IFL lecturer V. Žiūraitė’s visit to South African universities
On 17–21 November 2025, Vigilija Žiūraitė, a Spanish language lecturer at the Institute of Foreign Languages of Vytautas Magnus University, visited the Universities of Pretoria and Cape Town in South Africa. The visit was organised by the Association of Hispanists of South Africa (AHSA) in collaboration with local academic institutions.
On November 17, the lecturer visited the Lithuanian Embassy in Pretoria, where she was warmly welcomed by Ambassador Rasa Jankauskaitė. During the meeting, they discussed the dynamics of academic cooperation between Lithuania and South Africa, current international relations, and opportunities for the development of Spanish language studies in the region. On the same day, she visited the University of Pretoria, where she was welcomed by AHSA President Luis Lancho Perea and members of the university community. The meetings focused on innovations in language teaching, exchange of experiences, and potential joint initiatives between VMU and the University of Pretoria.
Later, the lecturer participated in the IX International Conference of Hispanists at the University of Cape Town, where she presented a paper entitled “IA en acción: diseño de experiencias personalizadas en la enseñanza de ELE”. The presentation introduced artificial intelligence-based personalised learning experiences and their application possibilities in teaching Spanish as a foreign language.
The contacts established during the visit with higher education institutions in South Africa and the Lithuanian diplomatic representation open up new opportunities for cooperation in the fields of language teaching, research and international projects.
