From September 2025, six new PhD students will join the academic community of Kaunas Faculty of Vilnius University (VU KnF). They will carry out research in the fields of Humanities, Social Sciences, Natural Sciences and Technological Sciences. This reflects not only the diversity of the Faculty's scientific interests, but also its consistent commitment to promoting the advancement of science in both Lithuania and internationally. The new researchers will join the Faculty's high level of interdisciplinary research and active academic community.
Viltė Nausėdaitė, Humanities, Philology,
Giedrė Breiterė, Social Sciences, Management,
Eglė Grigaitytė, Social Sciences, Management,
Ivas Drungilas, Social Sciences, Economics,
Gintarė Košubienė, Natural Sciences, Informatics,
Oleksii Chalyi, Technological Sciences, Computing.
“I am not a fan of spontaneous decisions. I mull over and over before making a choice, and do my best to critically assess my skills, knowledge and suitability for the position. When, after intense deliberation, the feeling (or maybe the knowledge?) that I can, not just want to, comes over me, my (self-)doubts become clearer and calmer. This is what happened to me when I decided to become a PhD student. The main factors for starting the third cycle studies were the sincere encouragement of the professors, the support of my relatives, and, most importantly, the hunger for knowledge: of myself, of the other, of the world, and of the phenomena of the subject I was studying. I see these studies as another adventure: it will not be easy (has it ever been?), but oh, how I itch to challenge my intellectual curiosity,” says Viltė Nausėdaitė, the graduate of VU KnF Master's degree programme Public Discourse Linguistics.
“My main motivation for choosing the path of a scientist was the desire to learn and discover more. When I was writing my final Master's thesis on the sustainability of banks, I noticed that there was a lack of research linking certain banking processes to sustainable development. Of course, the possibility of linking the topic of my planned PhD thesis to my current profession was also an important factor. I also enjoy the process: gathering information, analysing data, describing trends, finding solutions – I am not intimidated at all by the scope of a thesis. Certainly, I would not be here without the appreciation of my teachers and the support of my friends,” says Ivas Drungilas, the graduate of VU KnF Master's degree programme International Business Management.
“In nearly a decade following my Master's studies, my professional path naturally evolved around the topics that eventually led me to my PhD studies. I have worked in companies dealing with issues related to personal data protection, digital identity, preservation of privacy and blockchain technologies. Later, I founded my start-up developing an anti-money laundering solution for the decentralised finance sector. In practice, I have faced a challenge: in business, the goal is to get quick results, but often at the cost of sacrificing a deeper, more fundamental understanding of the problem. I have always felt the need to analyse the issues that matter to me in greater detail. When the opportunity arose, I decided to pursue my PhD studies and to deepen my understanding of the topics that interest me systematically,” says Gintarė Košubienė.
The community of the Faculty hopes that the work of the young scholars will become a significant contribution to the academic life of Lithuania, stimulate critical thinking, raise new questions and help to find answers to the most pressing problems of today.
We wish our PhD students creative courage and success in their research journey!