Obama’s legacy and beyond
November 23 (Wednesday) 17:45 VMU American Studies Club will host a discussion on Barack Obama’s legacy and the future of the United States. Debate will take place in Putvinskio g. 23-106.
There is an on-going debate on the Obama’s doctrine and what impact his legacy will have for the future U.S. foreign and security policy. The Club has invited one of the most prominent Lithuanian journalists and political analysts Mr. Vykintas Pugačiauskas who will share his insights on the topic. Dr. Gerda Jakštaitė and Dr. Giedrius Česnakas (Vytautas Magnus University’s lecturers and researchers) will join the discussion as well. Discussion will be moderated by Danguolė Bardauskaitė.
Everybody is welcomed to join and share their own opinions.
Public lecture about climate change
21st November 16:30 public lecture by dr. Florian Rabitz will be held in the Faculty of Political science and Diplomacy (Putvinskio g. 23-312) about the climate change.
Climate change is the defining environmental problem of our times yet political attempts at reducing global greenhouse gas emissions are not moving at the speed that is required. Recently, climate diplomacy has been reinvigorated with several important developments across multiple international forums. How effective is the novel institutional landscape likely to be? Could it succeed where the Kyoto Protocol did not? And what do the present changes tell us about the functioning of international institutions more broadly?
Florian Rabitz holds a PhD in political science from the Free University Brussels. He is working primarily on environmental-, technology and energy policy, with particular emphasis on international institutions and global governance. He has taught at the University of São Paulo and is presently a consultant for emissions trading.
A new book about Finland’s and Sweden’s Security Policy
Visiting professor at Vytautas Magnus University A. Rusi published a new book “Together or Separately – Finland’s and Sweden’s Security Policy at the Crossroads” (Yhdessä vai Erikseen- Suomen ja Ruotsin turvallisuuspolitiikka käännekohdassa)
The book “Together or Separately” deals with the security policies of two non-aligned Nordic countries, Finland and Sweden, between 2000 and 2016 and frames it with more theoretical explanations of interstate relations which have traditionally been categorized according to their ”level of analysis”. The book compares the foreign policies of these two countries during the Cold War and after but focuses on the last two decades. The three level-analysis as a theory constitutes the approach and structure of the book.
Both countries faced rapid changes in their security environment as a result of the annexation of Crimea by Russia in the Winter 2014 and growing tensions between Russia and the West. Finland and Sweden are on the side of the West but without the security guarantees of NATO. Their security has been weakening despite non-alignment the aim of which was the strengthening of stability in the region. The author of the book draws the conclusion that non-alignment has not contributed to stability in the Baltic Sea region as was long expected. In both countries the debate on NATO membership has evolved with historic dimensions and new agreements have ben signed both with the United States and Nato members on security co-operation to fill this gap of security.
The level of analysis tells the researcher where to look for the causes of state behavior by classifying competing explanations according to the units in which they are conceptualized. The most used schema, introduced in the 1950s by an American scholar Kenneth Walz, distinguishes three levels of analysis : international-level(or systemic) explanations look to a state’s position in the international system; domestic-level explanations look to the society, culture, and political institutions of individual nation-states; and individual-level explanations look to the personal or psychological characteristics of individual leaders.
The book discusses chronologically the themes in three main chapters and based on three levels of analysis: Chapter I (Emerging Co-operation 2000-2007),Chapter II ( Increasing of Instability 2008-2014), Chapter III( Sharpening of Conflict 2014-2016). The titles of the chapters describe the systemic changes having an impact on the security developments in the Baltic Sea Region and two nonaligned states in particular. The sub-titles in each chapter cover all three levels of analysis.
In the year 2000 Europe was experiencing promising times. The European union as well as NATO were about to enlarge in order to overcome the last dividing lines after the collapse of the Berlin Wall and the Soviet empire. Finland and Sweden were closer to each other politically and militarily since the separation of 1809, as Prime Minister of Sweden Carl Bildt stated in his famous speech in 1992. Both countries expected Europe to be further unified towards a ”closer union” and Russia somewhat integrated with it. No threat of military conflict was anticipated until the last minutes before the Maidan explosion in the winter 2014.
The domestic sources and a specific strategic culture of Finland and Sweden play a role when explaining their commitment to the doctrine of ”non-alignment” despite the aggressive foreign policy launched by Russia first in words from 2005 and later in deeds from 2008. The strategic culture is based on history and geopolitics as well as the domestic system. Finland was part of Sweden from 1157 to 1809 and was annexed by Russia by military means based on the Tilsit Treaty between Russia and France in 1807. The book discusses the influence of history in this respect.
During the Cold War Sweden had a secret understanding with NATO and the United States that in case of the East-West military conflict, Sweden would not be neutral but allied with NATO (den dolda allianssen). Finland for her part had a Co-operation Treaty (YYA-sopimus) with the Soviet Union signed in Moscow in 1948 which limited the room of maneuvering of Finland and placed it to the military sphere of interest of the Soviet Union.
The two ”neutral” countries were geopolitically separated although economically and politically quite similar. In 1972 President Urho Kekkonen may have been active to secretly start consultations between the High Finnish military officials and the Soviet military attaché in Helsinki during next two years on the implications of the military articles of the 1948 Treaty. The book elaborates this critically based on newly received information from sources close to the Swedish military intelligence.
The book also discusses critically the official arguments in both countries for the maintenance of the status of non-alignment although the aggressiveness of Russia became evident since the war in Georgia in 2008. The author describes the leaders as sleepwalkers and is the opinion that both countries lost the window of opportunity in 2004 when the Baltic states joined NATO. The political prize for joining is much higher in 2016 although more needed than ever before.
One of the arguments for non-alignment has been a need for a policy of appeasement vis-à-vis Russia. However, this diplomatic strategy has barely worked and has been more like a failure as the Minsk Process on Ukraine has vindicated. The EU is not a strategic player but an advisory board of security to NATO. Economic sanctions are the only functioning tools available but a source of controversy in the EU and US.
The book discusses widely the future of security arrangements of Finland and Sweden and the Baltic Sea security in general. The region is now a strategic whole and in case one country is attacked by Russia no country can stay neutral. Is the region becoming a target of the Russian hybrid warfare to enlarge the geopolitical sphere of interest of Russia also by using energy co-operation and political means and traditional espionage ,propaganda and as well as sophisticated cyber-attacks? The answer is yes but the issue is, what next?
Sweden disarmed its army in terms its technical resources but also dismantled obligatory military service in 2010. based on a wrong analysis about security developments. Finland although its geopolitical location is more challenging, did not change its military structure and conscript system but rejected NATO membership. The problem is that both countries are between an aggressive Russia and NATO. For NATO Sweden is strategically crucial and the Swedish army is obliged to link it to the NATO structures to fill the gap emerged after the de facto disarmament of its military defense system. However, the non-socialist political parties have agreed to join NATO in case they win the elections in 2018.
The Russian long-term strategy is elaborated which aims at creating conflicts and challenging the liberal and European international order. Russia wants to have its seat in the big power game-table but is economically at the verge of collapse. One can compare Russia of Today with the Soviet Union after the intervention to Afghanistan in the early 1980. Is Vladimir Putin an incarnation of Alexander III of Russia?
The author elaborates policy strategies for Finland and Sweden but also for the Baltic and Nordic states within the EU and NATO but also between themselves and makes an effort to introduce co-operative solutions to avoid military conflicts with Russia. The future remains uncertain and instabilities are in the rise not only in the Baltic Sea Region but in the whole Europe. Finland and Sweden have to decide on v membership either together or separately. The issue is not anymore so much about their own security but about Europe as a whole. The conflict between Russia and the West does not disappear overnight although with respect to the history of Russia, ”anything can change abruptly”, as an expert of Russian affairs Keit Gessen has stressed.
Public lectures by a visiting professor
21-23 November, public lectures by prof. Alpo Rusi, visiting professor at Vytautas Magnus University, will be held.
Prof. A. Rusi served in the Foreign Ministry of Finland in several assignments (Hamburg, Copenhagen, New York, Bonn), and from 1994 to 1999 as foreign policy adviser to the President of Finland Martti Ahtisaari. He also served as EU Coordinator for the Sarajevo Summit 1999 and deputy Coordinator of the Stability Pact for Western Balkans in 1999-2000. He worked as professor of International Relations, 2000-2003, at Lapland University and in Hamburg. Later on 2007-2009 he was senior adviser in the Cabinet staff of the President of the UN General Assembly.
A. Rusi was from 2009-2014 the ambassador of Finland to Switzerland, with accreditation also to Liechtenstein and the Holy See. A. Rusi is a recognized scholar in the field of international relations and history of Finland, and has published several books in Finland, and in the United States and Great Britain.
| Date | Place | Topic |
| November 21, 13:15 | V. Putvinskio g. 23-103 | The Kosovo Peace Process 1999-Can we learn something |
| November 22, 13:15 | V. Putvinskio g. 23-311 | Diplomacy in Globalization from the UN perspective |
| November 23, 15:00 | Gedimino g. 44-302 | Baltic Security after the US elections |
U.S. Embassy Official to Hold Lecture on U.S. Elections
On Wednesday 26 October, 1.30 p.m., Ms Althea Cawley Murphree, Second Secretary and Vice-Consul of the US Embassy in Vilnius, will hold a lecture about the US Presidential Election 2016 at Vytautas Magnus University (52 K. Donelaičio g., Room 422).
After the lecture, the guest will hold a discussion with VMU students and other audience members. The lecture and discussion is open to the entire VMU academic community.
The U.S. Presidential Election, one of the most important political events in the world, is to take place on 8 November 2016. Two candidates were nominated by the two major U.S. political parties – the Democrats and the Republicans. The Democrat nominee Hillary Rodham Clinton is a lawyer, the 67th U.S. Secretary of State and the First Lady of the U.S in 1993-2001. The Republican candidate Donald John Trump is a businessman, investor, TV show host, writer, politician, founder of The Trump Organization and Trump Entertainment Resorts.
VMU Invites International Students to Become Mentors
VMU International Office invites Lithuanian and international degree students of VMU to join the university’s Mentor’s Program and become mentors for new incoming international students.
VMU Mentor’s Program aims to facilitate the adaptation process of incoming international students at VMU, promotes volunteering and increases international experience of the university’s students. VMU international degree students willing to join the Mentor‘s Program have to fill in the online application form until November 6th, 2016.
VMU Mentor Selection Process
- VMU students selected according to their applications will be informed personally on November 8th and invited to the motivational interview on November 11th, 14th or 15th..
- VMU students selected according to the motivational interview will be informed personally on November 17th and invited to the first mentor meeting.
More information about mentors and ESN VMU:
Contact person:
Olivia Wells: VMU is Destined for Great Things
Seeking to increase student awareness and participation in political life, to nurture tolerance and human rights and to analyze global problems, the United Nations Student Club was founded several years ago at Vytautas Magnus University in Kaunas, Lithuania, eventually evolving into the Lithuanian United Nations Youth Association, LUNYA. This summer the association was recognized as an official member of the World Federation of United Nations Associations (WFUNA) and was invited to implement joint projects with Columbia University in New York, USA.
The head of LUNYA, Olivia Wells, is an American VMU student. She shared some of her impressions about the studies in Lithuania and Europe and discussed the youth association’s projects.
Why did you choose to study at VMU?
Majoring in Classics at University of Southern California brought me to Athens, Greece, where I spent a year studying abroad. I fell in love with Greece and Europe in general and decided that I wanted to continue my studies in Europe. While in Greece, I had made the decision to change my focus to international relations and human rights and felt that I would get more out of studying in Europe than in America. Additionally, even with scholarships, studying in the U.S. is ridiculously expensive and was becoming more and more difficult for me to afford. I also thought it would be unique to study international relations in a part of the world that I knew very little about – we don’t learn much about Eastern Europe in the U.S. (except as a monolithic bloc with historical ties to Russia).
What do you think about the quality of studies at VMU, the community etc.?
VMU really surprised me. Coming from a big school like University of Southern California, it’s nice to be in a smaller environment where students can develop meaningful relationships with teachers and the administration. Any place where you live or study is what you make of it. So, if you are an active student, VMU is a great school because the professors and administration are more than willing to work with you to help your projects come to life. There are a handful of really great professors that are already teaching there. My program at the Faculty of Political Sciences and Diplomacy is very new and it still has some kinks to work out. But the administration is very open to working with the students to find out what those kinks are and search for solutions.
Additionally, as Kaunas becomes more and more international, the opportunity to host international events with other universities and students from all over the world increases. Though they both still have some growing pains to go through, I think the city and the university are potentially destined for great things.
How did you decide to found the Lithuanian United Nations Youth Association (LUNYA)? Is this your project?
Actually, LUNYA evolved out of the United Nations Students Club (UNSC), which was an organization that I became involved with shortly after its founding. When I joined the club, there were a lot of internal problems and disagreements among its members, which meant it was not functioning properly. When I was voted in as the new president a few months later, we revamped the club and began actively pursuing new members and new projects, establishing ourselves as a successful student organization (and one of the most active on campus). VMU took notice of our enthusiasm and outreach and decided to work with us to take the club one step further – thus began our cooperation with the United Nations and our transformation into the association we are today.
Why do you think this organization in VMU is so important for Lithuania? And why is LUNYA important in Europe?
Through LUNYA we hope to put Lithuania on the map of youth organized EU-wide events. There are not many youth organizations in Lithuania hosting or attending large-scale EU events. There are also not many large-scale youth organized events taking place in Lithuania. We hope to fill this gap by developing and promoting EU-wide events (such as transnational Model UNs, Youth Forums, and various other symposiums) that would be hosted here and sending students from Lithuania (international and Lithuanian) to represent this country in events throughout Europe.
Is LUNYA an official member of the World Federation of United Nations Associations (WFUNA)?
Yes. As of July 2016, LUNYA is an official member of the WFUNA – representing the youth wing of the United Nations Lithuanian Association. I had a meeting at the United Nations with the youth program officer of WFUNA to finalize the agreement and talk about future projects. On our page on WFUNA’s website, you can read about our current projects, our strengths as an organization, and our potential future projects – one of which is organizing an annual Baltic Model UN, which we are hoping to implement in spring 2017.
When you were in Lithuania and participated in various debates and conferences, in your opinion, what problems are important to Lithuanian youth?
Lithuanian youth tend to be most concerned with political issues having to do with Russia, Eastern Europe, regional security, etc. Given Lithuania’s geopolitical history, these concerns make sense. And while LUNYA has hosted several events focused on these topics (and will continue doing so), we also believe it’s important to talk about other pressing issues occurring in Europe and around the world – in an effort to promote understanding and tolerance.
One thing we have noticed is that the majority of students that attend our events are international students. Lithuanian students seem more reluctant to spend time attending extracurricular events, unless they are receiving class credit for their participation. We are currently brainstorming how to get more Lithuanian students involved in our projects.
Can you tell us more about future joint activities between LUNYA and Columbia University in New York? How can VMU professors and students participate in this project?
The Editor and Programs Director at the Council for European Studies (CES), Katrine Øgaard Jensen, reached out to me recently to discuss collaboration with LUNYA. CES is the leading international organization for the study of Europe and works in conjunction with Columbia University. Katrine was familiar with our work and asked if we would be interested in collaborating with CES on a new project. CES is planning on publishing a blog and they want LUNYA and VMU to be the primary contributors to it. It’s a great way for students and professors at VMU to have their work published by a well-known and highly regarded. We have not finalized the collaboration yet, but are very excited about the future prospects.
In your opinion, how can VMU contribute to global education and sustainable development?
VMU can contribute by continuing to work with student organizations to host events that raise awareness of these issues. I think these events are the key to engendering a culture of tolerance and understanding among Lithuanian youth. One thing I would like to see is sending students to more international events that have to do with global education, sustainable development, and human rights. The benefit of VMU students attending these events is two-fold: the students would gain indispensable knowledge that they could then impart on their fellow students upon their return and the students can act as ambassadors to promote Lithuania and VMU abroad.
What about your future plans, will you return to Lithuania? Will you continue LUNYA projects and activities?
I will continue working on LUNYA projects until the end of this academic year when I graduate in the spring, at which point I imagine I will still be involved with the organization remotely. I am working closely with Lithuanian correspondents at the UN to continue expanding and building on LUNYA’s past work, and I hope by the time I leave the organization we will be established well enough for the next president to take over easily.
As for my future plans – I will be working with the U.S. Embassy in Athens, Greece this spring and the refugee/immigrant NGO, Praksis, while writing my bachelor’s thesis. I hope to then work as a Fulbright scholar for the 2017/2018 academic year, after which I will pursue my master’s degree in Europe. Even though I will most likely not pursue a master’s degree in Lithuania, I plan on retaining my ties to the country for many years to come.
VMU Deeply Shaken by Loss of Prof. Leonidas Donskis
The community of VMU as well as the entire country have been deeply shaken by a great loss: we are mourning for Professor Leonidas Donskis, a respectable and beloved colleague, friend and academic, and one of the most prominent thinkers of Lithuania. Professor Donskis was a philosopher, political theorist, historian of ideas, social analyst, political commentator and defender of human rights and civil liberties. He was a professor of Political Science and Head of VMU Academia Cum Laude at Vytautas Magnus University.
Professor Donskis actively participated in various academic and public activities; he was involved in the most important social and cultural processes of Lithuania and Europe and wrote books on the most topical issues of today. He worked in the universities and research centres of the USA, Great Britain, Sweden, Finland, Estonia and Italy; Bradford University in Great Britain (2011) and Valahia University of Târgovişte in Romania (2014) awarded Leonidas Donskis with an honorary doctorate. Professor Donskis authored 40 books and more than 500 articles for Lithuanian and foreign general and academic press. His Lithuanian and English works were translated into Portuguese, Danish, Estonian, Spanish, Italian, Korean, Polish, Romanian, Russian, Finnish, Swedish, Turkish, Ukrainian, Hungarian and German languages.
The public knew Donskis as the author and the host of a Lithuanian TV program for political and cultural debate ‘Be pykčio’ as well as a defender of human rights and civil liberties. In 2004, the European Commission awarded Donskis with the title of the Ambassador for Tolerance and Diversity in Lithuania.
In recent years, the scholarly interests of Professor Donskis had been mainly focused on philosophy of history, philosophy of culture, philosophy of literature, philosophy of the social sciences, civilization theory, political theory, history of ideas, and studies in Central and East European thought. He contributed tremendously to the cultivation of political and philosophical thought both in Lithuania and the world. The most notable recent works of Professor Donskis include The Great Europe. An Essay on the Soul of Europe, The Search for Optimism in an Epoch of Pessimism: Eastern European Prophecies and Premonitions (with Tomas Venclova), Stories from the Age of Oblivion, The Little Europe: a Map of an Aesthete, Liquid Evil: Living with TINA, Moral Blindness: the Loss of Sensitivity in Liquid Modernity (with Zygmunt Bauman).
Donskis received the Cross of Officer of the Order for Merits to Lithuania for his continuous work in Lithuanian cultural and art sphere, his reflections in articles, essays and books on hot-button topics and works that made Lithuania famous both in Europe and the world. Professor Donskis had also been awarded the Orange-Nassau Order Commander’s Cross. In 2013, the Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis Foundation and the Embassy of Finland awarded Professor Donskis the title of the Luminary for his role in strengthening friendship and cooperation between Lithuania and Finland.
In the European Parliament (term 2009–2014) Leonidas Donskis worked as a part of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe group (ALDE), which is the third largest political group in the Parliament. He was a member of the Development Committee and member of the Subcommittee on Human Rights and also a substitute member at the committee of Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs. Professor Donskis also prepared EP Annual Report on Human Rights and Democracy in the World.
Conference “The dynamics of Polish-Lithuanian relations”
On 15-16 September the Vytautas Magnus University in Kaunas together with the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Vilnius and the Polish Institute in Vilnius are organizing a conference dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the resumption of diplomatic relations between Poland and Lithuania “The dynamics of Polish-Lithuanian relations.”
The conference will be opened by Ambassador of Poland to Lithuania Jarosław Czubiński. Mr Paweł Kowal, PhD. former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and former Member of the European Parliament will give the introductory lecture. During the conference the results of research in sphere of dynamics of relations development in the fields of history, philology, political science, economics, sociology, social sciences and humanities will be presented.
In the framework of the conference, on 15 September (at 16.00) in the Valdas Adamkus Presidential Library-Museum in Kaunas (S. Daukanto 25 St) the presentation of the biography of the late Polish President Lech Kaczyński (“Prezydent Lech Kaczyński 2005-2010”, written by the Sławomir Cenckiewicz and Adam Chmielecki) will be held. The discussion – with participation of the author and many guests from Poland and Lithuania – will be focused on foreign policies of Poland and Lithuania during the terms of presidents Lech Kaczyński and Valdas Adamkus, particularly in the context of their active actions in the Eastern Europe. It will be also a good opportunity to recall the term of late President Lech Kaczyński, that was so tragically interrupted. Sławomir Cenckiewicz, PhD., Deputy Speaker of the Seimas Jaroslav Narkevič, Ambassador Žygimantas Pavilionis, PhD., Paweł Kowal, PhD. (tbc) and Dean of the Faculty of Political Science and Diplomacy Professor at Department of Political Science Šarunas Liekis, PhD. will take part in the book’s presentation and the discussion afterwards. The welcome speech will be given by Polish Ambassador Jarosław Czubiński and Professor Egidijus Aleksandravičius, PhD.
On 16 September (at 12.00) a panel titled „Poland and Lithuania after 25 years of resumption of their diplomatic relations – where are we now and where are we striving together? How can we contribute to a stable and prosperous Europe?” will be held. The Director Political Cabinet of the Minister FA of Poland Jan Parys, Political Director of the Ministry FA of Lithuania Rolandas Kačinskas, ambassador Vygaudas Ušackas, Giedrius Česnakas, PhD., Marcin Terlikowski, PhD. from the Polish Institute of International Affairs and Dean of the Faculty of Political Science and Diplomacy Professor at Department of Political Science Šarunas Liekis, PhD. will take part in the discussion. Panel discussion moderated by Andžej Pukšto, PhD.
The conference will be held in English. Programme of the conference.
Fulbright Experience
First of all, it is completely impossible to describe my Fulbright experience in few pages or in hundreds of pages. The reason is simple. Imagine that you have never tasted chocolate. You can read a bunch of books about chocolate, know the recipe and the smell of it, write a dissertation about it, but if you have never tried it, you will never know what actually chocolate is. Thus, even though I will try to do my best in these pages, I do not have enough words to explain it to anyone.
The most important reason why I have applied for the Fulbright, of course, was my research. This experience exceeded my expectations. I have done a lot of interviews (for the record and off the record, formal and informal) with think tank experts and governmental officials (the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, the Brookings Institution, the Department of State, to name a few). However, the most memorable interview for me was with an expert from the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. We had to reschedule our meeting for 4 times. I have to admit I was upset about that. One time I was already close to the Institute when I received a message from his assistant that we have to reschedule. Again! It was more than an hour distance for me to go to the Institute with an awfully slow Washington’s public transport. I thought that this man was probably very arrogant or something and, at the same time, I was justifying him: “Well, he worked with Madeleine Albright and John Kerry, so he probably has a right to be arrogant.” But when I actually have met him, it was a good lesson for me. He was so humble, he apologized to me like dozens of times for the rescheduling and gave me sincere, smart answers to the interview questions. I felt incredibly inspired on that day and embarrassed that I was thinking like that about this intelligent man.
Another interesting experience for me was the bond that I have made with my host university, American University (AU) and, especially, School of International Service (SIS). I was introduced with hard-working and talented doctoral students by my advisor Prof. Boaz Atzili. He was so kind while helping with my project and now our academic relationship continues. One of the memorable meetings at AU was the first consultation with Prof. Patrick Thaddeus Jackson, who is also an Associate Dean in SIS. While I was waiting for a meeting with the professor, I saw the quote on the wall: “It is a mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it” Aristotle. I thought to myself that it could be any university’s primarily goal. After an hour of talk with the professor my first thought while walking out of his office was: “Oh my, this man knows how to entertain a thought.” He is a fabulous, creative and sharp-minded academician. I was privileged to attend doctoral seminars of Advanced International Theory that was taught by him and Prof. Ann Tickner. This class expanded my knowledge on theory. I have started raising questions that I have never even thought about. Those questions I have also discussed with another extraordinary professor, Associate Dean Rosemary Shinko, who is a well-known theorist in International Relations field who gave a lot of advice for my research.
Working on my dissertation for hours in the library was also a part of the experience. Maybe not the most fun part but, still, a very important one. The vision of my dissertation has changed, including the title which now is „The Nexus between Knowledge and Action in the U.S. Foreign Policy: the Role of Think Tanks in the Construction of “the Middle East”. Many new ideas floated into my dissertation after hours of work.
Another thing that I have to discuss is, of course, a very important mission of every Fulbrighter which is being an informal ambassador of your country. Spreading the knowledge about Lithuania was sometimes not planned in advance. Talking with strangers actually was a big part of it. Everyone knows, that academicians and doctoral students or master students are already knowledgeable people. Most of the time they know at least geographical location of Lithuania. On the other hand, people that start to talk with you on the bus, in the coffee shop or gym are not always that well introduced with World’s geography and cultures. I will give you an example. I was attending a gym close to my home and most of the time I was wearing Lithuania’s national basketball team’s T-Shirt. On purpose. It was actually my roommate’s advice who thought that it would be a good way to spread the knowledge about Lithuania. So, it was a number of people who asked me about the T-shirt and that is how they were introduced to Lithuania and its people. On the flip side, I was surprised several times about people’s knowledge on Lithuania. For instance, I have met an Alumni from AU who is from China and he is learning…Lithuanian! Another person that I have met on the metro was asking me about the political situation in Lithuania and what is the state of Lithuania’s democracy. Being an informal diplomat of Lithuania was a fun and rewarding experience. Other experiences like volunteer day with other Fulbrighters, having a coffee with them seemed like a natural part of it but talking with Americans and people from around the Globe who were curious about Lithuania was a very pleasant surprise for me. There were more surprises that are very precious and personal to me like going to the concert where the guitarist played who inspired me to play the guitar few years ago. After the concert I was not able to sleep all night because of the excitement. Those moments probably I will remember till the last day of my life.
In my personal statement while applying for this program I wrote that everything started because of the TV series the West Wing. While visiting memorials and having a tour in the White House and recognizing all the places that I have seen in this show, I was reflecting about how much I have changed since then. The Fulbright experience was like living in my teenage dream. So, here I am (What is that song?… “Here I am, this is me. There’s nowhere else on Earth I’d rather be…”): a girl who had nothing as a kid (sometimes even what to eat) is walking in the White House, shaking hands with people who contributed to the world’s history like Zbigniew Brzezinski or some others that I have seen in various think tank events. I wish that everyone could feel this sense of achievement.
In some regards, it was a challenging academic year. It was hard physically (I was super skinny and tired most of time) and psychologically, when I was missing home and my loved ones so bad that I wanted to buy tickets back to Lithuania. However, this sketch of my Fulbright experience demonstrates that this program is an opportunity to find your strengths that you have never noticed while being in your comfort zone. I encourage you to apply and share your Fulbright experience because, I bet, it will be different but still the one of the best adventures in your life.
More information about the Fulbright Program you will find in the website of Embassy of the United States of Lithuania: http://vilnius.usembassy.gov/resources/educational-exchanges2/fulbright-program2.html
For other countries’ citizens check out a website of the U.S. Embassy in your country.
Danguole Bardauskaite
Fulbright Program Alumni, American University, School of International Service
PhD Candidate at Vytautas Magnus University, Faculty of Political Science and Diplomacy
