D. Rėklaitienė was re-elected as rector of the Lithuanian Sports University

“We live in a very uncertain time, when the only thing that is certain is the constant change in the life of society, so it is very important to mobilize the community to work together. It is necessary to be able to adapt to global geopolitical, demographic and sustainability issues, so the university faces a lot of work organization, communication, student training and study program and research content challenges,” said the LSU rector.

D. Rėklaitienė was the only candidate who participated in the rector’s competition.

As the university announced, D. Rėklaitienė was elected for the first term by the decision of the council in December 2018 and thus became the first female rector in the history of Lithuanian universities. A year before that, D. Rėklaitienė was the temporary rector of LSU.

In 1995, D. Rėklaitienė graduated from the Lithuanian Academy of Physical Education (now LSU) with a bachelor’s degree in physical therapy, and in 1997 she became a master’s degree in physical therapy. In 2003, he defended his doctoral dissertation in social sciences (education) in the joint doctoral program of the then Lithuanian Academy of Physical Education and Vilnius Pedagogical University.

Since 1997, she has worked as an assistant and lecturer at the then Lithuanian Academy of Physical Education, since 2009 she has been a docent of the Department of Applied Physical Activity. In 2009-2011, D. Rėklaitienė worked as the head of the Department of Recreation, Tourism and Sports Management, and since 2014 she has been the head of the Department of Training Science at LSU.

The rector of LSU is elected, appointed and dismissed by the university council for a term of five years and no more than two consecutive terms through a public tender.

“The rector’s election for a second term is a natural evaluation of the work she has already done and an expression of trust. With her energy, faith in the future of the university and her ability to mobilize the team for joint activities, D. Rėklaitienė is an excellent leader of the LSU community, who honorably represents the university in Lithuania and abroad,” said LSU council chairman Ritoldas Narmontas.

The Lithuanian Sports University states in its announcement that it is the only specialized sports and wellness university in the Baltic States, it prepares specialists in coaching, physiotherapy, public health, physical education and sports management.