Ainius Lašas is a political scientist and higher education leader currently serving as Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities at Kaunas University of Technology. His research focuses on political science, political psychology, and political culture. A. Lašas examines issues related to democracy, political culture, international relations, and historical memory, as well as the perception of threats, conspiracy theories, and their impact on political behavior in society.

A significant part of his research is dedicated to the quality and transparency of democratic institutions. He analyzes the impact of informal relationships between business actors and politicians on institutional performance, public trust in the public sector, and the resilience of the political system. This line of research is closely linked to questions of corruption prevention, accountability, and the strengthening of political culture, exploring how informal networks and low institutional trust may create conditions conducive to corruption or undermine the quality of democracy.