences is a member of the prestigious international DIGI-net network, coordinated by Mendel University in Brno (Czech Republic). DIGI-net focuses on the impact of digitalisation on labour market inequalities in later life. Across Europe, labour markets are undergoing a digital transformation influenced by information technology, robotics, artificial intelligence, and automation. However, the level of digitalization varies significantly between European countries. At the same time, the proportion of workers aged 50 and over who remain in the workforce longer than in the past is increasing. Despite this, there is still a notable lack of research on how digitalization affects older employees. DIGI-net seeks to address this complex issue through comprehensive research.
Suat Aksu participated in the “Erasmus+” Traineeship program offered by Vytautas Magnus University and completed his internship in Braga, Portugal. He worked at “Federação das Associações Juvenis do Distrito de Braga” (angl. “Federation of Youth Associations of the District of Braga”). This federation is dedicated to supporting and empowering youth work in the region.
During this period, Suat Aksu researched the school-to-work transitions of international graduates in Portugal, highlighting challenges and opportunities for labour market integration, and contributed to EU-funded project developments of the organization.