The aim of the programme, which is growing in popularity every year, is to introduce talented young Lithuanians from abroad to opportunities in the country, the ministry says.
„When I started working at the Ministry, I set myself the goal of attracting foreign Lithuanian talent to Lithuania. This is the third year that we have supported the Bring Together Lithuania programme, which introduces participants to Lithuania’s advanced economy, and today we are already seeing results. According to the organisers, more than 120 Lithuanians from all over the world have participated in the programme over the past seven years, and about a quarter of them have moved to Lithuania to pursue a career in the country,“ said Aušrinė Armonaitė, Minister of the Economy and Innovation.
This year, young people from the diaspora in the US, Canada, Argentina, the Czech Republic and the UK took part in the six-week internship programme. They interned in leading Lithuanian companies and organisations – from Nord Security to the Life Sciences Centre at Vilnius University and the Innovation Agency – and got to know a modern, innovative Lithuania and the leaders who are creating it. This year’s programme activities included lectures and workshops, so participants also had the opportunity to gain knowledge and skills in leadership, personal brand development, career planning, cyber hygiene and start-up development.
„This year has been a special year for the programme: not only did we receive a record number of applications, but we also received strong candidates from top universities around the world, such as Princeton University, Parsons School of Design, King’s College London and others. Leading Lithuanian companies and organisations have provided internship opportunities for participants. Most of the participants look for further opportunities in Lithuania after the programme, from university studies to working for the best Lithuanian companies,“ says Kamilė Perminė, founder and manager of the programme.
This year, more than two-thirds of the participants stayed longer in Lithuania and some extended their internships in companies. Three Bring Together Lithuania alumni have decided to move to Lithuania - two participants from the USA will join the Create for Lithuania programme, while a Lithuanian from Argentina applied and received an invitation to study at a university in Lithuania.
Among this year’s participants is Kimberly Kreiss. This year, the American with Lithuanian roots, who graduated from Princeton University with a Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree, decided to participate in the Bring Together Lithuania programme immediately after her studies. During her internship at Invest Lithuania, she learned about another programme -– Create for Lithuania. The diaspora woman participated in the selection process and was invited to participate, so she decided to stay in Lithuania.
„This summer, I was so fortunate to have the opportunity to participate in Bring Together Lithuania and intern at Invest Lithuania. During the program, I understood that I want to live in Lithuania. For me, my family connection to Lithuania has always been very special. Participating in Bring Together Lithuania has been a way for me to reconnect with this part of my family history, strengthen my ties to Lithuania, and see all the amazing changes that have taken place in Lithuania. At the same time, it was an opportunity to share my experiences with the Lithuanian diaspora from the US, Canada, Argentina, and the UK,“ says Kreiss, a Princeton University graduate who chose Lithuania.
According to surveys of participants, almost all of them are seriously considering the possibility of building their future here, although few of them had thought about it before the programme. After learning about Lithuania’s advanced economy, young people in the diaspora appreciate the country’s strengths and discover a wide range of opportunities, from careers in world-renowned Lithuanian start-ups to a highly supportive environment for starting and growing their own businesses. They are also inspired to choose Lithuania by the success stories of previous participants. One of them is the story of the 2018 participant, entrepreneur Tadas Kunickas. Through Bring Together Lithuania, Kunickas made friends and gained knowledge that led him to create his start-up TAVO Sleep.
„This was absolutely the most entertaining, fun and also informative internship I’ve been part of. Not only did I get connected to a top company in Vilnius, the internship gave me an insider seat of a CEO where I Iearned how a company is lead. I now lead a startup team at TAVO Sleep where we are creating innovative solutions in sleep-tech. Besides working, the cultural immersion was incredible, from visiting historic places and learning how Lithuania has changed over 20 years to flying in a hot air balloon to see Lithuania’s beautiful nature from above,“ says alumnus Kunickas.
Attracting talent from the diaspora is one of the priorities of the Ministry of Economy and Innovation. For the last four years in a row, more Lithuanians have returned to Lithuania than left. According to the State Data Agency, 17.5 thousand citizens returned to Lithuania in 2023.Those who are planning to return to Lithuania and those who have already returned can find out about all the possibilities by contacting the special advisory centre Returning LT.