Assoc. Prof. Dr. Diana Rėklaitienė was officially inaugurated as the Rector of Lithuanian Sports University during the Inauguration Ceremony, which took place at the University today.
In the inaugural speech, the Rector emphasized the importance of sport, health promotion and higher education, the University’s mission to the society and cooperation with social partners.
„The demand for sports and health professionals and their activities is increasing in the country and internationally. Presently, the area of health promotion and active leisure is very important. People have started to value healthy lifestyle and social aspects rather than treatment of diseases. Therefore, the role of Lithuanian Sports University, which promotes healthy lifestyle and physical activity and trains specialists in the area is of high importance. Sports, physical activity organization, healthcare study programmes, healthy lifestyle, public and personal health, prophylaxis, rehabilitation training should be a priority,” said LSU Rector Diana Rėklaitienė.
The Rector of LSU was congratulated by members of the Seimas, representatives of the Government, Ministry of Education, Science and Sport, National Olympic Committee of Lithuania, Department of Physical Education and Sports, sports federations and other guests.
On 14 December 2018, LSU Council elected D. Rėklaitienė, Doctor of Social Sciences, as the Rector of the University for a five-year term. Until then, she held the position of the Provisional Rector of LSU for a year.
D. Rėklaitienė graduated from Lithuanian Academy of Physical Education (present Lithuanian Sports University, LSU) in 1995 and was conferred a bachelor’s degree in Physiotherapy. In 1997, she got a master’s degree in Physiotherapy. D. Rėklaitienė completed joint doctoral studies of Lithuanian Academy of Physical Education and Vilnius Pedagogical University (present University of Educational Sciences) and defended a doctoral dissertation on Social Sciences (Education Science) in 2003. In 1997, D. Rėklaitienė started working as an assistant and a lecturer at Lithuanian Academy of Physical Education. Since 2009, she worked as an Associate Professor at the Department of Adapted Physical Activity. From 2009 to 2011, she was the Head of the Department of Recreation, Tourism and Sport Management. Since 2014, the present Rector held the office of the Head of the Department of Coaching Science and in 2015, she became a member of LSU Senate and a member of the University Council in 2016.
LSU Rector is elected for the term of office of five years through an open competition for not more than two consecutive terms of office, appointed to the office and dismissed from it by the University Council.
