Lietuvos universitetas valstybei ar visuomenei, ar valstybei ir visuomenei?

LTStraipsnyje nagrinėjamas 1918–1922 m. dešinės ir kairės politikų ir akademinės bendruomenės diskursas, koks universitetas buvo reikalingas besikuriančiai Lietuvos valstybei. Šio straipsnio naujumą pagrindžia du aspektai. Pirma, diskurso nagrinėjimas mikrolygmeniu, t. y. iš individualios perspektyvos, išryškino esminius dėl universiteto vyravusius požiūrius ir nesutarimus to meto visuomenėje. Antra, diskurso analizė atskleidė, jog, priimant sprendimus dėl universitetinių studijų, buvo svarbios ir politikų, ir intelektualų nuostatos, veiksmai ir lyderystė imtis iniciatyvos. Akademinės bendruomenės lyderystė, kuriant pirmą privačią nepriklausomos Lietuvos aukštąją mokyklą Auštuosius kursus 1919–1920 m., darė įtaką Vyriausybei ir Steigiamojo Seimo parlamentarams rasti bendrą sutarimą dėl Lietuvos universiteto atidarymo Kaune 1922 m. Esminiai žodžiai: universitetas, diskursas dėl universiteto, Aukštieji kursai Kaune, Lietuvos universitetas. [Iš leidinio]

ENThe aim of the article is to examine the discourse of the right-wing and left-wing politicians and the academic community in 1910–1920s concerning the university and identify the divergent and concurring views which affected the opening of the University of Lithuania in Kaunas. The article focuses on three objectives. The first objective is to analyze the initiatives of the academic community to assert leadership in establishing the first private independent school of higher education in Lithuania and to identify the position and actions of the Government (the Ministry of Education) in that respect. The second objective is to scrutinize the discussions in the society of that time about the type of the university needed by the state of Lithuania being created and distinguish the key features of views and disagreements. The third objective is to disclose the compromises which the ruling majority (the coalition of Christian Democrats) and the minority opposition (the coalition of the Popular Peasants and a group of the Social Democrats) of the Constituent Assembly as well as the Government managed to reach over the opening of the University of Lithuania and approval of its Statute in 1922. The discourse of the Lithuanian politicians and intellectuals on the university in 1918–1922 revealed that the key issue subject to heated discussions was whether the university should be created for the state or for the public, or for both. This was the source of disagreements between the right-wing and left-wing politicians, which prompted protest rallies of students and the teaching staff against politicians and the Government which sought to create a Catholic classic university.The diverging views of the right-wing majority and the left-wing opposition were the reason for the delayed deliberation of the issue of the University of Lithuania at the Constituent Assembly, as a result of which the university was opened without an approved statute only on 16 February 1922. The analysis of the discourse has enabled me to draw the following conclusions. 1. The discussions in 1918–1919 focused on the issue of whether Lithuania needed a university as such. 2. When the Lithuanian Government refused to establish a university, the academic community asserted leadership, and opened a private school of higher education in Lithuania, namely the Advanced Courses on 27 January 1920, based on which the University of Lithuania was later opened. 3. In 1920–1922, the type of the university was under debate. Two opposing political groups formed at the Constituent Assembly. The ruling majority of Christian Democrats sought to open a Catholic classic university with theology, philosophy (humanities), and medical faculties. They were supported by the Catholic clergy and a part of the Catholic community. The minority opposition of the Popular Peasants and Social Democrats did not agree with that, and sought to establish a secular and versatile university with classic faculties of philosophy (humanities) and medicine as well as modern faculties of natural science, formal, and technical science.They were actively supported by the community of the Advanced Courses and science organizations as well as the educated people of Lithuania in general. 4. The leadership assumed by the Government in opening the University of Lithuania on 16 February 1922 without even its Statute encouraged the members of the Constituent Assembly to find compromises among themselves and with the public. The statute of the University of Lithuania was unanimously adopted by the Constituent Assembly on 24 March 1922. Eventually, the consensus was achieved resulting in the opening of the secular state versatile university with classic faculties of theology and philosophy, humanities and medicine as well as modern faculties of natural science, formal, and technical science. The faculties were granted considerable autonomy, which set favorable legal pre-conditions for the Faculty of Theology and Philosophy to grow into a Catholic university in the future. 5. Thanks to the leadership of the academic community and political groups, the University of Lithuania was established, and for the first time, it offered university studies and science in Lithuanian. Keywords: university, discourse on university, the advanced courses in Kaunas, the University of Lithuania. [From the publication]

• Pirmoji lietuviška Alma Mater: trumpa klasikinio universiteto Kaune istorija / Antanas Kulakauskas. Kaunas : Vytauto Didžiojo universitetas, 2022. 167 p.
• Vytauto Didžiojo universitetas : mokslas ir visuomenė, 1922-2002 / redakcinė kolegija. Kaunas : Vytauto Didžiojo universitetas, 2002. 407 p.