Research
My primary research interests span various forest policy issues in the countries of the Baltic Sea region. Approaches to forest management and policy differ widely within the region, despite similar nature conditions. The resulting research questions can be suitably addressed through international comparative analyses, including but not limited to the examination of:
- Impacts of management on ecosystem services
- Interface between policy and planning
- Mixes of policy instruments
- Forest utilization policies

Ongoing projects
Most of my current research is within EU FP7 project INTEGRAL (2011-2015) that aims to increase the coherence between policy-making and forest management practices in 11 European countries. I am in charge of policy analyses on case study areas in Southern Sweden and Lithuania.

From April 2011, I have 20% position at EFINORD, the North European regional office of the European Forest Institute (EFI). My primary mission at EFINORD is to facilitate research collaboration in forest biomass production and ecosystem services, coupled with crosscutting themes such as forest policy and climate change. 

Teaching
I am directing the MSc course "National and International Forest Policy", 15 ECTS credits. Being part of the MSc programme EUROFORESTER, the course is delivered by an international teacher team and includes a study trip to countries of the Baltic Sea region. Since 2006, I supervised 10 students preparing MSc theses.

Other academic interests
I am keenly interested in improving the practice of teaching and learning. This refers both to my personal development and to promoting the international academic mobility and exchange of best practices.  I had fortune to nurture these interests through  various  engagements, such as coordinating EUROFORESTER and the educational cooperation between Nordic (NOVA) and Baltic (BOVA) networks of agricultural universities, designing a new Master programme in Russia (FORPEC), and delivering intensive 3-day courses on student-centred approaches in teaching for academic staff of universities in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Scientific peer-reviewed publications since 2006
Brukas, V. and Sallnäs, O. 2012. Forest management plan as a policy instrument: carrot, stick or sermon? Land Use Policy 29(3): 605-613.

Brukas, V., Kuliešis, A., Sallnäs, O., and Linkevičius, E. 2011. Resource availability, planning rigidity and Realpolitik in Lithuanian forest utilization. Natural Resources Forum 35 (2): 77-88.

Brukas, V. and Weber, N. 2009. Forest management after the economic transition—at the crossroads between German and Scandinavian traditions. Forest Policy and Economics 11(8): 586-592

Brukas, V., Linkevičius, E. and Činga, G. 2009. Policy drivers behind forest utilisation in
Lithuania in 1986-2007. Baltic Forestry 15 (1): 86-96.

Brukas, V. and M. Churski 2008. Intensive Forest Researcher Training and its Internationalisation in the Baltic Sea Region.  Baltic Forestry, 14 (1): 66-74.

Meidinger E., Brukas V., Bouttoud G., Tysiachniouk M., Ahas R., Actins A., Hain H., Paschalis Jakubowicz P., Kore M., Mardiste P. 2006. Eastern Europe and Russia, Regional Overview 163. In: Cashore B., Gale F., Meidinger E., Newsom, D. (Eds.) Confronting Sustainability: Forest Certification in Developing and Transitioning Countries. Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies, pp 163-169.
Available at: www.yale.edu/forestcertification/pdfs/2006/Confronting%20Sustainability.pdf

Other publications since 2006 

Stanislovaitis, A. Brukas, V., and Cinga, G. 2011. Controlling private forest owners in Lithuania: rigid regulation or advisory counselling? Proceedings of the 5th International scientific conference “Rural Development 2011: in Global Changes”, held on November 24-25, at Aleksandras Stulginskis University, Kaunas, Lithuania.

Brukas V. and Blicharska M. 2010. Career pathways of Euroforester graduates. In: (Eds.) Proceedings of the SILVA conference “What do we know about our graduates? Graduate analyses for forest sciences and related curricula”. University of Copenhagen, May 15-17, 2008, Copenhagen, Denmark, pp. 72-82.

Brukas, V. 2010. Euroforester. In (Eds.): Brukas, V. and Chubinsky, M. Forestry Education towards Common European Space. Proceedings of the Conference at the St. Petersburg State Forest Technical Academy, Russia, November 26-27, 2009. Pp. 33-39.

Brukas, V. 2010. Model of State forestry administration and media thriller in Lithuania. In: Helles, F. and Steen Nielsen, P. (Eds.): Proceedings of the Biennial Meeting of the Scandinavian Society of Forest Economics, Gilleleje, Denmark, May 2010. Scandinavian Forest Economics No 43, pp. 131-144.

Brukas, V. and Chubinsky, M. 2010. Forestry Education towards Common European Space. Proceedings of the Conference at the St. Petersburg State Forest Technical Academy, Russia, November 26-27, 2009. 139 pp.

Brukas, V. 2009. Reforma valstybei, ne biurokratijai [Reform for the country, not for bureaucracy]. Part one published in Baltijos Miskai ir Mediena 58-59: 8-9, part II on the portal of the Forest Owners Association of Lithuania (In Lithuanian)

Brukas, V., Linkevičius, E. and Činga, G. 2009. Atsakinga miškanauda valstybės gerovei [Responsible forest utilisation for the welfare of State]. Research report for the Lithuanian Fund of Nature. Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Alnarp; Lithuanian University of Agriculture, Kaunas. (In Lithuanian)

Blicharska, M. and Brukas, V. 2008. Euroforester graduate analysis. Research report. Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Southern Swedish Forest Research Centre, Alnarp.

Brukas, V. 2008. Miškanaudą didinti galima. Bet ar valstybiškas požiūris įveiks sustabarėjusias tradicijas? [Forest utilisation can be raised. But will a statesman’s attitude conquer stifle traditions?] Baltijos Miskai ir Mediena 36. (In Lithuanian)

Brukas, V. 2008. Ongoing challenges in the European forestry education. In: ICFFI News 9, Proceedings of the conference “Actual problems and perspectives of personnel’s training for the Russia forest sector”, St. Petersburg, Russia, December 8-10, 2008, pp. 33-36

Brukas, V. 2007. Miškanaudos didinimas: galima ar negalima? Increasing the forest utilisation: feasible or unfeasible. Baltijos Miskai ir Mediena. 33: 24-29. (In Lithuanian)

Brukas, V. 2007. Miškų valdymas Švedijoje. Privatųjį, viešąjį sektorius ir valstybės priežiūrą mūsų kaimynai derina geriau. [Administration of forests in Sweden. Our neighbours are better at balancing public and private interests.] Baltijos Miskai ir Mediena 28: 18-23. (In Lithuanian)

Brukas, V. 2006. An example of developing joint Master program: Euroforester. In (Eds.) Zilinskas H., Skujans J., Sarlauskas A., Zaleckite R. and Kasparinskis G. BOVA – 10 years of successful cooperation in studies of agriculture, forestry and veterinary. BOVA University, Jelgava, pp. 49-51.

Brukas, V. 2006. Highlights and letdowns of NOVA-BOVA cooperation. In (Eds.) Zilinskas H., Skujans J., Sarlauskas A., Zaleckite R. and Kasparinskis G. BOVA – 10 years of successful cooperation in studies of agriculture, forestry and veterinary. BOVA University, Jelgava, pp. 36-38