From October 13–24, VILNIUS TECH hosted the ATHENA European University Blended Intensive Programme (BIP), "Sustainable Student Organisations," bringing together students and lecturers from 8 of the alliance's partner countries. The programme's goal was to provide participants with the knowledge and practical skills to help build sustainable, inclusive, and resilient student organisations in European universities, and to propose solutions that would enhance student activities within the ATHENA university alliance.
 

Throughout the two-week programme, students participated in lectures, team challenges, and cultural activities. The first week was held remotely, while the second took place in-person in Vilnius at the VILNIUS TECH Sustainability Hub.
 

Participants delved into key questions: how to ensure the motivation of organisation members and the continuity of leadership, what knowledge is essential for managing international and multicultural teams, and they honed their skills in collaboration and strategic planning.
 

"Together, we looked for solutions on how student organisations can evolve, and how to strengthen the engagement, continuity, and impact of the ATHENA alliance's student organisations. The teams created action plans for the near future, and I am sure all participants will agree—this was a meeting where new ideas and meaningful connections were born, which are crucial for strengthening the ATHENA student community," said ATHENA coordinator Dr. Asta Radzevičienė, sharing her impressions of the week.
 

The main challenge was coordinating teams from different cultural backgrounds and with varying levels of experience, which was successfully overcome through creative workshops, team challenges, and consistent support from mentors.
 

Several participants also shared their impressions: "The most memorable part was the collaboration with representatives from other countries' student unions—it was interesting to compare how differently organisations operate in various universities"; "I realised that leadership is not about giving orders, but about the ability to help others make their own decisions. This experience has encouraged me to place more value on strengthening team bonds, so I plan to improve communication within my team. What surprised me the most were the cultural differences—they not only enriched our collaboration but also taught me to be more open to different ideas."
 

Programmes like this provide students not only with academic knowledge but also with practical experience that fosters leadership, teamwork skills, and international cooperation. Participants learned to transform an idea into long-term organisational change. Many new ideas were generated, and meaningful collaborative relationships were established during the programme. The teams developed action plans for the future, which will be presented to the ATHENA Coordination Board.
 

The programme's lecturers and mentors included Prof. Dr. Renata Korsakienė, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Asta Radzevičienė, Dr. Juliana Smirnova, and Dr. Paulius Šūmakaris (VILNIUS TECH), as well as partners from the Université d’Orléans (France), Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute (Ukraine), and the Hellenic Mediterranean University (Greece). The programme was organised by the VILNIUS TECH Faculty of Business Management and the International Relations Office.