Ieva Vasiliauskaite

Ieva Vasiliauskaite, 24, grew up in Kaunas in southern Lithuania but moved to Vilnius for university studies a couple of years ago. When graduating in biology from Vilnius University she knew she wanted to do her Master of Science at Uppsala University. And with a following PhD in mind Uppsala seemed like the best option.

– The headmaster of my home university talked well about Uppsala University Ieva says. He especially accentuated the life science studies, which is pretty much my major she continues. The choice was easy and well made.

From Uppsala to Stockholm
Ieva is finishing up her master in molecular biology by writing her masters thesis, but decided not to do it at Uppsala University. She now works at a lab at Karolinska Institute in Stockholm developing vaccines and prolonged her thesis from 30 hp till 45 hp and is very happy where she is now.
– It’s great that even if I’m at the masters’ programme at Uppsala University I can do my thesis in Stockholm. I really enjoy my work I’m doing in the lab at Karolinska Institute. It is a great platform to do different things in this interesting subject as immunology is.
Ieva moved to Stockholm in October 2008 after living in Uppsala for over a year. Although Stockholm is nice she likes Uppsala better as a place to live.
– Uppsala is not as big a city as Stockholm is and you are a member of a big student community. In Stockholm you’re more one in a crowd she says.
She is impressed how active Swedes are in the society and making sure everything works for everyone. And that everyone is going by the rules – in a good way.
– And reflector tags! She says excitingly. I’m impressed how usual it is around here, they are so good when walking or biking in the dark. It’s not at all so applied back home in Lithuania she continues.

Great opportunities
When arriving to Uppsala in 2007 Ieva did it without the help you are offered from the University. She wanted to do everything by her self just to prove she could do it. Thinking about it now she would have made it differently.
– I would have asked for help if I just wasn’t so stubborn she says laughing. It is an adventure moving abroad but you don’t have to make it harder than it already is she continues. Uppsala offers a lot of help to students coming from abroad. From picking up at the train station and showing you around the town to housing and shopping for groceries.
In her spare time in Uppsala she used to dance, both modern dance and ballet and likes it when dancing the Swedish language is not as important, the dance is a language it self. Uppsala also has beautiful nature to offer and Ieva likes to take her bike around different places to enjoy the sceneries. When having friends from Lithuania visiting they are very impressed with Uppsala and she really would recommend other students taking a Master of Science here.
– Uppsala University have given me such opportunities for my future and a great possibility to do the research I really want to do she says. And can do so to anyone else who wants to do that too she finishes.

Malin Jonsson