Renewed VU SR Student Initiatives Centre to strengthen student initiatives

The renewed team will help student initiatives address organisational and administrative matters, develop their ideas, and strengthen connections with one another.

Over the past year, new initiatives have joined or been established within VU SR, bringing students together around shared interests – from science, culture and civic engagement to sports and leisure activities. This diversity creates more opportunities for students to find like-minded people, bring their ideas to life, and contribute to building the University community. All student initiatives operating within VU SR can be found here.

As the community of initiatives continues to grow, it is equally important to ensure consistent support for their activities. Resuming its work after a one-year break, SIC will provide mentorship to existing teams, support the establishment of new initiatives, and help revive those that have previously suspended their activities.

“The growing number of initiatives shows that students want not only to participate in University life, but also to actively shape it themselves. Our task is to create the conditions for these ideas to grow and to help teams ensure continuity even as their members or leaders change,” says VU SR Student Initiatives Coordinator Austėja Ižganaitė.

A clearer connection between initiatives and VU SR

Each initiative has been assigned a contact person from the VU SR SIC team, whom its leader and team can approach with day-to-day questions related to their activities. The contact person will help initiatives navigate VU SR processes, prepare for joint meetings, and meet deadlines for submitting documents and activity plans.

VU SR SIC will also guide resources needed for initiatives’ activities, including funding, premises, and technical equipment, and will help identify opportunities for cooperation with other initiatives. This will enable teams to make better use of the experience and resources available within the organisation.

“We want initiative teams to have a clear point of contact and to know where to turn when they need support. Regular communication will allow us to better understand their needs, identify challenges early, and work together to find solutions,” says A. Ižganaitė.

The team: mentorship, academic activities and administration

The Centre is coordinated by Austėja Ižganaitė, while five SIC team members will be responsible for different areas of its work.

Initiative Development Coordinators Vytautė Bartkevičiūtė and Urtė Kržčonavičiūtė will help newly established and reactivated initiatives become part of the VU SR community. They will provide guidance on activity planning, help address challenges within teams, and ensure that the necessary membership lists, regulations and reports are prepared.

Vedika Nadig will provide mentorship to the initiatives assigned to her by advising their leaders and teams, helping them develop ideas and implement projects. She will also encourage these initiatives to engage in University community activities and cooperate with other teams.

Student Scientific Societies Coordinator Austėja Stražinskaitė will work to re-establish the network of VU student scientific societies. Her work will focus on strengthening connections between societies, interdisciplinary cooperation, and joint projects. She will also support students who wish to establish a new scientific society or resume the activities of a previously active one.

VU SR SIC Administrator Giedrė Žilytė will oversee the administration of initiatives’ funding requests, membership lists, and other documents required for their activities. Teams will be able to contact her regarding financial matters and administrative processes related to their work.

An opportunity to bring your own idea to life

The VU SR Student Initiatives Centre also supports students who are only beginning to consider bringing together like-minded people around a new activity. The team will provide guidance on establishing an initiative, help students complete the necessary steps, and prepare for the start of their activities.

Existing initiatives are encouraged to stay in touch with their assigned VU SR SIC team members, while students wishing to start a new initiative can contact VU SR Student Initiatives Coordinator Austėja Ižganaitė at pkp@vusa.lt. Information on how to establish a new initiative can be found here.

The VU SR Student Initiatives Centre (SIC) is a structural unit of the Vilnius University Students' Representation that reports to the VU SR President. Its mission is to create opportunities for students to establish and develop initiatives in the fields of civic engagement, science, culture, sports, and leisure.