From November 17–21 of this year, the Department of Mathematical Statistics at the VILNIUS TECH Faculty of Fundamental Sciences welcomed a large group of international students who participated in the ERASMUS+ BIP program “Solving Sustainability Problems Mathematically.”
 

This short-term, intensive Erasmus+ academic exchange program was implemented by the VILNIUS TECH Department of Mathematical Statistics in collaboration with TTK University of Applied Sciences (Estonia) and FH CAMPUS 02 (Austria).
 

The program brought together 29 international students from the following universities: TTK University of Applied Sciences, Riga Technical University, Uniwersytet Marii Curie-Skłodowskiej w Lublinie, FH CAMPUS 02, and the Estonian University of Life Sciences, along with 3 students from the VILNIUS TECH Faculty of Fundamental Sciences. The program content was developed and lectures were delivered by: Elena Safiulina and Oksana Labanova from TTK University of Applied Sciences (Estonia), Annika Paltsepp and Olga Panova from the Estonian University of Life Sciences, VILNIUS TECH Sustainability Center Deputy Director Assoc. Prof. Dr. Rūta Mikučionienė, lecturer Gailė Kamilė Šaltenienė from the Department of Mathematical Modeling, and lecturer Dr. Vilma Nekrašaitė-Liegė from the Department of Mathematical Statistics — the program coordinator and leader.
 

The program brought together students from a variety of study fields, including environmental engineering, transport and logistics, business and economics, electronics and robotics, data analytics technologies, and information technologies.
 

The ERASMUS+ BIP program “Solving Sustainability Problems Mathematically” integrated sustainability topics into data analysis tasks. At the Sustainability Center, students attended a lecture by the Deputy Director of the Sustainability Center, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Rūta Mikučionienė, on how air quality impacts human well-being, and took part in practical activities held in the Center’s facilities. Most of the week’s activities focused on working with data analysis tools such as MS Excel and RStudio. Students learned how to prepare datasets for analysis, apply statistical data analysis and visualization methods, present results, and provide interpretations.
 

The physical mobility program included not only lectures and hands-on group work. Students also had the opportunity to explore Lithuania’s capital during a guided tour of Vilnius Old Town and strengthen connections through social and interactive activities.
 

Throughout the week, students worked in groups on research-based analytical projects, examining selected sustainability-related datasets. On Friday, November 21, they presented their results during a public session, which concluded with the awarding of certificates and symbolic gifts.
 

The Head of the Department of Mathematical Statistics, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Rūta Simanavičienė, expresses her gratitude to ERASMUS Office Head Rasita Martiše for her support throughout all stages of the program’s organization. We also thank Assoc. Prof. Dr. Asta Radzevičienė for helping spread information about the program within the ATHENA Alliance universities, which enabled us to welcome students from Maria Curie-Skłodowska University (UMCS) in Lublin. Our thanks go to Sustainability Center Deputy Director Assoc. Prof. Dr. Rūta Mikučionienė for her collaboration, and to Senior Specialist Emilis Keras for preparing the datasets required for the program. We also thank lecturer Gailė Kamilė Šaltenienė from the Department of Mathematical Modeling for delivering the online portion of the course. Special thanks to Data Analytics Technologies students Edvinas Kurmas and Emilija Bulatova, and Information Technologies student Edward James Turner, for assisting in student coordination during both academic and social activities. The biggest thank-you goes to Dr. Vilma Nekrašaitė-Liegė, lecturer at the Department of Mathematical Statistics and the program leader, for all her organizational work.