Dmitry Gritsok of Belarus: ‘I am positive the Vilnius University will give me every possibility to develop my potential and talents’
Protests that had started in Belarus before the presidential elections in the country and evolved into large-scale unrest and clashes with the police afterwards, have affected young people who stand in active opposition to the regime the most. Thousands of people were arrested, there was extensive use of violence. The Vilnius University actively responded to these developments by offering Belarusian students a possibility to enroll or to continue their studies in Lithuania. One of those who grabbed this possibility was Dmitry Gritsok, a master student of pharmaceutical chemistry at the Faculty of Chemistry and Geo-sciences.
Dream studies offered by VU
Gritsok came to study in Vilnius from Minsk, the capital of Belarus. Back there, in 2016 he entered the Minsk State University, the largest and most prestigious university in Belarus, where he studied chemistry and environmental protection at the Faculty of Chemistry.
‘Still, my dream was to study pharmacy and I thought it was one that I would not be able to achieve. However, 4 years later I enrolled in the pharmaceutical chemistry curriculum at the VU,’ says the student.
In Dmitry’s words, sciences enchanted him back at school and were the impetus behind his choice of the way of the chemist. During his time at the university, he was enlisted in the ERASMUS exchange programme on several occasions, when he paid visits to Finland and Portugal. It was at the foreign universities that the student obtained invaluable experience, learned several new languages, and acquired skills that helped him on his way towards integration at the VU.
Choice driven by unrest in the country
‘During my third year, I decided I wanted to get a doctoral degree and had many years of learning in front of me. After I finished my bachelor studies, I went for a year-long master’s studies at the same university - I was planning to work for two years afterwards, as per requirement, and then go for doctoral studies in Europe,’ says Gritsok, speaking about his plans.
However, when the protests begun and it was no longer possible to get a job in Belarus, the student had to change his plans and look for a master’s programme abroad. ‘I got a call to enlist in the military, but I knew right away I would not do it. Due to the political situation and forced recruitment, I started looking for possibilities to study elsewhere and I am quite positive the VU will give me plenty of those, helping me to develop my potential and talents so that I can be a full-fledged member of my country’s community in the future.’
In Gritsok’s words, the protests in his country had began before the elections, and one could feel the authorities looking down upon the country’s society way before the wave of mass protests started rolling. The lists of conscripts were expanded several times, the country lifted the exemption from military service for students. Besides, the requirement to work for 2 to 3 years at a job designated by the state after completing bachelor’s studies, which violates the Bologna process, is still in place.
‘The country’s government structure needs to change, but any changes are opposed by the president illegally elected. Minsk was a wonderful and beautiful city once, but everything has changed dramatically. The underground subway station works, and so does the internet, but only 5 days a week. All of the best restaurants and cafes have been shut down. If you want to read independent press, they need your support with the printing, because they have been completely outlawed.
It sounds terrible, but if you want to go outside for a walk, you have to put warmer clothes on so you do not get cold in the holding cell with hundreds of other people who have been arrested for nothing... You can only carry the red and green national flag with you, but if you show the one that is white and red, it will not end well for you. If you see an aggressive person with a mask and without any identifiable uniform walking towards you, threatening you, you must know that it is a militia officer. If a tiny bus pulls over alongside you - run, and the faster, the better. These days, you are actually free to walk around the city, but it is no indication of peace but rather that all the prisons are full of “criminals” and they cannot arrest you because they will have nowhere to put you in. And yes, “there is no coronavirus” in the country. Welcome to Belarus!’ says Gritsok, commenting on the complicated situation in his country.
Strong programs, innovation, and motivation - combination number one for the student
Driven by his ambition to discover a master’s program that would be closely tied to chemistry at a foreign university, Gritsok considered several universities in Poland, the Czech Republic, and Lithuania. Still, he believes the VU was the right choice. ‘Here, you can submit all your documents in Russian, which really helps with the enrollment. Besides, the VU professors were aware of the current situation and made my enrollment and integration into the faculty and university community a smooth process.’
Before he chose to study in Lithuania, Gritsok had visited the country on several occasions and the local people had really made a good impression on him. ‘People’s mentality here is very similar to what Belarusians have, which makes integrating into the society quite easy. But the Lithuanian language is very hard,’ says he.
The first thing that impressed him about the university was the VU website, which the student says is very friendly towards someone who is from abroad. ‘Everything was very clear and simple from the moment I submitted my first application to study. The university’s innovative and friendly website catches your eye straight away. I really love the location of the Faculty of Chemistry and Geo-sciences - it is right in the heart of the city and it only takes me 25 minutes to get there from the dorm.
In Gritsok’s words, the possibilities to do lab work at the VU using cutting-edge analysis equipment, the curriculum, and the appropriate timetable are all very important benefits for a student. ‘We have enough time to prepare for our classes, seminars, and to do homework. All subjects on the curriculum are very useful and will most probably be really instrumental in our future work. What I admire the most are the teaching methods: there is a lot of time earmarked for independent learning, where the student’s motivation highly depends on their wants and needs. I am extremely grateful for this excellent opportunity.’