EHU played a pivotal role in my career and life offering a unique transformative journey. As a student coming from a post-Soviet country, the university held a profound significance in shaping my educational path. Over the course of four enriching years, EHU became the nexus where I not only immersed myself in the European Union’s educational system but also embraced the new approaches to learning through Liberal Arts. One of the most remarkable aspects of my time at EHU was the opportunity for academic exchanges, which enabled me to study in four diverse countries: Lithuania, Spain, the USA, and Italy. These experiences not only broadened my horizons but also honed my foreign language skills. While English was one of the primary language of my studies, I found myself delving into the intricacies of German, Lithuanian, and Spanish. EHU was not just about academics; it was about fostering a sense of community. Within the university’s walls, a supportive Russian-speaking community thrived among fellow students and teachers, making the journey far less daunting and enabling us to seamlessly integrate into the global academic community and the English-speaking professional world, all within the span of just four years. All in all, my time at EHU was a personal story of growth, cultural exploration, and the realization of the boundless opportunities that education can unlock.

EHU is a guide to the world of opportunities and self-reflection. Thanks to the university, I gained a sense of self-sufficiency and began to feel the ground under my feet. Every step you take or, oppositely, inaction leads to unpredictable consequences at EHU. They can be both destructive and life-changing. It all depends on you.

There have been many bright and amazing moments in my life. This is largely the merit of my alma mater – EHU. For me, the university has always been associated with the word “opportunity”. I was taking the maximum and was giving all of me: I had an amazing Erasmus experience, a large number of conferences and volunteering, I met people to whom I became attached with all my heart. I found like-minded people and discovered the corners of my personality that I had never thought about before. My horizons have become broader, and my values have become clearer and more global. I think that at EHU you discover a new version of yourself. And this is infinitely valuable.

No university will ever guarantee you a successful career. Even Harvard. But it seems that EHU students are people who can do the best they can. I learned a lot from the university for my career, a lot of "my people" are from there. Application of knowledge after graduation is the best indicator for a university, isn't it?

The time I spent at EHU is an extraordinarily valuable part of my life. The student community of like-minded people, the academic community of professionals, regular meetings with intellectuals, entrepreneurs, theorists and practitioners is an invaluable experience, which can only be gained in an environment unframed by ideology. It is crucial for young people to develop their potential, soft-skills and understand the importance of interdisciplinarity. The university provides both discipline (deadlines, responsibilities, and the acquisition of new knowledge) and a foundation for informal development. The synthesis of these two elements allows a person to form an independent personality, with critical thinking and the ability for constant self-development.

I’m glad to be an alumna at EHU First of all, at EHU I was given the basis, which is critical thinking. On it I’ve built subsequent professional activities Studies at the university, specializing in humanities, implies activating analytical skills. Regardless of the sphere, it can be academic, connected with art, or even routine. The ability to analyze, differ the primary from the secondary, build cause-and-effect relationships, present yourself credibly and consistently — all that is needed in any activity. When I graduated from EHU, I started working with contemporary belorussian art and photography. In 2009 and 2011 it was prestigious to be an alumna, and at the same time it obliged us to bear lots of responsibility. However, the history of new belorussian contemporary art is written by EHU alumnae. They’ve participated in the creation and organization of galeries, photography festivals, first expositions and so on.

While studying at EHU, I’ve experienced a period of dramatic intellectual growth The environment was proper to stimulate the desire for education and personal development. I met professors and lecturers, fully excited by their disciplines and spheres of studies; active students, who visit lectures not just for the record, but because they’re interested to do so; various projects, courses, initiatives that were available in free time; and, of course, Vilnius with its own infinite cultural program. Now, while reading about cases of successful projects, launched by EHU alumni, or stories about built careers in Belarus, Russia, Ukraine or in Europe, I feel proud that I studied among these people. EHU is a space, where you will be given all possibilities for studies. The process would be exciting and you would find yourself around people, who would stimulate each other to become better versions of themselves.

No wonder, lots of people are eager to know how the university has taught you and helped with career building. Honestly, never before has it been so pleasurable to reflect upon that topic, because me before EHU and me after EHU are two absolutely different persons (with a positive trend in self-development). I associate EHU with a boot camp, because work has been one of my favourite activities at the university. Together with my team we’ve created a visual novella for first-year students, participated in the development of hermeneutic seminars, visited various international conferences, presented academic works and results of research and so on. The university offers a lot of opportunities to practice, develop and enhance academic and professional skills. Fear of difficulties faded away, aspiration and desire to grow remained. Now I eagerly explore the sphere of digital marketing, working as a media-manager for a company Deep Media Technologies and gaining a master's degree at Vilnius university. And I’m totally happy with that.

I graduated from EHU 7 years ago and often enough I recall my student years. EHU was the first university I studied in. It taught me a lot, opened new horizons for me, nurtured important hard skills, and helped me with my further studies and to grow as a professional. During studies, I met lots of amazing people, whom we got along with and by now keep in contact with, regardless of the location. I can say for sure, EHU differs from the other universities by giving you the sense of family, which is ready to give a helping hand to you.

“EHU taught me to learn, to think globally and not to be afraid to ask questions. After EHU, I've received a Master’s degree at the Goldsmiths, University of London. I have a professional background in the top-management selection for the largest companies around the world”.

I’m grateful, because here at EHU I wasn’t discouraged from studying. Really! It’s incredibly important. The educational process was very different from the one in Belarus. We had special programs in european style, foreign visiting lecturers and internships. Prominent artists came by and shared their experience. Student life was vibrant! I’ve seen one common trait in my fellows: even though our occupations are not directly linked to the specializations listed in the diplomas, we’re connected through our aspiration to move forward, face and solve hard problems, not be frightened by tough situations, to plan and take action. I’m happy to meet EHU alumni around the globe and cooperate with them, because we're on the same wavelength.

At EHU I decided to write a bachelor thesis on space law. I am grateful to EHU faculty members, who supported my decision and gave me the opportunity to carry out a more profound research in this area. In Belarus, I would not have such an opportunity. After EHU I was enrolled into the University of Nebraska program "Space, Cyber and Telecommunications Law". I was the only non-American student and, as far as I know, the only graduate from the post-Soviet countries.

We studied a lot of theory at EHU. When I started working, I understood that this theory was crucial. You can always learn how to do; moreover, technologies are constantly changing, so you can’t learn how to do something once and forever. However, a good knowledge base and understanding of your industry, occupation, and mission are very important. Today I live in Amsterdam and work for «Van Eck ontwerpers".

I was lucky enough to attend BBC courses for journalists, have practice at the Delfi news agency, network with Belarusian journalists, and collect a portfolio to find the first job. After EHU, I worked with many big brands, and now I work for one of the largest media concerns of Europe - Schibsted Media Group. In Belarus, our company is known for the Kufar advertisement platform, which is in the TOP-3 of most popular Belarusian sites.

"Studying at EHU has been a 'study in action' for me. The two previous universities I graduated from in Russia have given me an excellent theoretical basis, but there was a minimum of practice. Here, for the first time, I have had a chance not only to create projects in theory, but to bring them to life, bring them to completion and evaluate the results! I’m a bit jealous of the Bachelor's students, as they were in such a system of training from the very beginning, had an opportunity to take part in international projects, participate in the Erasmus+ programs and fulfill their potential in practice. This is a very important experience for the future. Perhaps, thanks to EHU, I’ve decided to implement my project, around which a real community of like-minded people is now formed. I’m very pleased that the university has connections with other universities, and for almost any topic you can always find a competent supervisor! My topic has been related to Vilnius Modernism. I am very grateful to Rasa Čepaitienė for her help with my Master's thesis. Without her I would not have found many sources, and some points in Lithuanian architectural history would have remained misunderstood”.