Tomas Moška thinks we should go towards a new educational system. Tomas is an EUR alumnus, founder of the Turing Society at our university and of the international Turing College. The Turing College is a data science and AI educational technology career school that enables students to learn at their own pace on a peer-driven remote learning platform. He is also one of the speakers at the Opening Academic Year 2022 - 2023. We had the chance to speak to him already.
Educational differences
Tomas thinks that in terms of university education, the difference is still staggering. ''In the Netherlands you have a much higher quality of education, the level of professors is really high and student organizations are vibrant.'' Tomas compares it to situation in his home country: ''In Lithuania, on the other hand, while students don't have a great curriculum or world-class professors, they tend to start professional work much faster. It is extremely common to start taking part in internships or junior positions in the field that you see yourself in. This helps them build valuable experience much earlier.''
A safe place to fail
It is vital to make the educational system more adapted to the personal needs and wishes of students, Tomas says. Specifically about Erasmus University Rotterdam he thinks: ''At the scale of EUR, with 30+ thousand students, I believe student organizations can teach what is not necessarily in the curriculum & provide a little something for everyone. Skills like leadership, time management, and decision-making are incredibly important in today's world, yet I believe it's impossible to teach them in a classroom. There is no better way to learn than through real-world situations in a safe place to fail. Having said that, I would love for EUR to make use of this opportunity and create better incentives for students to participate in & start new student organizations.''
A bigger voice for students
So the solution is that going towards a two-way system in which students have a bigger voice and are heard? Tomas is clear on this: ''I believe we must. Today, you can complete any bachelor's degree online for no tuition fee, no need to relocate away from your family, and do that while studying at your own pace. We are no longer in times where information is scarce and you must go to university to acquire knowledge. Students nowadays have many other options, and only by being student-friendly, a university can keep bright students applying. That includes hearing them out, understanding their needs, and adapting to support these needs.''
''Truth be told, everyone is a loser at the start''
Keep trying!
What are the lessons Tomas and his team have learned while working with their Turing Society? Tomas shares: ''Turing is a community that was started with a want to help a few students (ourselves included), and now we already have been a life-changing experience for thousands. The biggest learning in this journey for us was that things take time. It's quite easy to drop something if you're not instantly good at it, be it sports, music, or entrepreneurship. Truth be told, everyone is a loser at the start. We unfortunately are not born with incredible knowledge. What's important is that you do what you truly enjoy, and if you are lucky enough to have an opportunity to do it for a long enough time, you will not only become good, but great at it.''