Young expatriates don’t rule out returning to Lithuania

“Right now, from what I’ve gathered in seminars and conference, I see initiatives from Lithuanian institutions to engage expatriate Lithuanians, to attract ideas in business, science, culture and to inspire close cooperation,” said Mantas Viselga, a Lithuanian student from Austria.

The meeting between the prime minister and World Lithuanian Youth Union leaders has been organized for the third time this Monday. Among the topics discussed were efforts to improve cooperation between Lithuanian institutions and expatriates, the input of the World Lithuanian Youth Union in shaping Lithuania’s image in the world.

The exact membership of the World Lithuanian Youth Union is hard to determine because many the members keep changing their place of residence, the organization’s representatives in Lithuania say. Still, the union organizes regular meetings.

“I think it is a matter of civil engagement. Right now we are at the meeting of Lithuanians from all over the world and it is very interesting to talk to others, to see how communities are build, how Lithuanians interact with one another and try to build a community,” says Gustė Danilevičiūtė, a student from Denmark.

Members of the World Lithuanian Youth Union say they always try to make Lithuania better known in the world.

“Lithuanians in Finland are very engaged, they work very closely with the [Lithuanian] embassy and the Lithuanian community. We organize events, contribute to all holiday commemorations we can, we also invite guests from Lithuania,” says Justina Paulauskaitė, a student from Finland.

Many young Lithuanians who study abroad say they are homesick and would like to return home. They hope that a degree from a foreign university and foreign language skills will help them find a job in Lithuania.