© VU archive
On December 14, 2023, the Faculty of Philology at Vilnius University (VU FF) organized interfaculty academic debates in English on the theme "Hype and Its Effects on Society." This year's debates were notable for the participation of student teams representing various VU departments. These teams were required to prepare theses based on scientific research that best reflected their represented discipline and future profession.
A total of 10 student teams from the Institute of International Relations and Political Science, the Faculty of Mathematics and Informatics, the Faculty of Communication, the Faculty of Medicine, the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, and the Faculty of Philology competed for the title of the best debate team of 2023.
"The format of academic debates is employed by prestigious European universities, and the VU academic community has joined them. This is an excellent opportunity for students to discuss the impact of excess information on society. The team that most convincingly influences the honorable commission with their arguments will be awarded the 2023 Debate Cup. This event nurtures the traditions of public speaking and emphasizes the relationship of language with other disciplines," said the debate ambassador, Professor Mindaugas Kvietkauskas, the Dean of the Faculty of Philology at VU.
The debating teams were evaluated by a commission of five experts, leaders actively representing their fields: VU Vice-Rector for Organization Development and Community Affairs Professor Vilmantė Pakalniškienė, diplomat Emily J. Hicks (U.S. Embassy), pediatric nephrologist Assoc. Prof. Dr. Karolis Ažukaitis (VU Faculty of Medicine), "15min" Deputy Chief Editor, book reviewer, and literature expert Audrius Ožalas, and diplomat Markas Passas (Embassy of the United Kingdom).
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Karolis Ažukaitis / © VU archive
"I want to express my joy that our students (Public Health and Physical Therapy teams) participated for the first time in interfaculty debates, where, for the second time, I had the honor to serve as a judge. Our students performed excellently! Even though we did not win against experienced representatives of other faculties in the debates, our students' debut was truly outstanding! I am pleased that both VU Vice-Rector V. Pakalniškienė and U.S. Ambassador E. J. Hicks paid attention to our students' performance. This is a significant appreciation. We can only rejoice and be proud to have such a talented new generation of students representing the spirit of the academy," shared Assoc. Prof. Dr. Karolis Ažukaitis after the debates.
MF's team member Fausta Emilija Grigaitytė / © VU archive
"These debates were a great opportunity to 'test' not only our knowledge of the English language but also to improve diplomatic and public speaking skills. We had the chance to explore social and humanitarian topics from the perspective of medical sciences. I am glad that I could be in the company of like-minded individuals and gain more experience together. Although our team did not secure prize positions, events like these certainly encourage interest, self-testing, and improvement," shared Fausta Emilija Grigaitytė, a member of the MF's team studying in the Physical Therapy program. "At the beginning, we had to step out of our comfort zone, overcome fear, and prepare for speaking in front of an audience – that is the most challenging part of participating in such debates. Indeed, it was a new experience for me. I am happy that both participants and the audience were friendly and supportive. Our team was particularly supported and advised by VU English language lecturers Diana Gornatkevičienė and Danguolė Straižytė. My main advice to others is to dare, not be afraid to make mistakes, and simply participate," shared Jonas Guntys, another member of the MF's team studying Physical Therapy as well.