Every year, more than 400 KTU students and graduates participate in Erasmus+ student exchange or take an internship abroad. The University is collaborating with more than 350 educational institutions in 50 countries all over the world, and the list of partners is constantly expanding.
“At first, I wasn’t sure where to get all the information about the exchange possibilities and conditions. Also, I couldn’t decide what destination to choose. After participating in the Erasmus+ fair these problems were solved – I got the answers to all my questions and even more. Above all, I liked live conversations, when I could ask questions about a particular country or a university from a person who had already been there”, says Fidan Mehdiyeva from Azerbaijan, studying BSc Civil Engineering at the Faculty of Architecture and Civil Engineering.
For two years in a row, Fidan spent her summers doing internships in Milan and in Riga. When asked if she is not sorry for exchanging summer holidays into working, the student answers, not at all – after the last internship in Latvia, she received a job offer in the company’s office in Kaunas.
“I am happy to have left my comfort zone and using Erasmus+ opportunities. This provided a serious push to my career”, says a young specialist.
The organisers of the GO Abroad Fair 2021 say that these events provide a perfect space for the students to get the full picture of all exchange possibilities, to evaluate the pros and cons and differences of the opportunities, and to decide, which suits them best. Studying or doing an internship abroad is an ideal opportunity to visit a country that you have always dreamed about.
“While listening to a talk of a student who had spent her exchange in Indonesia I was imagining myself in her shoes. That’s how I chose Indonesia for my study exchange”, says Rokas Marcinkevičius, the fourth-year IT student.
Going on an exchange study can become a habit: after Indonesia, which proved to be an extraordinary experience both with regards to studies and the provided opportunities to travel to China and Singapore, for the next exchange, Rokas chose Finland. According to him, Erasmus+ exchange is a hugely rewarding experience, psychologically, physically and emotionally.
Participating in an exchange programme means not only getting to know a different country and culture but also improving foreign language skills, learning new ways of doing things.
“Via Erasmus+, I was going to France and Mexico. These experiences were very different, but they both made me grow, especially in the terms of improving language competences. During these travels, I visited a plethora of cities, museums, witnessed different architecture and nature, got to know local people and had an opportunity to communicate with students from all over the world. These experiences filled me with new ideas and gave start to many interesting conversations”, says Roberta Spangelytė, studying BSc Food Science and Technology.
During the lectures in the universities abroad, she was able to use different methods and equipment, was learning to use different ways of solving scientific problems, all of which developed her creativity, communication skills and other competencies. According to Roberta, these experiences provided her with a different outlook towards the world and changed her way of thinking.
