The Three MATHSketeers

ISM University is all about our community and the Students Assistants project created by ISM Maths and Programming lecturer Kristina Aldošina is the perfect example.

 

We're expressing our deepest gratitude toward Rugilė Ledzinskaitė, Palina Pilipenka, and Artur Zubkov, who spent the last semester helping out other students excel in their educational journeys.

 

Rugilė Ledzinskaitė, Kristina Aldošina, Palina Pilipenka, Artur Zubkov

The trio's activities included various tasks, from consulting students, creating additional tasks, discussing teaching and learning methods to even grading exams.

 

"This collaboration is a no-loss game: students gain new skills and have the opportunity to express their passion for teaching. In the future, they can return to their alma mater as lecturers, already equipped with a pedagogical background. Meanwhile, I enjoy seeing the sparkles in their eyes, and, of course, benefit from their significant help of high quality, particularly when it comes to grading hundreds of exams," shares K. Aldošina.

 

What did the Students Assistants take from this activity?

 

Rugilė Ledzinskaitė (2nd year Finance student):

 

"Mathematics has always been the realm where I find peace of mind. For those who may not see the wonders of this subject, it's often a matter of just showing them, which is where adding a personal touch or speaking in terms familiar to your peers can be invaluable. I express gratitude to my professor and to ISM for their trust and for providing me with the opportunity to contribute."  

 

Palina Pilipenka (2nd year Finance student):

 

“I can't even fathom how lecturers manage it all, because this experience has shown me just how much hard work teaching entails, all to help us, the students, progress and discover ourselves in this journey of life. A huge kudos to our lecturers and, of course, I wish them good and obedient students!” 

 

Artur Zubkov (2nd year Economics and Data Analytics student):

 

"It's a great honor to collaborate with one of my favorite professors at ISM. My passion for Maths and Programming has been with me since childhood, and it has ultimately shaped both my career and my hobbies. I extend my heartfelt thanks to Professor Aldošina and ISM for granting me this wonderful opportunity not only to deepen my understanding in these fields but also to support other students on their academic journey." 

 

Prof. Vita Akstinaitė Wins Marie Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship

ISM University is proud to share incredible news - our researcher Dr. Vita Akstinaitė has just won the esteemed Marie Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship for her research project on “Leading in the brave new world: human - robot dynamics”.

 

With over 8,000 applicants in 2023, the Fellowship aims to help provide PhD researchers opportunities and new skills discoveries abroad. 

 

“Marie Curie fellowships are seen as a mark of researcher’s excellence internationally. The idea of Marie Curie is that you get funded to solve an important global challenge. The challenge I will be solving is about our soon-to-be new reality where AI and robots will become an inseparable part of our lives. Hence, we need to know the answers: What leadership skills do you need to lead human-AI teams? How can humans-AI work symbiotically? How do team dynamics and effectiveness change in human-AI teams? Winning Marie Curie for me is an extremely important milestone to work on the topic that really matters,” shares Dr. Vita Akstinaitė.

Learn more about Dr. Akstinaitė’s project:

 

Although there is plenty of training on how to use technology, no one is teaching leaders how to lead it, thus creating skills gaps and workforce adaptability issues. As organisations face digital disruption, leaders must integrate these digital innovations into their operations and inspire their teams to become “technologically savvy”. However, despite the pressing need to better understand how to cultivate cohesive team dynamics amidst human and AI entities, research in this field is limited, which is problematic as leaders lack evidence-based solutions to deal with these novel challenges. Therefore, this project aims to unlock the potential of human-AI collaboration by:

 

  1. Uncovering the essential leadership qualities needed to effectively lead human-AI teams;
  2. Optimising the design of virtual teams, where humans and AI work symbiotically;
  3. Pioneering the use of the newest AI for accurately assessing individual traits through natural language analysis;
  4. Investigating how feedback acceptance varies when it comes from human or AI sources. 
Dr. Vita Akstinaitė

This research integrates the scientific fields of leadership, organisational psychology and IT, which pushes the boundaries of traditional research domains. Moreover, it is built on the newest technological trends and employs cutting-edge deep neural network technologies offering a state-of-the-art exploration of the subject. All in all, by achieving these objectives, this project will reshape the future of work, empowering organisations to harness the full potential of human/AI teams, enhance leadership capabilities, and optimise team dynamics in this ‘brave new world’ of workplace digitalisation.

Considering a change in your field of study? Seize the opportunity for additional studies under exceptional conditions!

Are you determined to change your field but lack the required credits for the chosen ISM master's program? Perhaps you're looking to shift your career path, simultaneously gaining new knowledge and skills. Choose additional studies now and confidently prepare for master's studies at ISM University this fall.

Within a few months, you'll deepen your knowledge, familiarize yourself with teaching methods, and accumulate the necessary study credits. These studies will take place in the evenings, providing a remote learning option—ideal conditions for working individuals.

Opting for three or more study subjects entitles you to a nearly 40% discount on additional studies compared to the regular price. This offer remains valid for registration until February 1, and the number of available spots for additional studies is limited.

Choose from the following educational subjects:

Schedule of educational subjects

Please complete the registration form below, and we will contact you. During the interview, we can address any questions that may arise.

Register for additional studies consultation

Young Lithuanians Financial Literacy - What Do We Miss to Become European Leaders?

While the Covid-19 pandemic has put a lot of stress on the personal finances of many European citizens, it has also highlighted the importance of financial education. According to "Standard&Poor's Ratings Services" and other international studies, the financial literacy knowledge and skills of the Lithuanian population are rather average. Although progress is noticeable in this area, experts agree that growth should be faster, and the greatest attention should be paid to youth education.

 

Financial literacy is the ability to understand and effectively use various financial skills, including managing personal finances, budgeting, and investing.

 

The World Economic Forum ranks financial literacy as one of the basic literacy skills, such as reading and writing, and in the European Union financial literacy is one of the highest priorities in education. However, according to the OECD/INFE 2020 international study on adult financial literacy, around half of EU adults do not have a good enough understanding of basic financial concepts.

 

Denmark, Germany, Sweden, and the Netherlands are considered the most financially literate countries in the EU. It is estimated that the share of financially literate residents is at least 65 percent. In 2021, a study initiated by the Lithuanian Banks Association showed that the financial literacy index in Lithuania goes up to 45 points. This is just two points more than in 2019, so despite the obvious progress, changes could be faster. Experts agree that the key to financial literacy is educating all population groups, but the focus should be on young people.

 

The financial literacy of young people is improving, but there is a long way to go

 

One of the most well-known and influential international studies assessing the financial literacy of young people is the OECD's international survey of 15-year-olds, known as PISA. The knowledge of Lithuanian fifteen-year-olds was studied for the first time in 2015. At that time, 31.5 percent of Lithuanian fifteen-year-olds who participated in the study did not reach the basic level of financial literacy. Obvious progress was made in 2018: Lithuania ranked at 8th-10th position out of the 20 countries included in the study, surpassed Spain, Slovakia, Italy, and Bulgaria and came closer to the OECD average.

 

According to Tadas Šarapovas, a professor at the ISM University of Management and Economics, it would be difficult to claim that the positive changes are systemic yet.

"The growth of financial literacy among young people is a very complex process, at the center of which is education, understanding of the main economic and financial laws, phenomena, and key terms. It is true that there is an increase in the number of various projects and events, both at the institutional and NGO level, where the public can deepen and test their knowledge both theoretically and practically. At the same time, such initiatives as the National Economics Olympic Games for students, the Economics Olympic Games for students of the ISM University, and the national economics exam organized by the Lithuanian Free Market Institute is gaining more and more interest, which shows the growing public interest in finance and economics," says Šarapovas.

 

What can we learn from Estonians?

 

In the already mentioned PISA survey in 2018, Estonians took first place. The average financial literacy of Estonian teenagers was higher than that of all other countries that participated in the study. 95 percent of the Estonian participants reached the basic assessment level. Commenting on the results, the then Minister of Education and Science of Estonia, Mailis Reps, emphasized that what distinguishes Estonia from other countries is the integration of financial literacy into other lessons, such as natural sciences or civic education.

 

According to the ISM professor, in order to improve the level of financial literacy of Lithuanian teenagers, the integration of finance and economics topics into educational programs could be one of the measures. Equally important is the cooperation between educational institutions and parents, as well as the development of the competencies of educators themselves, keeping pace with innovations not only in the fields of finance but also in the fields of technology, knowing how to encourage children and young people’s interest in the topics of financial management and investing from an early age.

 

"This is a complex issue, which is influenced by educational institutions, the family, and society. In order to improve financial literacy, I would single out two most important components - theoretical and practical. Let's start with formal education - at least with a part of compulsory lessons focused on financial literacy, we could reach the entire contingent of schoolchildren. Practical experience is no less important. The more opportunities to be responsible for one's own money, and to understand what it means to save, spend and borrow one has, the stronger one's understanding is of how best to act in relation to one's priorities. It is important for a young person to experiment and to feel the consequences of his or her decisions," Šarapovas believes.

 

The professor points out that every year there is an increasing interest from the students themselves in the topics of financial literacy and initiatives related to them. The economic and financial literacy competition "ISM FLOW" organized by ISM is an example of such an initiative. Its purpose is to develop students' financial literacy competencies and to promote interest in financial literacy topics. All students from grades 9-12 can participate in the competition. Due to its growing popularity every year, the competition has been expanded this year and will be held in two stages: a selection round in schools and a final round at ISM University. In the first stage, students will be asked test questions on various topics of economy, business, and personal finance, and in the second stage, the tasks will require practical application of their knowledge. The first stage of the competition will take place on February 25.