Why did you choose to study Politics of global challenges at Vilnius University?  

This choice of this program was largely stipulated by the broad spectrum of disciplines that it offered: all of them seemed interesting and relevant to me, since I was not entirely sure, what to make out of my desire to move mountains and “do good for the world and my country”. This program really does cover many aspects of the issues we face nowadays; explores the legal, moral, economical, and other perspectives on many of the global challenges.  

What do you like the most about your studies at IIRPS VU? 

I am very pleased with the disciplines we have and with the whole study process, but what I like most about IIRPS VU is the presence of all “extra-curricular” provided. In a little more than a term of my studies here, I have already had a chance to join fascinating conferences, attend live speeches of various successful and sophisticated people, and even got into the Smart Internship program already. All this proves that if you put in the effort – the faculty and its community will be more than ready to help you, which opens up many wonderful opportunities.  

You are very active in university life here at the Institute. What are your goals after your studies? 

Undoubtedly, I will be returning back to Ukraine after the end of my studies and, hopefully, employ the things learned here. I’m still in search of “my” sphere of interest, and thus all the activity, which helps me broaden my worldview and prepare for the future.  

You are a member of VU SR IIRPS and initiated cooperation with FSL Student Unia by organising events that bring together students from Lithuania and Ukraine, could you tell us more about this organisation and how you came up with this idea? 

To be honest, after joining VU SR IIRPS, I felt like the organization with this potential, history, and a big amount of members could be doing, even more, to unite the student community here. So we met up with the representatives of the FSL Student Unia from the Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute and planned some joint entertaining events – game nights, round table discussions, etc.  

I wish these events were more popular among our students because the participation we get is not what I expected. Perhaps the majority of the students don’t actually want to put in the effort I talked about earlier, and if it is so, that is a worrying situation.  

You’re part of the Vilnius University Debate Society. What do you like about this experience?  

Debating became a great passion of mine, I love the competition, the interesting motions, and the overall spirit among all members. I had a chance to go to a debating tournament in Riga in December, which was probably the highlight of the whole term. It was even therapeutic in a sense because your brain gets to focus on a very specific challenging task, the process is structured and you see the results of your endeavours right away.  

I now am a part of the Council of the VU Debate Society, which I’m very excited about. I am responsible for our social media, and I take part in organizing events too. Now I try to indoctrinate as many of my friends into debating as possible! And actually, at this moment, almost two-thirds of the active members of the Debate Society are from IIRPS!  

What would you like to wish the IIRPS VU community? 

I wish everyone strength, and luck to find their niche and enjoy the whole university experience properly. Be brave, be active, participate, and don’t be afraid to stand out!