ERASMUS CHANGING LIVES OPENING MINDS fOR 25 YEARS

Nina
Siig Simonsen
‘Erasmus made me feel part of European integration – politically, historically
and, most importantly, culturally’
Home institution:
Roskilde University, Denmark
Host institution:
Mykolas Romeris University,
Lithuania
Field of study:
Political science
Duration:
4 months (2009)
Initially Nina Siig Simonsen was hesitant about studying in Lithuania. When
she arrived it was grey, rainy and cold. ‘On the evening of the second day we
met our Lithuanian mentors and everything seemed brighter. We learnt that
Vilnius would blossom when Spring arrived – and it certainly did.’
The Lithuanian approach to learning was different. ‘In Denmark I had been
encouraged to think critically and work independently. I had been trained to
question my teachers. Now I realised that other things also mattered and there
was a greater focus on knowledge and recalling information.’ Her exchange
was part of her degree in political science. However on her return to Denmark
she switched courses to focus on European Studies. The experience in Lithuania
encouraged her to reflect on European culture and history and helped her to
think about jobs in Europe.
For her, the switch in her degree studies and subsequent internship in a Danish
Regional Office in Brussels would not have happened without Erasmus. ‘The
cultural value of an exchange cannot be gained by reading about it, you have
to experience it. Lithuania is still close to my heart. It was a great opportunity
to meet new friends from all over Europe and I feel more European today than
I did before leaving for Vilnius.’
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