Erasmus+ impressions, events, news, traineeships and internships.
Marijampole University of Applied Sciences student returns from her studies in Portugal
“Studying in Portugal at the Polytechnic University of Guarda is, in my opinion, really worth it. The country and the university are very impressive in their beauty and uniqueness.
Adapting to a foreign environment was difficult at first, of course, but it didn’t take long before I got to know the city itself and its people. During my studies, I visited not only the city where I was studying, but also other spectacular cities in this country, which made me appreciate this country even more.
At the beginning of my studies, I had some difficulties and many challenges, but I overcame everything with the help of very supportive lecturers and gained a lot of experience that I will never forget. I really hope and wish that other students can go abroad to study and have the same amazing experience that I had.”
We are proud of our students, who are determined and open not only to innovations in their studies, but also to the world of international opportunities at Marijampole University of Applied Sciences. Thanks to them, students can go to study or do their internship at a university of their choice.
Marijampole University of Applied Sciences information
Marijampole University of Applied Sciences student studies in Portugal under the Erasmus+ programme
“This is my fourth month studying in this country, and each time I have a new experience that never fails to amaze me. The city where I live is one of the oldest, and the region is also notable for having the highest point in Portugal. Although the climate is rainy, the beauty of the place, the atmosphere it creates and the hospitality of the people are exceptional.
I am currently studying at the Polytechnic University of Guarda, and I can’t hide the fact that the computer science course at this university is a challenge. The standards set have a fairly high bar in terms of the amount of knowledge given and the difficulty of the tasks. However, despite the difficulties, I am trying to acquire as much new information and practice as I can, which I think will really add to my existing body of knowledge. The professors at this university demonstrate each time that they have strong competences in their own scientific fields and that they have high hopes and efforts that the students will strengthen their own knowledge through the knowledge they pass on.
When I arrived at the a country I didn’t really know what to expect, where to start and how I would fare in a new environment. I had to adapt to a new lifestyle, a new university system and a new curriculum, but I’m really glad I took this opportunity. This experience is truly unique and once in a lifetime.
To all those who have the opportunity to do an Erasmus+ exchange programme at Marijampolė University of Applied Sciences, I really suggest not to hesitate, because the experience, the memories and the knowledge gained are priceless.“We are pleased to be able to offer our students very favourable conditions for study or traineeships in various foreign countries. Find out more about Erasmus+ mobility here.
EILC – Intensive Language Courses
Intensive Language Courses (EILC) are specialised language courses in the lesser-known and lesser-used languages of participating countries.
Objective:
- enabling students selected for Erasmus mobility to take part in EILC courses and learn the language of the host country. The courses are organised before the start of the course, between July and August each year (for full academic year or autumn semester) and between January and February each year (for spring semester).
The duration of the course is 3-8 weeks.
Iveta Lukauskaitė, a student of accounting studies, has completed her internship in Norway and shares her impressions.
“I did my traineeship in an ERASMUS+ exchange programme at Mål Regnskap AS, an accounting services company. The company is based in the northern Norwegian city of Tromsø, also known as Northen Paris (North Paris).
I am very grateful to Marijampole University of Applied Sciences for this opportunity and for the unforgettable experience during the internship.”
Iveta Lukauskaitė, a student of accounting studies
Accounting 4th year student Agnė shares her impressions of her internship abroad
Accounting 4th year student Agnė shares her impressions of her internship abroad
Traineeship is an opportunity to apply your theoretical knowledge and develop your professional and general skills. The experience gained during a traineeship helps you to find out what you want to do (work) more quickly and to find the job you want. As a fourth-year accounting student, I took advantage of the ERASMUS+ internship abroad this summer.
Without much thought, I chose Norway and its town – Jostedalen. It is located in the western part of the country, surrounded by glaciers and is very popular with tourists. Jostedalen is home to the largest glacier in continental Europe and its highest peak, which reaches 2 083 metres above sea level.
I did my traineeship at JOSTEDALEN BREFØRARLAG AS, a company that provides tourist guidance and coaching on the glacier and mountain climbing. I was very impressed with the company, and was immediately welcomed into the team in a friendly manner, with a smooth sharing of experience and information. And although the accounting here is much simpler than in Lithuania, the manager was impressed and pleased with some of the suggestions, which, by the way, came from what I had learned at the Institution. It is worth mentioning that, while exploring the company, I had the opportunity to enjoy climbing glaciers myself and to hear long-standing stories.
During my internship, there were restrictions and quarantine due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but the head of the company made it possible for the administrative sector to work from home, and we were able to communicate by phone and by computer, and everything went well.
Finally, I am very happy with the ERASMUS+ traineeship opportunity that the Marijampole University of Applied Sciences has given me. I gained new skills and knowledge that I will be able to use in my future career.
Agnė Maceikaitė, 4th year student of the Accounting study programme
Student competition: win an Erasmus+ scholarship for internships and studies abroad
Marijampole University of Applied Sciences students are invited to take part in a competition to win an Erasmus+ scholarship for internships and studies abroad!
Submit your application to the Project Activities and International Partnerships Unit (Room 216) by 7 October and go on an adventure!
More information: http://old.marko.lt/erasmus-studijos-ir-praktikos/
Contact for enquiries international@mkolegija.lt, 8 614 81911
Rūta’s impressions of an accounting internship in England
I am Rūta Ivanauskienė, a 4th year accounting student. Just a week ago I returned from an Erasmus+ internship in England, the largest and most densely populated region of Great Britain. I did my internship in Spalding, a small town in the eastern part of England, which is famous for its agricultural and food processing industry. The town has a large Lithuanian immigrant population with an active community.
I did my traineeship in a freight forwarding company. This sector is also developing rapidly in Spalding and is becoming increasingly important to the city’s economy, as much of the city’s production reaches other British cities and the seaport, where it is then exported to the world market.
I admit that the weather in this country is far from perfect – it’s humid, rainy and very changeable – but the people here are wonderful and warm, patient and very polite, as I found out, both in my free time in public places and in the company where I did my placement.
The internship is not the first in my academic career and I definitely have something to compare my international and Lithuanian internships with. I can safely say that interns abroad are taken much more seriously, given more opportunities and attention, and I have heard this from more than one international intern. During my internship, I was not seen as a student, but perhaps more as an assistant accountant, I participated in various meetings, I performed the tasks assigned to me, I gave my suggestions, I shared the academic knowledge I had. And even though accounting is much simpler here than in Lithuania, the manager was impressed with some of the suggestions that came from the knowledge I had gained at the Institution. In order to get to know the company better, I had the opportunity to be involved in the process of transporting cargo, and I won’t lie, the work of a truck driver is really hard, although I have met a number of female drivers on the road, but I would have preferred to be an accountant.
I would like to thank the Marijampole University of Applied Sciences for giving me the opportunity to go on the trip, and Odeta Gluoksnyte, the Head of the Department of Project Activities and International Partnerships, who always answered questions quickly and promptly, helped me fill in all the documents and motivated me. I am also grateful to my internship supervisor Birute Petrošienė, who was always supportive and also answered all my questions, both at the weekend and after working hours in the evening. Having such a strong support at Marijampolė University of Applied Sciences overcomes all difficulties and brings back only the best impressions and emotions, so I encourage everyone to take advantage of this opportunity.
Without the consent of Marijampole University of Applied Sciences, it is forbidden to use the information published on this page, as well as photographs and/or footage, on other websites or to distribute them in any other form.
Sandra’s impressions of an accounting internship in Denmark
“I am Sandra Paulauskienė, a 4th year Accounting student and I am currently doing an Erasmus+ internship in Denmark. I have been in the foreign country for two months now and I am very happy to take advantage of this opportunity. Denmark is considered to be the happiest country in the world and I am beginning to understand why. The feeling of happiness comes from the sense of democracy, social equality and a peaceful atmosphere in all areas, be it in the workplace, in public institutions or just walking through the main streets of Copenhagen.
I do my traineeship at Mertil rengøring, an individual company. The company started in 2011 and currently serves legal and private clients in Copenhagen and its suburbs. The company’s main activity is professional cleaning of private houses, apartments, offices, industrial premises, etc.
The internship helped me to appreciate how much knowledge and skills I had acquired during my studies at the Institution, without which it would have been very difficult to master the Danish Accounting System. The specifics of accounting in this country are similar to those in Lithuania, but I have to add to my knowledge with innovations that are not available in Lithuania. When analysing the Danish accounting system, I noticed that there is a lot less bureaucracy and paperwork, so the work goes much faster. The company keeps its accounts using an accounting software which is linked to the Danish tax authorities’ databases. I learned about accounting for primary documents, payroll and tax issues. I hope to use the rest of my internship effectively and gain even more knowledge that I can apply in Lithuania.”
Sandra Paulauskienė
Student learning placement in Cyprus at the Microsoft Innovation Centre
While a large delegation from the Institution is attending the ERASMUS+ project’s final conference in Turkey, two other students, Karolina Dzingaitė and Karolis Marazas, are taking part in the Creative Lab project’s learning placement in Larnaca, Cyprus, from 10-14 June. They are visiting the European University of Cyprus and the Microsoft Innovation Centre there. Working in teams, they are designing questionnaires and preparing for a survey. We hope that this new experience will be a great highlight for the students at the end of the academic year. We are proud of the students representing the Marijampole University of Applied Sciences and look forward to hearing their own thoughts on the internship.
Erasmus+ students from Turkey have traineeship at the school
Five students from the Business English programme of Marijampole University of Applied Sciences, who came from Turkey to study for a year under the Erasmus+ programme, completed their internship at the end of 2019 at the Rimantas Stankevičius Primary School in Marijampolė. They say it was an unforgettable experience for them because they were able to compare the two education systems and learn a lot from the Lithuanian one, which they describe as very advanced. At the school, they observed the work of English language teachers O. They also watched and learned from the lessons of English teachers Gluoksnytė, D. Veselgienė and I. Kiškienė, tried to teach the lessons to the pupils themselves, and took part in the parties organised by the pupils at the school and the bowling trip.
Berkay Karabacak’s review of his internship month at the school:
“During my practice I observed a strong relationship between teacher Odeta and the students. In terms of the value that the students got from the English lessons, I would say that they became more successful and very social. I made friends with the students and my good friends were the ones who understood the importance of the tasks given and the social interaction was not mature for their age. If I were to compare the learning system in Lithuania and Turkey, my country, I could say that you have successfully incorporated the speaking aspect, unlike in my country, not only when the pupils are talking to each other, but also when they are talking to the teacher, expressing and solving their problems together, the teacher is able to keep them very active in the classroom, concentrating on group work.”
Dilan Erismis, after successfully completing her apprenticeship, commented:
“Teachers greet students every day and ask them how they are feeling and if everything is OK. They are very cool and nice people. I have learnt a lot of things such as trust, discipline and cooperation. These teachers not only allowed me to broaden my knowledge and see things from a different perspective, but they also gave me the opportunity to start teaching at school. Almost all the pupils are very active, social and confident, thanks to the teachers, so it has been a real pleasure to work in this school.”
Sultan Kaplan took teaching as a challenge: “The quality of teaching in the school is very high. The teachers are experts in their field. At the same time they were very friendly and helpful. The communication between the teachers and their students was very good. The students are learning to articulate their feelings clearly. The school had everything they needed available to the students. Teachers used technology. Education at the school was not rote learning. It was for understanding. At the same time, students found themselves in a restaurant, a café and a playground during class. They didn’t realise how quickly the 45 minutes were up. By offering the students such an environment, they created an opportunity for the students to enjoy school more. Usually in some schools, teachers take notes in order to discipline and this hard discipline alienates them from school. However, there is a certain amount of established and acceptable discipline in this school that allows students to understand their responsibilities and not to disturb each other. I consider the pupils in this school to be very lucky. I hope they appreciate it very much.”
“If I become a teacher in the future, I would like to make the best use of the knowledge and experience I have gained in this school,” says Elif Yıldız, who, together with Dilan and Sultan, said they would like their siblings to have the opportunity to study in Lithuania.
Marijampole University of Applied Sciences is delighted to have given Erasmus+ students such an opportunity to take part in a traineeship, as well as their new knowledge and skills.
Odeta Gluoksnytė,
Head of Project Activities and International Partnerships, Marijampole University of Applied Sciences
Another ERASMUS+ project comes to an end
Marijampole University of Applied Sciences has been participating as a partner in the project “Project Based Learning in VET” (No. 2017-1-TR01-KA202-045991) since October 2017, together with other countries, i.e. Portugal, Italy, Spain, Turkey. The project aimed to encourage students to creatively apply their knowledge and skills in different subjects in practice, to improve their teamwork skills, and to share knowledge and competences and innovative ideas with young people from the partner countries.
The project provides training not only for teachers but also for students in the partner countries. Marijampole University of Applied Sciences students together with students from Turkey, Spain, Italy, Portugal worked in mixed groups, compared traditional teaching and PBL (project-based learning) methods, shared insights into the advantages and disadvantages of PBL, analysed the teaching and learning skills necessary for the 21st century, and looked for recommendations for teachers looking for innovations and development in their work.
On 10-14 June, a delegation of the Institutions administration, lecturers and students Hubertas Krašauskas, Gražvydas Karpavičius, Melita Lukoševičiūtė, Miglė Ašeriškytė visited Izmir, Turkey. The students actively worked in groups, the administration and lecturers participated in business meetings and study visits to educational institutions. During the visit, the final conference of the project took place, where a team of students from the Institution gave a presentation on the use of PBL in management lectures.
During the project, Kristina Miškinienė and Ilona Mulerenkienė, together with teachers from other partner countries, developed learning materials based on project-based learning and the problem-solving method. The project also benefited from international experience and partnerships with other partner institutions.
University of Applied Sciences representatives at the ERASMUS+ project final conference
This week, from 10-14 June, a delegation of the Institutions administration, lecturers and students are attending the final conference of the ERASMUS+ partnership project “Project Based Learning in VET” (PBL) in Izmir, Turkey.
Students from Turkey, Spain, Italy, Portugal and Lithuania work in mixed groups, comparing the traditional teaching method and PBL, sharing insights into the advantages and disadvantages of PBL, analysing the 21st century skills needed for teaching and learning, and seeking guidance for teachers and lecturers who want to go beyond the traditional teaching method and seek innovation and development in their work. To keep the group work going, students from our Institution organised a game for all the project participants and awarded the winners.
We look forward to welcoming those who return from the project and bring back with them good experiences, new role models and strengthened community and friendship with other project participants.
Marijampole University of Applied Sciences information
ERASMUS project training in Latvia
ERASMUS projects are a great opportunity to improve your knowledge, communication skills and put your English into practice.
Živilė Myru, a lecturer at Marijampole University of Applied Sciences, Miglė Ašeriškytė, a student of the study programme “Administration of Enterprise Institutions”, and Inga Gečionytė, a student of social work, along with other participants, took part in the training course of ERASMUS project “IGROW CENTER” in Latvia.
15 people (7 from Lithuania, 2 from Graz, 3 from Spain, 3 from Latvia) took part in the project. The intensive training took place over five days, each day with a different theme. During the training, the participants learnt about the benefits of social entrepreneurship, the creation of an online hospitality, solved problems of youth participation, and identified examples of formal/informal participation in their environment. The training was held in English.
Živilė Myru, Head of the Practical Business Training Company
Erasmus+ traineeship: useful experience from Riga
At the end of September, Aušra Gabrevičienė and Birutė Petrošienė, lecturers at Marijampole University of Applied Sciences, visited Riga University of Economics and Culture. This is not the first time that the lecturers of the Institution have visited this Latvian university. During this Erasmus+ visit, a discussion was held with Professor Stanislavs Keišs, Head of the Professional Bachelor’s Degree Programme in Accounting and Auditing, to discuss the similarities between the study programmes and to share the experience gained. At the end of the visit, Marijampole University of Applied Sciences lecturers gave a lecture on “Accounting Policy Formation” to the students of Riga University of Economics and Culture. “We try to make our students competitive not only in Lithuania but also abroad. Erasmus visits allow us to adopt the best experiences of our foreign partners, and at the Riga University of Economics and Culture we have also discovered interesting and useful experiences for our students”, said B. Petrošienė.
Marijampole University of Applied Sciences information
Probased project meeting in San Sebastian
Probased project meeting in San Sebastian
8 – 12 April Marijampole University of Applied Sciences students A. Lukoševičius, H. Krašauskas, A. Beliūnas, G. Karpavičius and Senior Specialist of the Study and Career Department A. Adomaitytė, as well as ESDF lecturer R. Kasiliauskienė participated in the meeting of the Erasmus+ KA2 partnership project “Pro-Based Learning in VET” in San Sebastián (Spain). In mixed teams with students from Turkey, Portugal and Spain, discussions were held on the importance of project work in studies and the skills acquired through project work.
“I met interesting students and lecturers during the project. We did various tasks together and even learned different foreign languages. I gained invaluable experience in ProBased.” – Adam
The project visited the Don Bosco Vocational School in San Sebastian, where students have excellent opportunities to experiment, innovate and offer their innovations to national companies in the automotive diagnostics, telecommunications, food and chemical industries. Typically, at least one innovation is proposed and applied per year.
“This project meeting left me with the best impressions. I think it’s a much better form of learning and I hope more and more students will take advantage of this opportunity.” – Aidas
The project culminated in a presentation of an analysis of the project activities, during which the students provided advice and recommendations to the lecturers on how to improve the teaching/learning method.
The next meeting of the project participants will take place in June in Izmir, Turkey.
“The project is a great tool for learning teamwork. I have also met people from different countries as part of the project. I think the professional and cultural experience I gained will be really useful in the future.” – Hubert
Algirdė Adomaitytė
Romalda Kasiliauskienė
Agnė Maceikaitė, 4th year student of the Accounting study programme
Visit to the University of Huelva (Spain)
Visit to the University of Huelva (Spain)
On 22-26 April, Odeta Gluoksnyė (ESDF Vice-Dean) and Romalda Kasiliauskienė (Head of the Department of Pedagogy, Arts and Social Work) went to the University of Huelva (Spain) to give lectures within the framework of the Erasmus+ Teacher Mobility Programme. It was a fun challenge, a good practice and a useful experience, especially when it came to giving lectures to a large group of Erasmus students. At the same time, the University organised an International Week with the participation of 57 higher education institutions from 4 continents and 27 countries, such as Canada, Colombia, Senegal, Kazakhstan, the USA, etc.
This week’s Study Fair featured inventive presentations by guests from different universities on their study programmes and how to attract students to study under the Erasmus+ programme.
The hosts offered a very impressive cultural programme, with lectures and an introduction to the city of Huelva, its history and its landmarks. It is worth recalling that Christopher Columbus sailed from the port of Huelva in search of a shorter route from Europe to the East and accidentally discovered the American continent. Near Huelva, on the Atlantic coast, there is an impressive monument to this famous seafarer and a fine museum for his larger ship, the Santa Maria, and two smaller caravels, the Pinta and the Nina. During the days of International Week, we also had the opportunity to learn Spanish and Spanish dance. The famous Spanish dance flamenco originates from Andalusia, the region of Spain we visited. We learnt the Sevillian dance, which is named after the capital of that region, and we also had the opportunity to visit Seville, the capital of Andalusia itself.
The wonderful, warm people, the beautiful surroundings and the friendliness of the people of the world leave a deep impression and a desire to visit again.
Romalda Kasiliauskienė
Odeta Gluoksnytė
Marijampole University of Applied Sciences will collaborate with Glasgow Kelvin College
Odeta Gluoksnytė, Vice-Dean of the ESDF of Marijampole University of Applied Sciences, and Kristina Čeponienė, Senior Methodologist for International Relations and Studies at the Study and Career Department, visit Glasgow Kelvin College. Principal Alan Sherry introduced the college to the students and agreed on the signing of a further partnership and cooperation agreement.
