KTU student Illia on studying surgical AI abroad: It changed how I see my career – and myself

“I’ve learnt that home is not a place, but people… I’m building a life that can grow, shift and stay open to what comes next. To me, that is real freedom,” says Illia Filipas, a student from the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences at Kaunas University of Technology (KTU), who has just completed his SustAInLivWork International Fellowship Programme in Germany.

When Illia began his internship at Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH) through the SustAInLivWork programme, he joined a team working on practical challenges in medical technology – specifically, how artificial intelligence (AI) could help improve surgical procedures.

It was a natural progression from his studies in Materials Physics and Nanotechnologies and his growing interest in AI. By applying his technical skills in a real-world research setting, he was able to contribute to an active project while expanding his knowledge in a fast-developing area.

“From day one, my supervisor and I sat down to outline a clear roadmap for the research stay. It was ambitious, but structured – and the final goal was to produce results strong enough to form the basis of a research paper,” he recalls.

Engineering Surgical Intelligence

With a background in programming since the age of 16 and a drive to build and understand complex systems, AI soon revealed itself to Illia as a natural extension.

“AI, I realised, was a different kind of canvas – one that was dynamic, constantly evolving, and incredibly powerful. What really pulled me in was the dynamic nature of the AI field,” he says.

At KTU, his growing interest found structure through the SKILLed AI programme and collaborative research at the Institute of Materials Science. He contributed to academic projects, helped integrate AI tools into research workflows and was even honoured with an award for one of the best presentations at a university conference.

His role involved selecting suitable model architectures, adapting them to the goals of the project, and testing different strategies to determine which video segments would be most valuable to label next. This hands-on work deepened his understanding of transformer models, active learning methods, and the full pipeline of machine learning experimentation.

“What made this experience stand out wasn’t just the technical scope – it was the team. A result-oriented mindset, rooted in deep research, and a place that pushed me to grow fast,” he adds.

The outcome of the project is now being discussed as the basis for a joint research paper with the university.

The journey beyond the lab

Outside of research hours, Illia made the most of his time in Germany. During the internship, he visited nine German cities, including Berlin and Schwerin, and even spent a weekend in Amsterdam.

“In Schwerin, I visited the castle, which in my view rivals its more famous Bavarian counterparts in both beauty and history. In Amsterdam, I explored one of Europe’s top art galleries and stood face to face with works by Rembrandt and Van Gogh,” he says.

These experiences, he noted, helped broaden his cultural perspective – not just geographically, but intellectually and emotionally.

Born in Uzbekistan, raised in Ukraine, and now based in Lithuania, Illia views international mobility as more than an academic opportunity – for him, it’s a way of life. Through various Erasmus programmes and now SustAInLivWork, he has developed a mindset shaped by adaptability, openness and curiosity.

“Through all this, I’ve learnt that home is not a place, but people. It’s where you feel safe and supported. While I stay connected to my cultural roots, I am not tied to a single location,” he says.

His time at KTU, he explains, gave him a solid foundation and access to global opportunities. Through both local and international programmes, he has built cross-cultural communication skills that are now central to how he approaches both research and collaboration.

When asked what advice he would offer to other students considering the SustAInLivWork fellowship, Illia was clear: “Take it all in – every part of it. Be proactive, ask questions and take initiative. The goal is to build a network, challenge your own assumptions and gain a new perspective. If you do that, you’ll return with more than just a line on your CV. You’ll come back changed for the better.”