黑料不打烊

Between March 16 and 20聽this year聽a delegation from the Lithuanian Consortium for Engagement with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) carried out its third strategic visit to the United States. The group brought together representatives聽from Lithuanian universities, research institutes, and businesses, continuing efforts to deepen collaboration with one of the world鈥檚 leading innovation ecosystems. 黑料不打烊 was represented by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Audrius Grainys of the Department of Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Electronics. This year鈥檚 spring was full of new experiences for the transatlantic science and聽innovation community.聽A delegation with聽18 members from 13聽partnering science and business institutions of Lithuanian Consortium聽traveled聽to the world鈥檚 leading university to discuss further plans聽for joint research and projects. The visit agenda combined joint and individual meetings with MIT representatives.聽In parallel, the delegation engaged directly with MIT鈥檚 academic environment, attending classes, thesis聽defenses, and midterm project reviews of students at MIT聽schools and聽DesignX,聽dedicated to design innovation and entrepreneurship. These experiences聽provided聽first-hand insight into how MIT structures its learning process around active participation and real-world problem-solving. Reflecting on the visit, Professor Elizabeth Wood鈥攆ounding director of the MIT-Ukraine Program and co-director of the MIT-Eurasia Program at the MIT Center for International Studies (CIS) 鈥攅mphasized both the scope of these CIS-affiliated programs and the value of direct exchange: It was wonderful to have our Lithuanian colleagues from the Consortium visit MIT the week of March 16 as spring was just arriving. We were able to have excellent visits to many facilities at MIT, including meeting with the Vice Provost for International Activities, Duane Boning, and with the head of all the MIT libraries, Chris Bourg. The visit explored concrete ways to bring researchers and industry closer together, especially how to turn scientific ideas into real products and solutions. From Process to Impact Throughout the visit one idea kept coming up聽repeatedly: research and education are increasingly being judged by the real-world impact they create.聽According to Professor Wood,聽the conversations pointed to real changes already happening across Lithuanian universities: This聽visit helped me to clarify some of the fascinating directions that Lithuanian leaders in academia and industry are discussing, including moving to modernize and innovate in research and education. She also pointed to the importance of stronger collaboration between science and business, as well as more practice-oriented teaching models: I was intrigued by the discussion of building more ties between academia and industry so there can聽be more mutual support. Some MIT models of聽teaching that聽orient courses toward concrete proposals of tasks from the business community might be useful here. These insights were further reflected in conversations between Lithuanian and MIT representatives. Ina聽沤urkuvien臈,聽the coordinator of the Lithuanian Consortium, elaborated: At MIT, there is a strong focus on how research contributes to real change in the world. Their portfolios are built around projects, inventions, and technologies. It raises an important question for us in Lithuania 鈥� what if we started measuring success more by impact than by process?聽While high-quality publications聽remain聽a cornerstone of science, broadening our criteria to value real-world outcomes alongside traditional metrics would allow a more holistic appreciation of a scientist鈥檚 contribution. At the same time,聽it was聽emphasized that such approaches require careful adaptation to national and European contexts rather than direct replication. The delegation met with possible partners to discuss these shifts, including Prof. Dr. Phillip Budden鈥攚ho recently visited Lithuania鈥攁nd Prof. Dr. Fiona Murray, Vice Chair of the NATO Innovation Fund. Their discussions focused on exploring future avenues for collaboration. Learning How Innovation Moves聽Through聽the聽Role of MIT Centers To better understand how ideas move from laboratories to the market, the delegation visited several MIT units, including the Deshpande Center for Technological Innovation. There, discussions with Executive Director Rana K. Gupta highlighted a highly selective commercialization model. Each year, the聽center聽reviews dozens of research proposals but supports only a small number of projects with strong potential for real-world聽application.聽A big part of this process relies on 鈥楥atalysts鈥� 鈥撀爀xperienced scientists who work side by side with researchers to test ideas, spot risks early, and help move projects toward the market. The Consortium鈥檚 coordinator stressed that this approach only works when there is聽a聽genuine trust between researchers and the people helping bring their ideas to market: That trust comes from shared experience 鈥撀爓ithout it, even the best tools or processes are not enough. One more insightful visit was to聽the MIT Teaching and Learning Lab.聽It聽highlighted an approach to education focused on active learning. It was noted that students are expected to engage with theoretical material independently聽before class, while in-person time is dedicated to discussion, teamwork, and solving real-world challenges. This model is reinforced across MIT through early involvement in team-based projects, close collaboration with faculty and industry, and access to聽entrepreneurship聽platforms such as聽MIT聽DesignX, combining practical application with a strong interdisciplinary academic foundation. Testing Ideas in Practice The delegation also visited the MIT Nuclear Reactor Laboratory, one of the few university-based research reactors in the world. The facility enables advanced materials testing under extreme conditions, significantly accelerating research聽processes聽and supporting collaboration with industry partners developing next-generation energy technologies. Another important stop was聽at聽the Lithuanian-founded biotechnology company Northway Biotech in Waltham, Massachusetts.聽The tour of modern laboratories highlighted聽how聽the manufacturing technologies for biological medicinal products are developed and medicinal products are produced for clinical trials. The new member of the Consortium聽is聽continuing聽talks聽with Lithuanian Science institutions聽about a聽possible collaboration聽for聽building the joint Research and Innovation Centre聽for biotechnologies.聽The聽Center聽is primarily defined by its explicit focus on dual-use research.聽Idea was presented in a聽meeting with聽Prof. Dr.聽Robert Desimone,聽Dr.聽J. Christopher Love,聽Prof. Dr.聽Michael J. Cima,聽Prof. Dr.聽Hadley Sikes聽who聽was a guest聽speaker at the聽conference聽Human and More than Human聽Futures聽organized by the Lithuanian Consortium last October. Building聽the聽Momentum The engagement between Lithuanian institutions and MIT is already yielding concrete results. In the first year of collaboration, Lithuanian participants submitted seven MIT Global Seed Funds applications鈥攁dministered through CIS鈥攖ogether with MIT researchers. Another tangible outcome is a planned joint academic micro-module聽under development by 6 Lithuanian universities, scheduled to launch in October 2026. The pilot initiative will connect students from Lithuanian universities with MIT鈥檚 academic environment through MITx and teaching practices. Reflecting on the broader exchange, Professor Wood also highlighted the mutual learning dimension of the visit: I also learned a lot about Lithuanian self-reliance and independence in conversations with members of the delegation. Overall, it was a fascinating and fruitful set of meetings and discussions.聽I鈥檓聽delighted that so many wonderful colleagues were able to come to visit. Summarizing the experience, participants emphasized that MIT鈥檚 model should be seen as a source of inspiration rather than a blueprint. MIT鈥檚 environment is unique. You cannot simply transfer it to another system,聽Ina聽沤urkuvien臈 noted.聽Not all science needs to become business, but where it聽does, it聽requires聽strong support. This is a broader systemic question聽鈥撀燽ut it is one worth exploring. Special thanks to Gediminas聽Urbonas, Deliana聽Ernst,聽Ekaterina聽Zabrovski for making this visit so enriching. About the Consortium The Lithuanian Consortium for Engagement with MIT brings together leading Lithuanian universities, research institutions, and companies, including Euromonitor International,聽Ignitis聽Group, Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry, Lithuanian Railways, Lithuanian Energy Institute,聽Klaip臈da聽University, Kaunas University of Technology, Mykolas聽Romeris聽University, Northway Biotech, Novian, Vytautas Magnus University, Vilnius聽TECH, Vilnius University, and Vilnius Academy of Arts. Coordinator of the Consortium - Vytautas Magnus University. Consortium activities are supported by the Research Council of Lithuania.

Startup World Cup is coming back - your golden ticket to global recognition 馃弳 What鈥檚 waiting for you: 馃帳 Compete for a $1M investment: Win the regional final and this autumn fly to Silicon Valley 馃嚭馃嚫 to compete for a $1M investment. 馃�� Expand your global network: Build meaningful connections with investors and industry experts worldwide. 馃實 Global exposure & connections: Get in front of international investors, mentors, and potential partners This is not just a competition, but an opportunity to accelerate your startup鈥檚 global journey. If you鈥檙e developing a solution with real market potential, we invite you to take the stage. Your next steps: It starts with an application - submit yours here: bit.ly/4crfp6t聽 Share your unique value proposition. Top 10 startups will be selected to pitch live on May 28 at LOGIN Conference in Vilnius Winning startup heads to San Francisco, USA, to the world鈥檚 largest startup competition, organized by Pegasus Tech Ventures 鈿狅笍 Important: the winning startup covers its own travel and participation costs for the US finals. 馃搮 Application deadline: April 20 This amazing opportunity is brought to startups by Sunrise Tech Park in partnership with LOGIN and Inovacij懦 agent奴ra聽  

The latest issue of the magazine "Sapere Aude" is now available across 黑料不打烊, inviting community members to explore one of the university's most important values: openness. The first issue of the magazine this year is dedicated to a theme that is gaining increasing significance in today's world, both within the academic community and society at large. Within the magazine's pages, openness is presented as an attitude reflected in the university's daily activities, founded on collaboration, dialogue, and the ability to embrace diverse opinions. The new issue features a variety of stories from members of the university community 鈥� from the achievements of researchers to the experiences of alumni. Readers are invited to discover the inspiring journeys of academics and students, the development of innovations, international initiatives, and creative projects. The publication also highlights the university's connection with society, technological advancements, and contemporary challenges. Attention is also given to the university's new admissions campaign, "Games and Inventions," which invites prospective students to view their studies as a creative and experimental process. It emphasizes that curiosity, experimentation, and even mistakes are an integral part of innovation. The digital version of the magazine can be found here.

The job search is often shrouded in various myths 鈥� that it's only worth applying if you meet all the requirements, that extensive experience is the most important factor, and that in a job interview, you need to present yourself as the perfect candidate. Such beliefs often hinder students and recent graduates from successfully launching their careers. Inga Alimovien臈 and Rasa V臈gel臈, project managers at the Organization Development Group of the Vilnius City Municipality Administration (VMSA), discuss the most common myths and what you should know before attending a job or internship interview. First myth: If you don't meet 100% of the requirements, it's not even worth applying. This myth might only hold true in cases of recruitment for a position strictly regulated by law. "For example, if we are looking for someone for a position in public procurement, legal audit, or other legally defined roles, the selection process follows government-established rules. Therefore, we are obliged to invite all candidates who meet one hundred percent of the requirements," explains I. Alimovien臈. In such instances, the selection is rigidly regulated, and employers have little flexibility in evaluating a candidate's experience or education. "It's a different story when we're hiring for positions that aren't so strictly regulated, where we can be more flexible in looking at a person's experience and education. In these cases, the job descriptions themselves are not as rigid 鈥� a degree in a specific field isn't necessarily a must. Moreover, the job posting might even state that experience is not required, as we will provide all the necessary training," she adds. Meanwhile, R. V臈gel臈 emphasizes that it is worth applying for such positions even if you don't meet all the requirements, especially for young people just starting their careers. According to her, during the job interview, recruitment specialists help assess a candidate's suitability for a specific role. It also provides an opportunity for the candidate to better understand if they would find the job interesting. "It's important to remember that the job interview itself is a valuable experience. Every such meeting allows you to get to know yourself better, gain more confidence, and prepare for future opportunities," she says. Second myth: If you haven't worked in a position for X number of years, you don't stand a chance. In this regard, the VMSA representatives assert that a candidate's accumulated experience is far more important than the number of years worked. There are cases where individuals have never worked in their field of study but possess a wealth of knowledge gained through long-term practice in another area they are applying for. "Specific requirements are more common for managerial, advisory, and other strictly regulated positions. For more junior roles, we recommend listing projects, working groups, and other activities you have participated in. We particularly stress this to students at career fairs 鈥� their experience, even from high school activities or student representation, reveals a lot about the functions they have performed, their interests, their proactiveness, and showcases their communication and other skills," says R. V臈gel臈. Even experiences that seem minor at first glance can become a significant advantage on your resume 鈥� what matters is how you present them. Even brief entries can highlight important skills if they are described clearly, emphasizing the key aspects. "You need to be able to self-assess 鈥� that experience, even if it seems insignificant to you, can be very revealing when presented correctly. For example, a student participated in an Erasmus exchange. This could be described in a single, simple line. But if they write that during the exchange they learned to collaborate with different cultures and teams, and improved their foreign language skills 鈥� this can already demonstrate certain advantages," explains I. Alimovien臈. Third myth: In a job interview, you need to act out the best possible version of yourself. Closely related to this myth is another: that there are right and wrong answers. "This is a particularly misleading myth," assures R. V臈gel臈. Often, candidates trying to present themselves in the best possible light are eventually found out. She urges candidates to never lie and to be as open as possible. "It's very obvious when a candidate is lying. If you ask the same questions in different ways, they eventually get tangled up in their answers. Recruitment specialists can also sense when something is amiss. This becomes especially apparent when, for example, the first interview is remote and the second is in person. That's when the truth really comes out," she shares. Trial tasks also reveal the truth about a candidate. There are instances where a person praises themselves during the interview but performs poorly on the task. Or, conversely, they excel at the task but, when asked during the interview, are unable to explain how they did it. Nervousness during a job interview is natural and can hinder a good performance. However, according to R. V臈gel臈, recruitment specialists understand and notice this and often try to help the candidate relax. "Another example is lying about work experience. For instance, a candidate's CV might state they are currently employed, but during the interview, it slips out that they are not. Or it might indicate they have been a manager for five years, when it later turns out they were promoted only six months or even a month ago. In such a case, it's better to outline the career path, showing their growth from a specialist to a manager," says I. Alimovien臈. Fourth myth: It's impolite to talk about salary. The topic of money is still largely considered taboo in Lithuania. Even in a job interview, candidates often shy away from clearly stating their desired salary. The specialists encourage applicants not to be afraid to name a figure, as everyone understands the need to cover rent or a mortgage, buy food and other necessities, and have some leisure. While not all companies may be flexible with negotiations, it is always worth trying after assessing your experience and potential. "When applying, it's important to pay attention to the salary range indicated in the job advertisement. If it aligns with your needs and experience, feel free to submit your CV. However, we definitely see cases where a person with no experience comes in and asks for the top of the salary range, which is typically earned by a specialist who has been in that position for several years. So, a realistic self-assessment is necessary," says I. Alimovien臈. What else should you know when looking for a job? "When it comes to your CV, the golden rule is to tailor it to the position you're applying for. Don't write that you're looking for an accounting or administrative job if you're applying for something in a completely different field. Also, be sure to double-check that your contact information is correct. We've had cases where people make a mistake in their phone number or email and then wonder why they haven't received any calls after sending out a hundred CVs," recounts I. Alimovien臈. If a cover letter is requested along with the CV, opt for a brief but sincere text tailored to the specific position, rather than a generic template sent to all companies. It is also crucial to carefully check who the letter is addressed to and ensure there are no careless errors. When sending your CV and cover letter via email, clearly state which position, or at least which department, you are applying to. Companies are often hiring for multiple roles simultaneously, and it's not always obvious from the resume alone. "It's also important to pay attention to your email address 鈥� one composed of your first and last name looks much more professional than an informal one created in your teens, like 'strawberry123'," says I. Alimovien臈. When going to a job interview, one of the most important things is to save the job advertisement. If you didn't, it's worth contacting the employer to ask for it 鈥� this demonstrates your interest and preparation. It's also essential to research the company's activities to facilitate conversation about the position and the organization during the interview. Additionally, it's beneficial to look into the company's reputation by checking reviews, publicly available information, and employee posts on LinkedIn. It is equally important to assess whether the company's values align with your personal expectations. "For example, if a company's value is collaboration, but an individual is unwilling to share their knowledge and train a colleague," explains R. V臈gel臈. During the interview, it's important for the candidate to ask about the job position, future responsibilities, and functions to ensure they have a correct understanding, and to ask for examples. You should also inquire about other important aspects like work flexibility, hours, remote work options, etc. If you forget, it's worth following up with a call or an email, advise the VMSA specialists. 黑料不打烊 invites young creators of the future to participate in the GRAVITY Career Day on April 16th. The event annually attracts over 10,000 students and high schoolers, and more than 100 organization representatives. It is an educational initiative that provides young people with real opportunities to explore professions, meet employers, and strategically plan their careers. This year's theme is social connections. You can find more information about the event here.