Programme leader: assoc. prof. dr. J. Dvorak
The total number of the scientists and researchers in the programe :18
Description of the scientific problem
Lithuania’s joining the ranks of the European democratic nations implies, on the one hand, the acceptance of essential, fundamental obligations to the international society and, on the other hand, the optimal, sustainable, and balanced solution of specific historical, political, national- administrative, and moral-humanistic problems in the national and global perspectives of the 21st century.
The political development of the state of Lithuania took place under special geopolitical conditions of the “age of extremes”. The imperatives of the national state and its interests, implemented in the atmosphere of the deficit of the democratic open society participation, predominated in the relations of the state and the society. That resulted in the establishment of an authoritarian regime in the state governance, as well as the rough culture (of subordination and of a parish character) in the relations of the government and the society and of different social, ethnic, and political group entities and institutions.
That’s why the aspirations of a democratic culture, basic human rights, sustainable development, and individual and public welfare are to be considered as a complex political project and complete implementation of the programme objectives. The principal guidelines in the areas of the Lithuanian political, economic, social, and spiritual culture include optimal, targeted collaboration of the society and governmental institutions, structures, and organisations to ensure justified legal humanist and administrative decisions, the implementation of projects and plans to improve the quality of life, and the environment of the social and spiritual welfare and satisfaction with life, based on sustainable development.
The subprogramme is intended to investigate a specific Lithuanian social welfare paradigm compared to the social welfare theoretical models of the Western states. To get to know the political and administrative processes, the research is merged: regional governance; spatial integration processes and internationality issues in the changing geopolitical conditions; smart policy and management. The planned research directions: analysis of the social policy consequences; studies of the civic spirit and different aspects of the subjective welfare of Lithuanian population; regional governance issues; studies of the public service quality; solutions of the problems of successful political and civic collaboration, based on the best practices of the government and citizen collaboration in the EU stable democracy societies and the context of active administrative management.
To implement the intended outcomes, the staff of the Department of Political Sciences and Communication analyse, systematise, and summarise the overall political context of the state and society development, the environment, and the trends which represent the democratic and social progress of our state by focusing on the achievements of the EU progressive democratic countries, examples, and legal-normative experience.
Research object: Political, legal, and social conditions that ensure the building of a welfare society.
Research aim: to investigate the techniques and tools of the formation of the welfare society conditions, the barriers and the opportunities in a specific framework of the Lithuanian political field, administration, and democratic society participation.