Tomorrow my graduate student collaborator, Anzelika Gumuliauskiene, and I will be lecturing for the first time in our BA-level course in public policy analysis. Today, I was part of a delegation that met with the Mayor of Siauliai (Justinas Sartauskas, second from left, above) and several of his top aides. It appears the mayor has a challenging job given the impact of emigration on a shrinking economy in northern Lithuania. I hope to learn a lot more about these issues in the course of the semester.
Siauliai University has an on-going partnership with the University of Nebraska at Omaha (Siauliai and Omaha are sister cities), but I'm hoping there might be ways to promote collaboration between the public administration department at Siauliai and the John Glenn School of Public Affairs.
Tell us more about "the impact of emigration on a shrinking economy in northern Lithuaania."
ReplyDeleteI wish I could, Michael. Evidently Lithuania is losing population and quite rapidly, although I couldn't quantify that statement. Young people appear to see opportunity in other EU countries that they don't see here, in short. And that appears to be more true of the provinces, such as here in Siauliai, than in the capital, Vilnius. Think Akron, maybe. The mayor asked what's he supposed to do with redundant teachers (who are unionized, by the way). It's hard for the city to provide services given an eroding tax base, and the university is trying to find a way of making itself useful under the circumstances. First impressions, please understand.
ReplyDeleteThanks..
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