Vilnius University (Lithuania)
Dr. Rūta Bružienė is one of the leading researchers of higher education policy and management in Lithuania, working at Vilnius University’s Education Policy Centre. Her PhD thesis, The Policy of University Mergers in the Context of Neoliberalization of Lithuanian Higher Education, offers a comprehensive policy analysis of system restructuring from 1990 to 2024. Drawing on Foucault’s theory of governmentality, her research traces the trajectory of Lithuanian higher education governance from de-Sovietization to profound neoliberalisation.
Rūta has professional experience in public sector auditing, law, and university administration. She has published several scientific articles on higher education governance and has taught various courses on education policy, management, and qualitative methodology to graduate and undergraduate students at Vilnius University. She actively contributes to the international academic community as an Executive Committee member of EAIR (The European Higher Education Society) and is a member of CHER (Consortium of Higher Education Researchers).