Augustas Žaltauskas, a recent graduate of Kaunas University of Technology (KTU) is one of 40 Europeans who have been chosen to the internship in Japan. Selected from more than 1 000 applicants of the training programme Vulcanus in Japan, Augustas is starting internship at the international company of telecommunications this September.
The student is convinced that the matching expectations between him and the Japanese company was the main reason of him being chosen in the harsh competition. During the eight-month internship in Japan the young graduate expects not only to apply skills and knowledge obtained during the studies, but also to expand his horizons.
“I would like to get to know a different working culture, to look at my profession from the other angle, to decide into which direction to develop my career in the future. After the internship I am planning to come back to Lithuania and to apply the new experience working here. However, who knows, what can happen in a year”, says Žaltauskas.
He is the eight KTU student winning a prestigious internship in Japan.
Ready for Challenges
Many can only dream about travelling to Japan: its peculiar office culture, hobbies, fashion and cuisine, its traditional society matching high technology environment, wild nature and crowded cities are the most publicised reasons for visiting this exotic country.
“I have never been to Japan, and have only experienced its culture during various events and talking to Japanese visiting Lithuania. The travelling cannot be without challenges, I am ready for them”, says Augustas.
He has already started learning Japanese and is hoping that this knowledge will help him in everyday situations. KTU graduate leaving for Japan in autumn is expecting that the greatest challenges will be connected to his job.
“In Japanese offices people are extremely punctual, exact in all processes and procedures and are strictly obeying the rules. It might be quite difficult to keep to all the regulations and to get used to them”, says Augustas.
However, he is motivated, not scared by the challenges: “I am inspired by the possibility to get new experience in my field, to expand my knowledge and skills, to understand different working culture. It is always exciting to meet new people not only during work, but also in their free time. I am dreaming about travelling in this marvellous country, getting to know more about its culture and traditions”.
About Vulcanus in Japan
Vulcanus in Japan, which started in 1997, is the programme consisting of industrial placements for EU / COSME* students. It starts in September and ends in August of the following year in order to accommodate the academic year in EU Member States. This programme is financed by the EU-Japan Centre for Industrial Cooperation and the Japanese host company.
The EU / COSME * students are awarded a grant (Yen 1.900.000) to cover the cost of travel to and from Japan and living expenses in Japan.
In addition to an 8-months internship at a Japanese company, the participants of Vulcanus in Japan (around 40 from various European countries selected annually) take part in an intensive 4-months course of Japanese language, and get acquainted with Japanese culture.
There is no charge for the language course and seminar, and accommodation is provided free of charge during the course and seminar and the company traineeship.
Information on application procedure for 2018/2019 will be available online starting from November 2017. For more information about the participation in Vulcanus in Japan, please talk to the staff of KTU Department for Internationalisation.
