The Second International Doctoral Summer School Hosted by Vilnius University
The second International Doctoral Summer School for future researchers of all disciplines took place from 17 to 21 June at the Botanical Garden of Vilnius University (VU) in Kairėnai, attracting participants both from VU and other Arqus universities.
On the first day, the participants were welcomed by the VU Pro-Rector for Research Prof. Edita Sužiedėlienė. A senior researcher at the VU Life Sciences, Dr Stephen Knox Jones, gave an introductory lecture to PhD students, highlighting the main objectives of doctoral studies. In his opinion, the latter are universal and not limited to PhD research topics, i.e. the skills required for critical thinking, inquiry, planning and execution, information processing, communication, and teamwork.
Two types of activities were featured in the main part of the Summer School programme: entrepreneurship toolkit workshops for young researchers and scientific writing and publishing training. Led by Pavelas Ragozinas, Žiedūnė Kiznytė, and Aistė Žvirblienė – a team from the Innovation Office of the VU Department for Research and Innovation – the workshops covered a full range of entrepreneurship topics and offered participants the opportunity to explore market analysis, value proposition development, and the selection of the most appropriate business model. The practical application of this knowledge was equally as important. Interdisciplinary and international teams worked together to develop their business ideas, taking into account intellectual property, pricing, financial planning, and marketing issues.
This workshop is part of the ‘Universities for deep tech and entrepreneurship (UNITeD)’ project, which is funded by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT).
During the second part of the programme, students were taught the intricacies of academic writing by Dr Gayannée Kedia, a guest lecturer from the University of Graz. As a researcher specialising in social psychology and neuroscience, she also organises seminars for academic institutions and companies on productive work practices, balance, and burnout prevention.
This year, the Doctoral Summer School attracted 26 PhD students in total. Four of the participants came from the Arqus members: the University of Graz (Austria), the University of Padua (Italy), and the University of Wrocław (Poland). The post-project survey revealed that most of the students enjoyed gaining new experiences, meeting colleagues from other scientific fields, and visiting the VU Botanical Garden.
The Doctoral Summer School was organised by the VU Doctoral and Postdoctoral Studies Office.