Prof. Dr Dalia Dijokienė, as she takes up her new position, first of all looks back to the Faculty's identity and young people: "I would like to link the past, the present and the future in our Faculty. Architectural studies have been going on in our school for a century - we have deep roots, traditions and uniqueness. The faculty has grown and now has three study programmes: Architecture, Landscape Architecture and Industrial Product Design. We have to cherish what we have, cherish the present. But the ideas of the future are born in the generation of tomorrow, so I want to hear and listen to young people and create an environment where new ideas of the future can also flourish."
 

Inspired by the Finnish architect Jenni Reuter, the Dean stresses that we should strive to maintain excellence in the professions: "Of course, we are concerned about the issues of the world today: climate change, social equality, community involvement in shaping the living environment - we can no longer design in any other way, we have to take all of this into account. But we must not forget the ability of the architect, the urban designer, the landscape architect and the product designer to shape space - to make it comfortable, ergonomic and aesthetically pleasing. We simply cannot neglect this ability and aspiration in our professional activities."

 

The professor's focus in her new role is on people: "First of all, I want to see what we have, where we are, what we can do and what we need for the future. Most of all, I want to keep the human being as the most important - the student, the lecturer, the administrator. It is only by treating each other with respect that the added value of our work is created. That is why I would like to foster an environment of respectful dialogue and mutual understanding in the Faculty."
 

The Dean of the Faculty of Architecture, Dalia Dijokienė is a Doctor of Humanities, an urban designer, professor of the Department of Urban Design and since 2013 has been the Head of the Department. She teaches urban design courses at master's and doctoral level and conducts expert research in the humanities in the field of urban design. D. Dijokienė's areas of expertise: historical urban development; historical suburbs; urban heritage; urban morphology research; city and society. She is also the Chair of the Second Council for the Evaluation of Real Cultural Heritage (Department of Cultural Heritage under the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Lithuania) and the Chair of the Vilnius Regional Council of Architects of the Lithuanian Chamber of Architects.