Lecturer, researcher, Vice-Dean for Studies. Although she considers Kaunas University of Technology as the home of her academic career, she often shares her knowledge with students from various European and American universities. She helps young people to develop their citizenship through projects such as “Students Elect the Mayor”, “Students Elect the Seimas”, “Students Elect the President” and other.
What makes social sciences fascinating to you?
I started my studies in business administration, then turned to sociology and public administration, because I realised that I was interested in studying and researching things that focus on the public benefit, in short – making the world a better place. I find it very interesting and meaningful; it allows me to fulfil myself in different fields, it gives me an opportunity to develop as a professional and as a personality, and at the same time to help others. We teach our students about these opportunities and the competences needed to do this.
In the times of growing crises, professionalism in public governance is more important than ever, and this trend is equally important worldwide.
Are the young people of today civil and social?
I have a lot of faith in today’s youth. When I ask students during lectures if they have any experience of volunteering, more and more students raise their hands every year. And I’m very happy about that, because that’s what we talk about in the lectures – that volunteering is not just a mission, but also a great way to spend your free time, to be more effective in your community, to build a wide circle of friends, and, above all, a great start for your future career.
How important are managerial competences nowadays?
I believe that leadership, the ability to help those around you to discover their strengths and to find their best place in the structure of an organisation, is very important in today’s society. Also – awareness and emotional resilience.
What helps you escape from your busy academic life?
There is a corny but partly true saying: find a job you like, and you will never have to work. I like to spend my free time in a good way, and I am always interested in learning and experiencing something new. I loved travelling since my childhood (as there were very few opportunities to go abroad in those days), making friends from other cities during holidays, keeping in touch and so on. Nowadays I still like to meet local people and see life from a non-touristic point of view. I often travel in my free time to meet up with my numerous friends in many countries around the world. The passion for travelling, which I developed in my childhood, is still with me today, and it fits in well with both my work and leisure time. One of the aspects of academic life is internationalisation, developing international projects, presenting at conferences, developing social capital, and I enjoy this part of my job very much.
What are your guidelines in life, what drives you forward?
The main one is perhaps that there is no such bad thing that does not work out for the best, and the further I go, the more I believe in this rule. There is simply no such person who always succeeds or fails, life is different, it’s constantly changing, and it is up to us how much we are able to enjoy a given situation and accept it as it is. And what drives me forward is the constant desire to improve and to learn and discover something new.
To meet the other faculty members please visit: fssah.ktu.edu/teachers
