Bio

After studying philosophy and theology at Vytautas Magnus University in Kaunas, Lithuania, Elena Šiaudvytienė earned her Bachelor’s and Licentiate degrees in Social Sciences from the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum) in Rome, Italy. Her Licentiate thesis focused on The Role of the Third Sector in Creating New Jobs in Europe.

In 2008, she completed a Master’s degree in European Studies at the Institute of International Relations and Political Science (IIRPS) at Vilnius University, Lithuania. Her Master’s thesis compared the concepts of subsidiarity in Catholic Social Teaching and EU law.

In 2021, she began a Ph.D. program in Social Sciences at the Angelicum. Her doctoral research was part of the CREATE (Catholic Social Teaching Rome Exchange: Advanced Training Experience) Initiative, and she was awarded the Laudato Si’ Scholarship. In June 2024, she successfully defended her Ph.D. dissertation titled Just Transition in Lithuania: A Blue Marble Evaluation of the Policy Framework in the Light of Integral Ecology.

Since February 2025, Elena has continued her academic work at the Angelicum as a postdoctoral researcher within the CREATE Initiative. She has also been appointed a Research Fellow for the Economy of Francesco Academy (2023–2024). In October 2023, she was officially selected by the European Commission (DG REGIO) as a JTPeers Expert for Lithuania, joining the digital expert database under the Just Transition Platform, which highlights professionals working in the field of just transition across the EU.

Since September 2025, Elena has been pursuing further studies in Catholic Theology at Vytautas Magnus University.

At LCC International University, Elena Šiaudvytienė teaches Introduction to Political Science, Introduction to Political Philosophy, International Political Economy, Understanding the European Union, Public Policy, Civil Society in Eastern Europe, International Relations and Development Practicum I, and Christian Perspectives on Government, Politics, and Civil Society. She also co-developed the core course Conflict Transformation and Civic Engagement.