Ieva, a Lithuanian-American on Returning to Lithuania: ‘I’ve Always Wanted to Live Here’

Born in the United States, Ieva Juzumaitė decided to move to Lithuania to strengthen connections with her family and gradually restore her fading Lithuanian-language skills. Although she had not initially planned to stay, new job opportunities in her field of interest – the life sciences – along with admission to a Master’s programme at Vilnius University (VU) led her to postpone her return to the United States.

‘I’d been to Lithuania three times before – when I was eight, twelve, and after I turned eighteen. While studying for my Bachelor’s degree in the US, I felt my Lithuanian was getting weaker. Eventually, I realised that I had always wanted to live here and see what life in Lithuania is like. I also wanted to feel closer to my family,’ Ieva explained.

She returned to Lithuania in 2024 and soon joined Bring Together Lithuania, a programme for young professionals of the Lithuanian diaspora. As part of the programme, she completed a summer internship designed for Lithuanians living abroad, which became an important step in her professional path. This experience led to Ieva’s first job in Lithuania: she joined the Create Lithuania initiative and began working at the agency Invest Lithuania.

From the life sciences into the world of data

In the United States, Ieva gained three years of experience in clinical research, so she describes the projects she has carried out in Lithuania as a natural continuation of her interests. One such project involved developing a regulatory sandbox framework tailored to Lithuania’s life sciences sector. A regulatory sandbox is a ‘testing environment’ where companies, under the supervision of public authorities, can trial innovations in real-world conditions.

‘During the project, I worked with a range of stakeholders. It became clear that the biggest challenges for small companies arise once they already have a prototype – they often lack knowledge, funding, or opportunities to further develop the innovation. One possible solution is closer collaboration with university laboratories, for example, in conducting research or developing products,’ said the VU student.

Ieva Juzumaitė. Photo from personal archive.

She also explored the field of the microbiome – the community of microorganisms living in the human body. This growing area of research focuses on the prevention and treatment of chronic and other diseases. 

‘Following numerous discussions with researchers, companies, and academic staff, we came to the conclusion that this field requires more dedicated funding, particularly for long-term projects, given the extended impact cycles of microbiome research,’ she noted.

Although her projects have been rooted in the life sciences, Ieva is now pursuing a new field – data science – through her Master’s studies at the VU Faculty of Mathematics and Informatics. She sees data science as a promising area, with specialists needed in business, healthcare, and many other sectors. 

Impressed by the sense of community in Lithuania

Ieva says she would like to become a data scientist but has not yet decided whether she will build her career and life in Lithuania or in the United States: ‘The challenge is that part of my family – my parents, sisters, and brother – are in the US, while the rest are in Lithuania.’

For now, however, she sees this as a question for the future; at present, she is spending time with family, improving her Lithuanian, and exploring the country. She enjoys hiking and plans to walk the Camino Lituano, a pilgrimage route across the country, this summer.

Ieva Juzumaitė. Photo from personal archive.

‘Nature is very important to me,’ said the Lithuanian-American, adding that she is particularly impressed by how closely Lithuanian culture is connected to nature. In her view, this is reflected in celebrations such as Jorė (a spring and greenery festival) and Rasos (a Midsummer folk celebration).

The VU student is pleased that during nearly two years of living in Lithuania, she has significantly improved her language skills: ‘Last year, I definitely wouldn’t have been able to do this interview in Lithuanian. When I first arrived, I was very nervous about speaking – I knew my Lithuanian wasn’t perfect. But I realised that if I wanted to improve, I had to try. Finding the courage to speak was a big challenge.’

Asked about the differences she observes between Lithuanians and Americans, Ieva notes a stronger sense of community here: ‘In Lithuania, I feel a deeper shared love for the country. While divisions exist everywhere, I think they are more pronounced in the US,’ she concluded.