The Only Higher Education Institution Representing Lithuania at the “Euroweek” Conference: Who Is It?
For the first time, “Euroweek” — an international conference now happening for 30th time — is being held in Lithuania. The event brings together students and researchers from 18 different countries. The only higher education institution from Lithuania participating is Vilnius kolegija (VIKO).
“The topic of this year’s project is Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the 21st Century: Opportunities and Challenges. More than 100 students and around 50 lecturers are already conducting research and preparing presentations on the impact of AI on sustainable entrepreneurship, financial strategies, business models, insurance, and other areas,” says Dr. Alina Katunian, Associate Professor at the VIKO Head of Research and Art Department and “Euroweek” Student Coordinator.
An International Collaboration Under “PRIME Networking”
“Euroweek” is an annual conference that unites students and lecturers from universities that are part of the non-profit association “PRIME Networking”. This network includes higher education institutions from 18 countries, and VIKO has been an associate member since 2024. During the project, international teams of students from various fields present their research, with the best projects receiving awards.
This year,“Euroweek” is being held for the first time in Lithuania — from 28 April to 2 May, at Vilnius kolegija.
“This is a great opportunity to promote intercultural and interdisciplinary learning, academic cooperation, research, and partnerships between universities and businesses. While the best research projects will be awarded in different categories, the most valuable outcomes are the competences gained and the international academic connections,” says Dr. Katunian.
Exploring the Use of AI n the Insurance Sector
The project explores the opportunities and challenges associated with the application of AI in various industries. One area of focus is the insurance sector.
“Our team is working on the topic ‘Applying AI in the Insurance Sector’. We aim to find out how professionals perceive the potential of AItechnologies and in which areas they are currently applied or could be applied — from risk assessment to customer service to claims management. We’re also exploring whether companies have concrete plans to implement IoT solutions in the near future, and what risks or challenges they foresee,” says Aušrinė Pupšytė, a third-year student in the Agribusiness Technology study programme and participant in the “Euroweek” project.
Patricija Tomašun, a second-year Physiotherapy student and team member, describes the international makeup of their group:
“We’re exploring the opportunities and risks of AI in the insurance sector alongside two VIKO lecturers, two students from Finland with their lecturer, and two students from Greece with their lecturer, who is the main leader of our team and has the most experience in the “Euroweek” project.”
Students Face Challenges
Working in international, interdisciplinary teams brings inevitable challenges.
“One of the main challenges is the language barrier. Communication isn’t always easy when working on a research project, but the motivation of every team member to reach a common goal — producing high-quality, socially relevant research — helps overcome it. After all, international collaboration is the essence of this project,” says Pupšytė.
However, the biggest challenge so far has been collecting a sufficient number of survey responses from three different countries.
“People are generally slow to respond to surveys, and we need a strong sample from Lithuania, Finland, and Greece. It’s even more difficult because we are surveying companies, which often decline to participate due to confidentiality concerns. Still, we are working hard, and the time we have left should allow us to complete the project both on time and with excellent quality,” says A. Tomašun.
The winners of the “Euroweek” awards will be announced and honored on the final day of the conference, 2nd of May.
