The VMU International Debate Club joins Faculty of Economics and Management: a new home for intellectual leadership
The Vytautas Magnus University International Debate Club has officially become part of the Faculty of Economics and Management (FEM), marking an important step in strengthening the faculty’s academic culture and artes liberales tradition. From now on, the club will host its weekly meetings every Monday at 18:00 in the FEM coworking space, opening its doors to students eager to sharpen their thinking and communication skills.
This move reflects FEM’s broader vision: to educate not only specialists, but well-rounded individuals capable of thinking critically, communicating clearly, and leading with confidence in complex, international environments.
An international space for ideas, language, and leadership
As an English-only, international club, the International Debate Club creates a rare and valuable environment where international students and future global professionals meet on equal footing. Debate sessions go far beyond public speaking practice — they train structured reasoning, logical argumentation, attentive listening, and the ability to respond under pressure.
For students preparing careers in business, economics, finance, marketing, or management, these skills are not optional extras. They are foundational competencies for leadership in boardrooms, negotiations, policy discussions, and public forums, where clarity of thought and expression often determines outcomes.
Debate as a cornerstone of artes liberales education
Debate clubs are a long-standing pillar of the artes liberales tradition, which emphasizes broad intellectual development alongside professional expertise. At the world’s most prestigious universities — including Yale University, Harvard University, and University of Oxford — debate societies play a central role in shaping future leaders, diplomats, entrepreneurs, and academics.
Within this tradition, debate is not treated as a hobby, but as a discipline that connects logic, ethics, rhetoric, and real-world problem solving. By welcoming the International Debate Club into FEM, the faculty aligns itself with this global academic standard, where intellectual rigor and expressive clarity are cultivated side by side.
Club’s president: “It felt natural that the debate club should relocate to the Faculty of Economics and Management”
The relocation of the International Debate Club to the Faculty of Economics and Management was not a logistical decision, but a natural continuation of the club’s development and identity. From its earliest days, the club has been shaped by a clear mission: to create a space where students can grow, challenge themselves, and develop strong public-speaking and reasoning skills.
As the club expanded, it gradually became more than a training ground for speeches. It evolved into a community of like-minded individuals who actively compete in debate tournaments and engage in discussions spanning ethics, economics, and the humanities — areas that sit at the very core of the Faculty of Economics and Management.
As Taisa Vashkevich, President of the International Debate Club, explains:
“Debate club was born out of the idea to create a space for students to grow and develop their public-speaking skills. With time it became a hub of likely-minded individuals that compete in tournaments and lead discussions in various fields of ethics, economy and humanity. It felt natural that the debate club should relocate to the Faculty of Economics and Management. The goals of our club and the faculty align and, hopefully, we will be able to foster collaboration and support vibrant discussions in room 606 flowing.”
The move to FEM provides the club with an academic home that reflects its intellectual ambitions and offers an environment where debate, critical inquiry, and open dialogue are not only encouraged, but expected.
FEM’s commitment to debate and student growth
Reflecting on the importance of the club’s integration into the faculty, Paulius Bakanauskas, Vice-Dean for Marketing at FEM, emphasizes the strategic and academic value of debate:
“A strong debate club is not a luxury — it is a hallmark of a serious academic institution. The ability to articulate ideas clearly, defend arguments, and think critically has always been, and will remain, a cornerstone skill for future leaders in business, economics, finance, marketing, and management. Debate trains not only the mind, but also confidence, structure, and intellectual discipline.”
He adds that FEM sees the club not as an extracurricular add-on, but as an integral part of the faculty’s educational ecosystem:
“We are fully committed to supporting the growth of this club and invite all students who want to leave university with a truly elite, lifelong skill to join the International Debate Club.”
By becoming part of FEM, the International Debate Club gains a stable academic home — and the faculty gains a powerful platform for cultivating articulate, confident, and intellectually agile graduates ready to engage with the world.
Registration: https://forms.gle/vQmwArf5sZD778FF8
