Sauliaus Spurgos asmeninė svetainė

E-mail: saulius.spurga[at]gmail.com

Saulius Spurga is the Chancellor of Mykolas Romeris University. He also lectures at the University and undertakes the duties of an Associate Professor. He has been elected to Mykolas Romeris University’s Senate and is now the Senate Secretary.  He regularly publishes articles, reviews and analysis of Lithuanian society and political life in various types of mass media.

S. Spurga was born in 1961 in Marijampolė. He graduated from the Vilnius City Nr. 7 High School. In 1985 Spurga graduated from the Vilnius University Faculty of Medicine, acquiring the specialty of medical doctor. In 1985-1989, he worked as a junior research fellow at Vilnius University, Laboratory of Zoonoses. In 1989, S. Spurga worked in the Secretariat of the National Movement Sąjūdis, and in 1990-1992, as journalist and editor-in-chief of the first Lithuanian independent weekly Atgimimas. In 1992-2003, he was a journalist at “Radio Free Europe” in Vilnius and Prague and prepared about 4,000 programmes and news pieces on internal and international political issues. In 2003-2004, S.Spurga worked as adviser to the Deputy Chairman of the Seimas (Parliament) of the Republic of Lithuania. In 2005 he worked as host of a Lithuanian Radio (Lietuvos Radijas) programme. In 2005-2008 S. Spurga was editor-in-chief of the internet news websites: “Omni.lt“ and “Balsas.lt.“

From 2004-2008 – he was a doctoral student at Mykolas Romeris University. He undertook internships at Lund University (Sweden) and Wroclaw University (Poland). In 2008 he defended his social sciences doctoral dissertation, “Civil Society in European Governance.“ His research interests include: civil society, democratization, representation of interests, European Union governance, and mass media.

He is also a graduate of Harvard University’s Institute for Management and Leadership in Education, (MLE), in 2009.

Spurga is the author of many articles, reviews and commentaries in the press and in internet media. He has published four books (in Lithuanian): including, “The Directory of Important Events in Lithuania 1990-2001,“ Vilnius, Vaga, 2001; “Center of the World,“ Vilnius, Vaga, 2000 (novel); “Amber State,“ Vilnius, Alma littera: 2005 (novel) and “European Union Enlargement and Integration” (Textbook, study guide), Mykolas Romeris University, 2009.

List of Most Important Research Publications

1. Spurga S. “Lithuania”, A. Bitonti, Ph. Harris (eds) Lobbying in Europe: public affairs and the lobbying industry in 28 EU countries. Palgrave Macmillan, 2017, pp. 227-235.
2. Spurga S. „Demokratija ir pilietinė visuomenė nacionalinėse valstybėse ir Europos Sąjungoje: Vidurio ir Rytų Europos demokratizacija“ (“Democratisation and Civil Society in National States and the EU: Democratisation of Central and Eastern Europe”). Monograph. Mykolo Romerio universitetas, 2012.
3.  S. Spurga “Post-Communism After 20 Years: The Comparison Of Democracy Indicators Of Nordic Countries, Southern Europe And Central And Eastern Europe“ (in Lithuanian), Politologija. 2011 4 (64) tomas, pp. 146 – 183.
4.  Spurga S. “Communist Imprint on Central & Eastern European Civil Society“ (in Lithuanian), Darbai ir dienos. 2008, vol. 49, pgs. 235-250.
5.  Spurga S. “Europeanization of Civil Society in the Baltic States: Promotion or Constraint of Democratization?”, Viešoji politika ir administravimas. 2007, Nr. 22, pgs. 57-68.
6.  Spurga S. “Evaluation of the Impact of European Integration on Civil Society of the Baltic States”, Lithuanian Foreign Policy Review. 2006, t. 1 (17), pp. 96 – 118.
7.  Augustinaitis A., Kraujelytė A., Spurga S. „The Development of Creative Knowledge Society“ (in Lithuanian), M. Adomėnas, A. Augustinaitis, D. Kuolys, E. Motieka (sud.) Lietuvos tauta: būklė ir raidos perspektyvos. Versus aureus, 2006, pp. 165-217.
8.  Aleknonis G., Janeliūnas T., Spurga S. “The Challenges of New Technologies and Communication and Ways of Responding to These Challenges, (in Lithuanian)“ M. Adomėnas, A. Augustinaitis, D. Kuolys, E. Motieka (sud.) Lietuvos tauta: būklė ir raidos perspektyvos. Versus aureus, 2006, pgs. 217-254.
9.  Spurga S. “Lithuanian Interest in Intermediation and Communication of Interest Groups at the EU-Level”, Informacijos mokslai. 2005, vol. 35, pgs. 136-50.
10. Spurga S. “European Union Enlargement and Integration” (in Lithuanian), (Textbook, study material), Mykolas Romeris University, 2009.