This weekend, two students from our 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗣𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 programme, 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗮 𝗗𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿 and 𝗔𝗿č𝗶𝘀 𝗔𝘂š𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘀, had the opportunity to take part in Bridges in the Baltics, a conference bringing together young scholars from universities across the Baltic region.

 

We asked our students to share their reflections on the experience, and 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗮 kindly sent us her thoughts:

Firstly, the trip to Warsaw, as well as the conference itself, went much better than I expected. I had the chance to meet many students from MA programmes from our faculty and make new connections!

 

The conference was very well organised and truly fascinating. The number of presentations reached a record this year, with nearly 80 presenters from many different countries. My presentation took place on 25 September and went smoothly. I managed to fit everything into the fifteen-minute time limit, which was my main concern

 

It was particularly nice to stand in front of students whom I recognised from last year’s “Bridges in the Baltics” conference in Riga. I presented my survey-based comparative study on Lithuanian and international female undergraduate students’ dormitory experiences at Vilnius University.

However, I used this opportunity to present the study for the second time from a different angle, highlighting more patterns in my findings and structuring my literature review more effectively.

 

I would also like to express my gratitude to lecturer Greta Maslauskienė, who continuously supported me and helped me prepare for the conference. The conference also broadened my perspective on the many different areas of research that can be explored. Some of the students’ presentations were particularly open-minded and inspiring.

 

We also had a wonderful cultural event, which made the whole experience even more memorable. For the event, we were divided into two groups, and I chose to visit the oldest chocolate factory in Poland, which also functions as a museum and offered us a chocolate tasting.

Those were two intense days of intercultural exchange, academic collaboration, and a lot of motivation for further research. Having presented my research, received a lot of positive feedback from my peers, and met so many like-minded people, I understood once again that I’m in my place

 

We are delighted to see our students presenting their research, exchanging ideas with fellow young scholars, and taking an active part in the academic community beyond the university.