Intensive Erasmus Program Invited Students to Discover Cultures

On 8–12 April, Vytautas Magnus University (VMU) was bustling with international students who participated in a blended intensive Erasmus program (BIP). The program, organized by the European university alliance Transform4Europe and the VMU Institute of Foreign Languages, attracted undergraduate students from Bulgaria, Lithuania, Slovenia, and Spain.

The 11-day program invited these students to immerse themselves in different cultures, gain intercultural communication skills, acquire practical research experience, and deepen their understanding of language usage and cultural norms. The course was split into remote and in-person segments and awarded 4 ECTS credits. During the six days of remote lectures, faculty from VMU, the University of Primorska, Sofia University, and the University of Alicante covered various topics including digital tools for academic writing, developing intercultural competencies, and multilingualism.

The in-person segment lasted five days in Lithuania, during which the students worked in groups preparing presentations on a selected topic. They were also given tours around VMU and Kaunas, took trips to Trakai and Vilnius, and learned straw garden making at the Juškos Museum in Vilkija.

“It’s a really great experience to visit Lithuania, because it’s really not close to us and we didn’t know much about its culture. It was just amazing to connect with all these people because we have so much in common and we would have never met if it weren’t for this program”, shared Mina, a student from the University of Primorska in Slovenia, reflecting on the program’s impact.

About 30 students participated in this blended intensive Erasmus program. They reported that the program was engaging and provided opportunities to form new acquaintances. They were also impressed by Vytautas Magnus University’s facilities and organization. “This university is really modern and well-organized; I really like it. I chose this because I had never been to Lithuania. I learned a lot about its culture and also the cultures of other countries [whose students and faculty] are also participating,” said Liza, another student from the University of Primorska.

Throughout the program, the students explored various aspects of language and culture such as linguistic landscapes, popular culture languages, etiquette, and the language of education and social networks. They investigated these themes within the frameworks of their own cultures and compared their findings in multicultural groups. The program concluded with a joint conference where students presented their research findings.