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Rimantė Sedziniauskienė from Vilkaviškis, who defended his doctoral thesis at KTU last year, realizes that his presence as a PhD student in Lithuania is generally underestimated.
“There is still a misconception that the activities of doctoral students are limited to going to conferences and writing academic papers. However, I would compare doctoral studies with a full-time job, ”says R. Sedziniauskienė.
According to her, in many countries of the world, such as Finland or Norway, doctoral studies are treated as an intermediate stage to become a full member of the academic community with competences in a specific field, without identifying the doctoral student with an ordinary student.
“I think that the prestige of young science doctors and those who aspire to become them will also increase in the future,” says R. Sedziniauskienė.
A Suwalki woman, who graduated, works successfully today at Kaunas University of Technology (KTU). As head of the Cooperation Development Department of this university’s National Center for Innovation and Business, Rimantė strives to develop and maintain the university’s cooperative relationships with Lithuanian and foreign commercial companies, public institutions and other organizations and integrate their needs. in the study processes.
R. Sedziniauskienė talks more about the KTU study experience, student life and leisure, current activities and how modern technologies and artificial intelligence affect business enterprises.
– Why did you choose the field of public administration for your professional perspective?
– I remember that while I was still at school, I kept joking that I would run through the Seimas. Perhaps this was due to an idealistic ambition to change the world. However, I did not dare to choose political science: public administration proved to be a safer option. After wondering what was going to be learned in this program, I knew firmly that I wanted to study that.
– What determined your choice to come to study at KTU?
– I will admit that the first criterion when choosing where to study was the study program. Only after finding the one I liked, I started to get interested in the university that offered it and in which city it is located. I found KTU to be one of the strongest universities in Lithuania, so I didn’t even hesitate to include this option as the first number on my list. I know that today’s students analyze universities and their qualifications much more carefully, both in the Lithuanian and international context, so when making a decision, they can already guess what awaits them after joining.
– What was your first year coming from Kaunas to study in Kaunas?
– The first months were not really easy. After all, everything has changed: a place of residence, a scientific institution, distances that are not always traveled on foot, many strangers. Understandably, at first I didn’t feel brave, but then I got used to getting to know Kaunas and gradually seeing the beauty of this city.
– The year of study is considered by many to be one of the best years in a person’s life. How was your student life?
– I would definitely agree that this is one of the best stages of life. I think you always need to keep balance in life, so I was a diligent student while studying, but at the same time I actively spent my free time with my study friends.
Living in the dorm wasn’t boring either, as we came up with a variety of activities: dining out playing board games or table tennis in the dorm gym. I also volunteered for a couple of years at the then KTU Career Center, and during my doctoral studies I belonged to the Association of Doctoral Students, where I held the position of Human Resources Coordinator. All these activities enriched my free time, gave me the opportunity to test and develop myself.
– What motivated you to continue your studies to obtain a master’s degree and then a doctorate? What are the key differences between undergraduate and graduate studies?
– Continuing to study for a master’s degree seemed obvious. Only this time I wanted to expand my knowledge, so after my university studies in the public sector, I decided to study and learn more about the peculiarities of business. In the meantime, I chose to continue my doctoral studies at the request of my research supervisor, when in preparing my master’s thesis he noticed my talents and probably the much-needed perseverance for research. I had never before considered continuing my studies in the third cycle.
I think that being a PhD student in Lithuania is not appreciated enough. There is still a misconception that the activities of doctoral students are limited to going to conferences and writing academic papers. However, I would compare doctoral studies with a full-time job, during which a doctoral student conducts research in his field of interest, prepares scientific papers, attends Lithuanian and foreign conferences, lectures to students, prepares applications, or joins several scientific projects, i. and. fully involved in the activities of the academic community.
Not surprisingly, in many countries of the world, such as Finland or Norway, doctoral studies are treated as an intermediate stage to become a full member of the academic community without identifying the doctoral student with an ordinary student. I think that the prestige of young science doctors and those striving to become them will also increase in Lithuania.
– He studied international business to obtain a master’s degree, then continued his research to obtain a doctorate in this field. What perspective of technology and innovation do you see in the modern business sector?
– Several studies have revealed that successful midsize companies invest around 5% in technology each year. their annual income This shows that the integration of the latest technologies and innovations in business is not only a prerogative of large corporations, but also becomes natural for small companies.
The attempt to ignore technological advances for many international giants has ended catastrophically: let’s recall the example of Kodak, the company that dominated the photography and filming market at the time, and which was completely crushed by its competitors without recognizing the importance of digital photography technology.
Another well-known example is the reluctance of Finnish mobile phone leader Nokia to change. However, we want to emphasize that innovations and technologies not only help to discover new markets or improve products, but also help to optimize daily processes, reduce risks and save strategically important decisions.
– What is your opinion on the integration of artificial intelligence in the business sector? Do you think the day will come when robots will replace humans?
– I think it is not worth fearing that robots will change people in the future. I very much agree with the idea expressed by the famous Chinese magnate, the founder of the Alibaba Group, Ma Jun (known as Jack Ma), that only man can create a computer, but no computer has yet emerged that can create the man. So I see artificial intelligence and robotization as the obvious progress of humanity that will facilitate human work in the future: robots can do routine and monotonous work, while humans will have more time for creativity and even greater innovation. .
However, this does not mean that less effort will be needed; Conversely, to take advantage of artificial intelligence and integrate them into business processes, entrepreneurs will have to constantly improve their skills, especially in IT, data analysis, and forecasting technology.
– You often imagine that the field of business studies is very broad and prospective students sometimes wonder what professional career awaits them after completing these study programs. What skills did you acquire while studying?
– Perhaps the emphasis here should be on the mission of the university as an institution: to create knowledge and provide a wide range of education, which acquires the ability to think creatively and critically, has sufficient knowledge and skills to make decisions objectively. College studies are not restricted specialization courses, so graduates can choose from a variety of jobs. While studying business studies, I gained knowledge about international competitiveness, business model innovations, basic logistics and international finance concepts.
– How are generations of students and teachers changing? What fascinates you about these changes?
– I had the opportunity to feel the changes in the generations of students while teaching at the university for several years. Today’s students are very active, able to articulate their position, focus on their goal and systematically pursue it. On the other hand, it’s also remarkable that they focus on a longer period of time, so teachers who want to engage students during classes have to be more resourceful than ever. It is very gratifying that the opportunities for today’s students are especially high, therefore, while studying, they can grow not only in the professional field, but also develop other important skills.
The young generation of teachers also have great opportunities: improve their qualifications abroad, communicate and share experiences with the academic community around the world. The younger generation of teachers make a great effort to find new teaching methods, involving representatives of companies or public organizations so that what they teach meets the needs of the current market.
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