Higher education diploma, Lithuanian State Conservatory, Klaipėda faculties, specialising in Lithuanian language, culture and theatre (1985). Placement at the Department of Philosophy of Vilnius University (1985-1987). Doctorate at the Department of Philosophy of Vilnius University (1987-1990). Doctorate at the Department of Social and Moral Philosophy of the University of Helsinki (Finland, 1997-1999). Doctor (philosophy), Humanities Department of Vilnius University, dissertation title: Culture in Crisis and the Philosophy of Culture (1990). Doctor of social sciences (D.Soc.Sc.), Department of Social and Moral Philosophy, University of Helsinki, Finland, dissertation title: The End of Ideology and Utopia? Moral Imagination and Cultural Criticism in the Twentieth Century (nostrificated in Lithuania in 2006 as doctor of social sciences, subject area - sociology) (Finland, 1999).

Dean of the Political Science and Diplomacy School of Vytautas Magnus University, Professor of Political Science (2005-2009). Associate professor, Department of Social and Moral Philosophy of the University of Helsinki (Finland, since 2002). Visiting professor of philosophy and cultural theory, Tallinn University (Estonia, since 2003 (2005)). Author and host of the cultural discussion programme 'Be pykčio' (Pique-free) on the Lithuanian television station LTV (2003-2009). Board member of the Sugihara Foundation 'Diplomats for Life' (since 2003). President of the Institute for Liberal Thought (since 2008).

Member of the European Parliament, member of the ALDE Group, member of the Subcommittee on Human Rights and ALDE Group coordinator.

Board member of the Global Initiative on Psychiatry (GIP) (since 2007).

Member of the Senate of the University of Klaipėda (1991-2001). Member of Lithuania's National Prize Committee for Culture and Art (1992-1994). Consultant for the journal Liaudies kultūra (Folk Culture) (since 1992). Member of the editorial board of Metmenys (Patterns) (USA, since 1993). Consultant for the journal Archiforma (Architectural Form) (since 1996). Member of the editorial board of the periodical Akiračiai (Horizons) (since 2004). Member of the editorial board of the journal Kultūros barai (Domains of Culture) (since 2004). Member of the editorial board of the journal Bravissimo (since 2005). Member of the editorial board of the academic journal Athena (since 2006). Member of the editorial board of the academic journal Darbai (Works) (since 2006). Director of the Open Society College (Invisible College) (1996-1997). Chair of the Philosophy Department and Director of the Comparative Civilisations Centre at the University of Klaipėda (1991-1997 and 1995-1997). Expert at the Open Society Institute (Budapest, Hungary, since 2000). Member of the advisory council to the Rector of Lithuania Christian Fund College (LCC) (since 2001). Member of the Board of Trustees at Vilnius Academy of Music and Theatre (since 2004). Member of the Senate of Vytautas Magnus University (2005-2009). Member of the editorial board of the academic Journal of Baltic Studies (since 2005) Member of the Standing Committee for the Humanities of the European Science Foundation (2005-2009). Member of the Lithuanian PEN Club (since 2005). Member of the Governing Board of the Lithuanian Human Rights Defence League (since 2005). Member of the Council of the Global Initiative on Psychiatry (since 2005). Named academic of the year by the Lithuanian television company LRT's campaign 'More sun, more light' campaign and the Research Council of Lithuania (2006). Named Person of Tolerance of the Year by the newspaper Klaipėda (2006). Named Kaunas Knight of Thought by the newspaper Laikinoji sostinė (2006). European Commission Ambassador in Lithuania for Tolerance and Diversity (2004). Founding and executive editor of the book series On the Boundary of Two Worlds: Identity, Freedom, and Moral Imagination in the Baltics for the international academic publishers Rodopi, Amsterdam, Netherlands, and New York, USA: http://www.rodopi.nl/senj.asp?SerieId=BALTIC (since 2004); Executive editor of the Value Inquiry Book Series (VIBS) (from 2008).

Honours: Commander of the Order of Orange-Nassau (Netherlands, 2008); IREX research grant (USA, 1993-1994); Fulbright lecturing grant (USA, 1994); The Swedish Institute guest scholarship (Sweden, 1997-1998); visiting professorship at Dickinson College (USA, 1998-1999); The Leverhulme Trust research fellowship (UK, 1999-2000); guest professorship at the University of Uppsala (Sweden, 2000); Paschal P. Vacca Chair of Liberal Arts (distinguished visiting professorship), University of Montevallo (Alabama, USA, 2001-2002); fellowship at Collegium Budapest/Institute for Advanced Study (Hungary, 1 October 2003-29 February 2004); guest researchership at Stockholm University (Sweden, 2004); guest scholarship at the Baltic Centre for Writers and Translators (Visby, Sweden, 2005); nominal grant of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Lithuania (2007-2008); Lithuanian state supreme research fellowship (2005-2006); the Stasys Šalkauskis Award (2005); the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Lithuania Award for the most significant published works on culture (2005).