Dr Giedrius Romeika: Modern Business Requires the Ability to Combine Marketing and It
“Modern business requires the ability to combine two areas; namely, marketing and IT. These are the key skills that will help to address the discrepancies between young people’s needs and the labour market expectations,” noted the marketing specialist at the Vilnius University Kaunas Faculty (VU KnF) and coordinator of the international project FuseIT, Assist. Prof. Dr Giedrius Romeika.
According to the marketing specialist, the lecturers teaching the Marketing Technology undergraduate study programme at the KnF believe strongly in this very promising field; therefore, they are constantly updating the study materials in response to the knowledge that students are seeking.
As a result, the studies are helping improve competencies related to the application of a brand strategy and the ability to effectively respond to the needs of a changing target audience. The programme focuses on constructive analysis and discussions, which consequently strengthens the connections between lecturers and students. Furthermore, the students are encouraged to take part in research activities.
Joint research activities strengthen the connections between lecturers and students
According to the VU KnF lecturer, one of the ways of getting to know your students is by taking part in joint research activities. A mutual interest in the success of these activities not only helps in achieving the result, but also improves communication skills and mutual understanding, thus strengthening the connection and the student’s competencies.
According to G. Romeika, when highly motivated students come to the university they are not afraid to ask questions and look for opportunities to cooperate. For example, Jorė Bendinskaitė, a first-year student of Marketing Technology (MarTech), is planning for a future in e-business; therefore, she has been very active in improving the remote MarTech pilot courses developed by the FuseIT (Future Competences Pathways for Marketing and ICT Education) project developers.
“This student showed an exceptional desire to contribute to improving the course,” said Dr G. Romeika, coordinator of the two-year FuseIT project. “She tested the simulation scenarios developed in the MarTech courses and provided the project developers with valuable feedback on how the course could be improved, to make the training material useful to students in the Marketing Technology programme. The improved MarTech course will be integrated into the higher education curricula of the project partners (in Lithuania, Latvia, Romania and Portugal).”
“As a student of the MarTech programme, I also feel responsible for improving the programme, so I am glad that the university gives students an opportunity to contribute to improving the quality of our studies. I am proud that my insights into the material included in the course are appreciated. I am certain that these free online courses will benefit my fellow students, as well as graduates. Since all the material is available online, you don’t even have to leave your home to improve your marketing competencies,” said J. Bendinskaitė.
According to Dr G. Romeika, students who are motivated and are not afraid to offer their ideas encourage the lecturers not to rest on their laurels, but instead to constantly improve their study programmes. This cooperation is important for future students who will enjoy even higher-quality studies, all because the current students are contributing to the study process by not being afraid to ask questions and initiate discussions. All we have to do is enable them to be bold enough to express their thoughts and take risks.
“The most important thing is the desire to establish a relationship and then maintain it, which then leads to a mutual desire to listen and hear. In other words, ‘walking a mile in each other’s shoes’ is very important,” said the student. She also noted that this approach encourages each party not to jump to conclusions and helps avoid conflict, which then leads to the best results.
To note the importance of developing strong teacher-student relationships and having the courage to ask questions, VU is presenting an art project and a virtual exhibition implemented in collaboration with the documentary and portrait photographer Tadas Kazakevičius. The exhibition features a series of portraits of Dr G. Romeika and J. Bendinskaitė, revealing their sincere relationship.