VMU AA scientists visited the international conference “EcoMod 2022” and did an internship at the University of Ljubljana

Vytautas Magnus University Agriculture Academy (VMU AA) chancellor prof. dr. Astrida Miceikienė and PhD student Laima Skauronė participated in the international scientific conference on economic modeling and data science “EcoMod 2022” and did an internship at the University of Ljubljana (Slovenia).

The international scientific conference “EcoMod” every year takes place in a different country. The purpose of the conference is to promote the exchange of ideas and experiences among scientists of economics and other scientific fields, PhD students, representatives of international organizations and researchers conducting quantitative studies of policy and decision-making in the public and private sectors. The topics of the conference were focused on several areas of applied modeling and data science research: labor market issues, regional modeling, trade and regional integration, developing countries, optimization models, public finance and tax issues, etc.

The research of co-authors prof. dr. A. Miceikienė, PhD student L. Skauronė, assoc. prof. dr. Remigijus Žalkauskas “Increasing the financial independence of Lithuanian rural municipalities by applying the spatial modeling method” was presented at the conference. The presenter was prof. dr. A. Miceikienė. Scientists appreciate the opportunity to participate in this conference and scientific discussions. “This is a great conference! We had the opportunity to gain an exceptional experience from scientists and researchers from various countries, who presented research in the field of economic science and the latest modeling methods used in them”, says L. Skauronė.

During the visit, competences in the application of econometric methods in scientific research were also improved, and the latest trends in economic modeling in economic and public finance research were familiarized. At the Faculty of Public Administration of the University of Ljubljana, the latest trends in didactics were discussed, and the case study teaching method was examined. The experience of how to ensure the transfer of knowledge and its quality to students in the modern international study environment, focusing on student achievements and learning progress, has also been gain.

During the meeting with the administration of the Faculty of Public Administration, the situation, problems, and possibilities of the preparation of international projects (Erasmus, Horizon Europa, Interreg, etc.) in the topics of financial independence of the government were discussed and preliminary research directions were formed.

4th International Scientific Conference AgroEco2022

We kindly invite You to participate in the 4^th International Scientific Conference AgroEco2022: Agroecosystem Sustainability: Links between Carbon Sequestration in Soils, Food Security and Climate Change which will be held at Vytautas Magnus University Agriculture Academy (VMU AA), Lithuania, on October 26–27^th, 2022.

Main scientific topics of the Conference:

Soil health and carbon sequestration for sustainability
Soil and crop management towards a chemical pesticide-free agriculture
Biodiversity, crop and production diversification
Precision farming and digital technologies
Food quality and safety
Climate change mitigation

Conference Programme and abstracts

More information about the Conference

Poster template

Template for abstract

REGISTRATION until October 15^th. Late registration until October 20^th.

Abstract submission is extended until 15^th October.

E-mail for inquiries: agroeco@vdu.lt

We are looking forward to seeing you at the conference!

Organisers of AGROECO2022

Forest fire research in Lithuania – what does the synergy of science and nature reveal?

Southern Illinois University professor Charles Ruffner, who visited the Vytautas Magnus University Agriculture Academy (VMU AA), together with the Academy’s dr. Michael Manton and colleagues are researching Lithuania’s forest fire history and show that trees can tell an important story.

“I would say this August trip is a follow on to my earlier spring trip, where dr. M. Manton and I, along with a colleague from the United States had started our second wave of this fire history research. We visited and selected several new forest sites including stands in Anyksiai, Kazlu-Ruda, Varėna, Prienai, and Dubrava with visible fire scars collecting >150 new samples. We have been working all summer to date them and I am really here to conduct what is called cross-dating or cross checking the fire dates and signature years, to validate our research results. You always want to have two sets of eyes, essentially, so there’s a positive check, and that is what we have been doing all morning in the lab. As far as this trip, it is just for quality assurance, really, quality control of our dataset and to continue building our collaboration between SIU and VMU. Over the next couple of months, dr. M. Manton and I will be working on an upcoming presentation at the Natural Areas Conference and a future publication on Lithuania’s forest fire history in these newly sampled areas.

“At the same time, we also want to build for the future. We have plans that include a joint PhD student. We also want to visit a few more sites in Lithuania to assess opportunities for possible future studies as well. Our first study started down in the Dzūkija National Park. From that first sampling, we published a paper on the fire history of the forest landscape and now endeavour to expand our research to other regions of Lithuania. I would hope that dr. M. Manton and I will continue working together over the next decade and have a really nice fire history chronology for the entire country of Lithuania,” said Ch. Ruffner.

Having become a frequent guest in Lithuania, the professor noticed that the condition of our country’s forests is good: the trees look healthy, there are many of them. “From a very cursory look at the forest it looks very healthy. You fly over the country and it just looks beautiful from the air. Being an American, I see things that kind of make me scratch my head because I may not understand why forestry does certain practices here. There are always regional differences in how forestry is practiced. But I fell in love with the country in 2017 because of the wonderful forest, the history of the culture, and, of course, the friendly relations. I do not know if that answers your question, but in my assessment, it appears Lithuanians are very connected to their forests. For instance, there is probably growing concerns with wildfire hazards, and the growing incidence of fire, with climate change. But that’s what we are setting out to do, is to see what role fire has played in the forests of Lithuania in the past. I certainly think there is a current role for fire, but convincing the administration, the ministry, and the foresters, that fire is an appropriate management tool right now is probably a decade down the road before we convince a lot of foresters to put fire on the ground.” And it has taken a long time in America for that shift to change as well. This year wildfires have been devastating in Spain, Portugal, Germany, the Czech Republic and France. Poland even had a couple of fires. It seems like Lithuania is outside of that realm at the moment,“ noticed the professor.

Proposing a question about the future trends regarding forest fires and the fire rate of the broader world, professor Ch. Ruffner questioned whether it is both climate change and/or mismanagement of the forest matrix. He added: “I would say it is probably a synergy of both those factors because you have taken fire as a natural disturbance off of the landscape, by suppressing all the fires since World War II. Across Europe due to both climate and forest management, we have a backlog of missed fires that should have been happening regularly, but have not which has caused an increase in fuel loading. Now all of a sudden, these fires are starting and potentially have high fire risk. And it is not that we are having more fires. The thing is that the effects of those fires are more devastating because we have had 60 years of effective fire control, and fuel build up in the forest., and thus when fire does occur, you have a catastrophic fire instead of just a normal fire that would move through the understory of a forest. I think the conditions are different now as far as the amount of fuel loading. Maybe it is a little bit drier, but yeah, it is hard to say what is driving it.”

“And of course, the differences between southern Europe and northern Europe, they are pretty incomparable in terms of forest types and climate,” added dr. M. Manton.

Prof. Ch. Ruffner showed a sample of what it is called a fire scar cookie which is piece of wood taken as a sample from the living tree. Professor explained further: “The tree is still living, but you look at the tree and you see this dead spot. There is another live piece over here. A fire occurred here in 1947, and it didn’t kill the entire tree. It only kills a certain portion of the growing tissue. And then through time, that tree will heal over that wound. The fire scar and the tree rings can show you what is happening in the forest, in terms of fires and climate. Trees are great storytellers. They capture this in their tree rings. And once you date this stuff, you can identify when the fires occur with the seasonality, and the relative frequency between fires? Is it driven by climate? OR Is it driven by human activities? Those are some of the questions that we can answer about the forest sites we have selected to study.”

“We can say from our first study in Dzūkija that cultural events were responsible for the rich fire history, like World War I, World War II and the Soviet era. You can clearly see there was partisan uprising and subsequent forest disturbances,” said dr. M. Manton.

Professor Ch. Ruffner conducts research on the history of forest fires not only in Lithuania, but also in other countries. “My main research area is North America. But I have been lucky enough to work in places like the Dominican Republic, and Afghanistan. Interestingly, virtually everywhere I have worked, fire is a natural forest component. In some places it is very frequent, other places it is less frequent. But it is a natural component of all the landscapes I have worked on.

According to the scientist, research into the history of forest fires requires a lot of careful work. “It is a big process, kind of understanding where it started out with dr. M. Manton. It’s just like understanding the ecology of the site because the location, topography, weather, soils, they drive natural forest disturbances. There is a natural component of the ecosystem, but then you add humans to that, and you have a human component that drives fires as well. Fire in Lithuania is either caused by lightning, or humans and trying to figure out that interaction is very interesting. That part has always been fun, honestly, this kind of work that we are doing now, is like using a hand lens and microscope. It is not all that exciting work, but it is necessary to make sure that you have good quality control and good statistics,” said Ch. Ruffner.

How did prof. Ch. Ruffner start collaboration with VMU AA? And I hate to say this in an interview but coming to Lithuania was almost an afterthought. It was not on my targeted list of countries to visit, honestly. But our university and VMU have an interesting relationship over the years. A colleague of mine, dr. Andrew Carver had a Lithuanian PhD student during the early 2000s. According to dr. M. Manton, the partnership between Southern Illinois University and VMU spans several decades (1990). “More recently, collaboration between VMU and SUI has become active. In 2017, Professor dr. Gediminas Brazaitis and two PhD students were invited to go to Southern Illinois University and attended a summer school on forest management. Subsequently Ch. Ruffner was presented with the opportunity to visit VMU and Lithuania through the ERASMUS program. Through these visits we have built a strong educational and research collaboration. So I was aware of Lithuanian forestry, but never really got into it until 2016 when prof. dr. Gediminas Brazaitis visited SIU. The very next spring was 2017 and that was my first trip to Lithuania. It just like, pulled the blinders off and I fell in love Lithuania. We have built a great working relationship. I plan to continue my working relationship with Lithuania and VMU for the next decade or so, and it just seems like a very rich place to work as far as the resources here. People are very willing to work with me on Lithuania’s fire history and sustainable forest management,” said prof. Ch. Ruffner. “When prof. Ch. Ruffner first come, everyone says, go to Dzūkija because it is a big dry Pine forest landscape. So that is why our initial fire history research targeted Dzūkija. But then we also did some mapping of the forest site type to look at the soil moisture and soil fertility that gives an indicator of the natural fire frequencies and how often fire should occur. Thus, we have also focused on the driest forest sites spread through Lithuania as they should have the most rich fire histories. In reality, we did have some target areas.

We had our first paper published this year. As a part of the Naturalit Life project lead by Prof. dr. G. Brazaitis at VMU, Prof. Ch. Ruffner was one of the key presenters and panel members for the, Baltic forest fire Conference in Spring 2021” said dr. M. Manton. “More than 500 people from around the world attended this online event. It was a big event, I mean it is like one of the biggest conferences on forest fire that I have attended,” added prof. Ch. Ruffner.

“In 2019, we had a fire meeting down in Dzūkija attended by 75 people from the forest industry. We had an indoor talk and did a workshop in the field. So, we are continuing to keep building our collaboration and research network. Prof. Ch. Ruffner came in April with Brian Van Winkle who is also forester in the US as part of an Erasmus scheme. Brian was here on his own self-funded trip. So that was amazing. And now dr. M. Manton has received ERASMUS funding to visit prof. Ch. Ruffner and SIU this October.

According to prof. Ch. Ruffner and dr. M. Manton the interest of scientific communities in researching the history of forest fires is constantly growing. “Certainly, at our university (SIU), since I teach a lot of fire, a lot of our students are very interested. However, world events of recent years have also affected the plans of scientists. “It has been very difficult actually with COVID-19 and the events in Ukraine. In 2021, prof. Ch. Ruffner had a summer camp arranged for 15-20 students from SIU to visit Lithuania for two weeks. However, that was cancelled due to COVID-19, then in 2022 another summer school was planned, but because of Russia’s attack on Ukraine and the high tension in Europe that was also cancelled. We will endeavour to get this camp happening again. The fact that I’ve gotten two classes full of students to come here, even though they have not actually done shows there is interest in Lithuania and its forest landscape. But it all comes down to funding availability. There is definitely enough in Lithuania for students to see and learn about. Hopefully in October we can generate a bit of interest in Lithuania and VMU with SIU’s students and we can plan another summer school,” said dr. M. Manton.

Finally, we would like to develop a dendrochronology lab here at VMU by continuing to build our research. The study of tree ring growth in time. Currently we are also looking to develop a joint masters and PhD candidate positions to help enable a long-term study program here at VMU and kind of put it on the map. I mean, the university is already on the map, but not from a dendrochronological standpoint,” said prof. Ch. Ruffner. Any prospective PhD candidates should contact Prof. Ruffner or dr. Manton. Eventually we are also hoping prof. Ch. Ruffner can visit VMU for a sabbatical,” said dr. M. Manton.

Greetings from VMU AA Chancellor on September 1st

We welcome September 1st – the Day of Science and Knowledge – with an uplifted mood, excitement in our hearts and determination to achieve our goals with a new strength. Together we can do more – students, feeling the support of a friend and teacher, can achieve better study results, scientists, focused on research teams, can implement even more important projects. We are a unique community, famous for Lithuanian sincerity and hard work. Let’s be proud of it and continue this tradition.

Dear students, be brave and persistent, hardworking and creative! We are happy and trust you, because you are ambassadors, who will carry the name of the Academy and the knowledge gained there far into the future. I believe that studies are not always easy. However, you have repeatedly proven your determination to maintain the chosen direction in pursuit of education in the most needed areas for the future. I wish you the best evaluation for your hard work, sincere cooperation with teachers and fellow students. I congratulate you on your decision to become leaders and innovators and I wish you the best of luck in creating a green, sustainable and rich future!

As we welcome the September 1st holiday, we are with the entire academic community of Ukraine in our hearts, who are not experiencing festive joy, but the tragedy caused by the aggressor. We are happy to welcome first-year Ukrainian students to our community and wish them to use the acquired knowledge for the benefit of Ukraine, a homeland that has won peace!

Chancellor of VMU Agriculture Academy professor dr. Astrida Miceikiene

Вітання від канцера Сільскогосподарської Академії Університету ім. Вітовта Великого проф. др. Астріди Міцейкене з нагоди початку навчального року та Дня Знань

Дорогі студенти та науковці,

Зустрічаємо 1 вересня – День науки і знань – з піднесеним настроєм, хвилюванням у серці та прагненням з новими силами досягати поставлених цілей. Разом ми можемо більше: студенти, відчуваючи підтримку друга та викладача, можуть досягти кращих результатів у навчанні; науковці, зосереджені в дослідницьких колективах, можуть втілювати надзвичайно важливі проекти. Ми – знаменита громада, яка славиться литовською щирістю та працьовитістю. Давайте пишатися цим і продовжувати таку нашу традицію.

Любі студенти! Будьте сміливими та наполегливими, працьовитими та творчими! Ми пишаємось та віримо в вас, адже ви – посли, які пронесуть ім’я Академії та отримані у ній знання далеко у майбутнє. Знаю, що навчання – це справа нелегка. Проте ви неодноразово доводили свою рішучість підтримувати обраний напрямок продовження освіти в найбільш потрібних Литовській державі галузях. Бажаю вам гарних оцінок за вашу наполегливу працю, щирої співпраці з викладачами та однокурсниками. Я вітаю вас з вашим рішенням стати лідерами та новаторами і бажаю вам великих успіхів у створенні зеленої, стійкої та багатої Литви!

У переддень Свята Знань наші серця з академічною спільнотою України, яка переживає не святкову радість, а трагедію, спричинену агресором. Ми раді прийняти першокурсників-українців до наших лав. Побажаємо ж їм використати набуті знання на благо своєї Батьківщини – України, заради здобуття миру!

For first-year students – a tour of the VMU Agriculture Academy and visiting the faculties

On August 29 Vytautas Magnus University Agriculture Academy (VMU AA) invite first-year students to meet the deans, fellow students and explore the Academy’s spaces.

9 a.m. tour of the VMU AA. The tour will begin near the central building of the VMU Agricultural Academy (Studentų str. 11, Akademija, Kaunas district). During it students will be introduced to the Academy’s spaces, faculties and laboratories. The chancellor of VMU Agriculture Academy, professor dr. Astrida Miceikiene will meet and greet students here.

10 a.m. visiting the faculties of VMU AA. Here students will have the opportunity to meet the dean, study administrators, fellow students of the faculty where students will study.

Faculty of Bioeconomy Development: Universiteto str. 10, room 602, Akademija, Kaunas district.

Students-mentors will accompany the first-year students and answer their questions during the tour in the VMU Agriculture Academy spaces and meetings in the faculties.

If you have any questions, you can contact VMU Agriculture Academy student-mentor Paulina Andriuskevičiūtė on her Facebook account.

The event will be photographed and/or filmed; therefore, please note that you might be featured in photos or videos which can be published in various media.

Student Registration into Study Subjects for Autumn Semester 2022

The first stage of the autumn semester 2022/2023 registration for lectures, seminars and laboratory works is on 23-29 August. At this stage, the registration is open:

For full-time and part-time students of bachelor and integrated studies (excluding 1st year students)
For full-time and part-time students of master studies
For full-time students of professional studies
For part-time free-movers
For part-time exchange students

Registration of first-year undergraduate and full-time students will take place on 31 August.

Enrolment will be performed online only, having connected to VMU Students’ Self-service Portal at: https://studentas.vdu.lt.

A username is: name.surname (lowercase, Latin alphabet letters only) and a password.

If a student has forgotten the password, they can set up a new one at the site: https://support.vdu.lt/. Instructions are available here.

ENROLMENT INTO STUDY SUBJECTS

STUDY SCHEDULES

Lithuanian University Centennial: Celebration of the New Academic Year

Celebrating the 100th anniversary of the University of Lithuania, Kaunas University of Technology, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, and Vytautas Magnus University invite everyone to celebrate the start of the new academic year together!

Programme:

12 p.m. – 1 p.m. Holy Mass at Kaunas Cathedral Basilica of Apostles St. Peter and St. Paul;
2 p.m. – 2:20 p.m. Procession of university community (from Nepriklausomybės aikštė (Independence Square) to Vienybės aikštė (Unity Square);
2:20 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. Official opening of the Student Square;
2:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Official part of the event and concert by Jessica Shy (at Unity Square);
7 p.m. The evening programme where various DJs and performer OG Version will get everyone up and dancing, while the icing on the cake will be the Music and Light Show!

The University of Lithuania, founded in 1922, served as the foundation for modern higher education institutions, namely Vytautas Magnus University, Kaunas University of Technology, and Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, and The Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania declared 2022 the year of Lithuanian universities; therefore, we kindly invite you to join the celebration, which marks the beginning of the new academic year and invites to celebrate growth and development!

The event will be photographed and/or filmed; therefore, please note that you might be featured in photos or videos which can be published in various media.

More information

Ikbol, student of Logistics and Commerce in Lithuania, shares a wonderful message with the young people in Uzbekistan

Lithuania is a member country of the European Union (EU) located at the heart of the continent next to the Baltic Sea. Despite the population size of just three million, the country boasts a very deep university tradition. As a result, students from all over the world have already discovered Lithuania as a very convenient place to attain an excellent education. Ikbol Makhsumov from Uzbekistan is one of them. He is a student of Logistics and Commerce at Vytautas Magnus University Agriculture Academy (VMU Agriculture Academy). According to Ikbol, the new dual degree programme Logistics and Commerce at the VMU Agriculture Academy and the Tashkent State Agrarian University is the exclusive opportunity for the young people of Uzbekistan to study at a European university, take part in the ERASMUS exchange programme between other European universities, and, most importantly, develop modern competences for a promising career in logistics and commerce upon the return to their home country Uzbekistan.

European-level studies in the European capital of culture

According to Ikbol Makhsumov from Fergana, it was not by chance that he became interested in logistics studies. Logistics is a fast-growing diversified global sector that includes the areas such as warehousing, wholesale and transport. His motivation became even stronger when he learnt about the opportunity to work in this field in South Korea before starting his studies.

Having decided to study logistics, Ikbol started researching universities offering logistics study programmes, reading university websites, comparing programme content, university rankings and services. The VMU Agriculture Academy was the one university to have fully matched his expectations. The fact that he had already visited Lithuania, having made friends with the Lithuanians while working in South Korea, also helped him in his final decision.

“When you meet new friends, it’s natural to want to learn more about their home country. They invited me to visit and travel together around Lithuania, the country with one of the oldest languages in the world, the best basketball players, fresh and green nature, and welcoming people,” – he shares. He has also noted that it was easy to become integrated upon arrival, as young people all over the world share far more similarities than differences. In addition, Kaunas, the second largest city after the country’s capital Vilnius, is a dynamic student city. It is home to a diverse community of young people, qualified university staff and friendly local and fellow students who are always there to help when needed. He is impressed by Kaunas city’s well-developed infrastructure of cycle paths, museums and events – it is no coincidence that the city is this year’s European Capital of Culture.

Master’s studies and an ERASMUS trip on the agenda

Ikbol, who is about to start his fourth year of studies, admits to feeling the excitement of gaining new knowledge every new semester. The diversity of knowledge, laboratory activities, logistics and commerce studies are intriguing for him. He also appreciates the fact that a team of guest lecturers visiting from other foreign universities and leading logistics and retail professionals works with the students every semester.

I.Makhsumov had the opportunity to do an internship in a supply management department at one of the leading Lithuanian companies, where he got acquainted with the company’s operational and management processes, innovative systems, professional environment and modern warehouses. His only regret is that the COVID-19 pandemic has prevented him from taking part in the ERASMUS student exchange programme. However, Ikbol’s plans are to pursue his Master’s degree in Logistics at the VMU Agriculture Academy and to go on an ERASMUS traineeship at a university in another European country.

A chance for everyone to make a big step forward in their career

Makhsumov studying in Lithuania is particularly pleased to hear that young people from Uzbekistan now have the opportunity to study logistics and commerce and pursue a dual degree at the Tashkent State Agrarian University and the VMU Agriculture Academy, as this is a great chance to make a huge step forward in their career.

“Uzbekistan is a growing country with increasing export volumes. And no business is possible without efficient logistics and trade. That’s why young people who choose the Logistics and Commerce dual degree programme at the Tashkent State Agrarian University will have great prospects in the future: find promising jobs at private companies, in the public sector or set up own businesses. Half of their studies will take place in Tashkent and the other half in Lithuania, at the VMU Agriculture Academy. They will also prepare and defend their final theses here,” – says Prof. Dr. Astrida Miceikienė, Chancellor of the VMU Agriculture Academy.

According to the Professor, who specializes in the field of bioeconomics, during their studies in Lithuania, young people from Uzbekistan will get acquainted with the EU legal framework, business development conditions, specifics of logistics processes, import and export rules and regulations. This knowledge will undoubtedly give the holders of the dual diploma an advantage in the future labour market.

During their studies in Lithuania, students will do an internship at modern companies in Lithuania or other EU countries. Many students in Lithuania combine their studies with work. Students from Uzbekistan will also be eligible to work during their studies. All of them will have the opportunity to live in the unique European campus of the VMU Agriculture Academy.

Two university degrees on graduation

Students are young people who want to move around and gain new experiences. The dual degree programmes will give them ample opportunities to take advantage of ERASMUS, Europe’s popular student exchange programme offerring the chance to study or do a traineeship in other EU countries. Being the most comprehensive university in Lithuania, Vytautas Magnus University offers its students exceptional opportunities for complementary studies. Every student has the freedom to design his or her own study path as he or she wishes. While studying his/her chosen major study programme, a student can choose to study any other related study programme. A certificate of completion is issued upon graduation. This way, it is possible to acquire two or even more specialities during the course of studies. The university also offers a wide range of foreign languages to choose from a list of more than 30 languages.

The students from Uzbekistan will graduate with two university diplomas: the Tashkent State Agrarian University and Vytautas Magnus University.

University collaboration is driven by global human challenges

These opportunities opened for the young people of Uzbekistan after the universities signed a cooperation agreement in 2021. The partners plan to actively develop cooperation not only in the development and implementation of dual degree programmes, where part of the study process takes place in Uzbekistan and part in Lithuania, but also to organise joint internships for students and lecturers, student exchanges, joint seminars, scientific conferences, and research projects.

According to Prof. Dr. A. Miceikienė, as the world becomes more global, it is particularly important to pursue intercontinental collaboration between the educational and research institutions, as this helps measure the development of countries and their businesses in the context of different transformations, and to find solutions to climate change, food security, and a host of other issues of relevance to humanity.

#StudentsTalk: I have gained a lot of knowledge and personal experience

Ikbol Makhsumov, Logistics and Commerce student

Vytautas Magnus University Agriculture Academy (VMU AA) is not only an institution of studies and research, but also a space where solutions are created, discussed, and sought after, where every innovative idea is extremely important. It is interesting to get to know our wonderful students, who enrich the Academy with its uniqueness, smartness, and openness to the world.

Ikbol Makhsumov, a fourth-year Logistics and Commerce student from Uzbekistan shared his experience about choosing studies in Lithuania and his journey here at VMU Agriculture Academy.

– Why were you interested in studying logistics?

– Logistics is a fast-growing sector with a wide range of subfields such as warehousing, wholesaling, transportation and so on. My initial interest started growing in one of these logistics fields when I was working in South Korea. So, I decided to pursue this interest by studying Logistics and Commerce at VMU Agriculture Academy.

– How did you find out about the opportunity to study in Lithuania?

– Once I decided to study logistics, I was actively researching the universities offering logistics degree programs. I checked the websites of universities to see the content of study, university rankings, tuition fees, scholarships, and other facilities they provide until I came across VMU, which matched my expectations. Moreover, my earlier traveling experience to Lithuania contributed to my choice of study destination.

– What did you know about Lithuania before you came here?

– I knew Lithuania as one of the Baltic states and its capital city Vilnius before making some Lithuanian friends in South Korea. After meeting new friends, it is natural to want to know more about their country, culture, and traditions. Thanks to my friends, I got to travel and learn more about Lithuania which has one of the oldest languages in Europe, best basketball players, captivating nature, and hospitable people.

– What is the difference between young people in Uzbekistan and Lithuania? Was it easy to integrate?

– In terms of young people, we have far more similarities rather than differences. Obviously, there are some cultural and social challenges, but there are common characteristics in educational, recreational activities and lifestyle. Moreover, Kaunas is a dynamic student city where not only Lithuanian, but many international students reside. Personally, I have not met any barriers or difficulties with integration into student life in Lithuania due to highly qualified university staff, friendly local and international students.

– What is the most interesting thing about Logistics and Commerce study program?

– Every semester I feel the excitement and eagerness to start new round of lectures and study subjects. The variety of core and elective subjects that involve interactive and engaging seminars, lectures, lab works, case studies of logistics and retail activities always provide me with new challenges. In addition, each semester we have visiting professors from other foreign universities, and specialists from well-known logistics and retail companies to give presentations and share their knowledge and experience with students.

– Have you visited modern Lithuanian logistics companies?

– Recently I was given an opportunity to conduct my internship in supply management department at one of the leading companies. I got closely acquainted with the operational and management processes, innovative systems, professional environment, and modern warehouses of the company. The acquired theoretical and practical knowledges at the university helped me successfully complete my internship.

– Have you participated in the ERASMUS+ program?

– Unfortunately, I have not been able to participate in the exchange program because of the Covid 2019. However, I am planning to apply for ERASMUS+ traineeship in the near future.

– What do you do in your spare time?

– I really enjoy outdoor activities like cycling and going for hikes in the nature. In recent couple of years Kaunas has been substantially improving bike-road infrastructure which encouraged me to take up a new hobby of cycling. I also find time for visiting museums, tourist attractions, exhibitions and festivals.

– What are your future plans after graduation?

– I am planning to pursue my master’s degree in Logistics and Commerce at VMU Agriculture Academy. I would also like to use the opportunity to apply for ERASMUS+ traineeship.

– Starting from this September, young people form Uzbekistan have the opportunity to study Logistics and Commerce and pursue a double degree at the Tashkent State Agrarian University and the VMU Agricultural Academy. What advice would you give to them?

– First of all, I would like to congratulate all the students who received this great opportunity and wish the best of luck. I was really happy when I found out about the initiation of this partnership which will definitely help students to achieve their goals and be future professionals. I have gained a lot of knowledge and personal experience since I took this educational journey in Kaunas. I would advise new students to take advantage of every opportunity and focus on their studies above all else, but also not forget to have fun by exploring new horizons.

Ikbol is open to answer the questions about studying at VMU Agriculture Academy. If you are interested, feel free to contact Ikbol on Facebook.