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Relational Internationalization in the Periphery: Attracting and Retaining International Talent Beyond “Brain Gain”

EAIR is pleased to support this symposium, hosted by Futura Scientia and the Education Policy Centre at Vilnius University, taking place immediately after the EAIR Forum 2026.

Date: 28 August 2026
Time: 15:30 – 17:30
Venue: Vilnius University, Faculty of Philosophy, Room 207
Address: Universiteto str. 9, Vilnius, Lithuania
Participation: Free of charge

Programme

Keynote:
“International Academic Mobility and Talent Retention: A Perspective from Japan”
Prof. Dr. Futao Huang
Faculty Member, Research Institute for Higher Education, Hiroshima University (Japan)

Panel Discussion:
“Attracting Is Not Enough: Retention, Belonging, and Institutional Change” Chair: Prof. dr. Liudvika Leišytė, Deputy Director of Center of Higher Education @ TU Dortmund (Germany)

Panelists:

  • prof. dr. Gintaras Valušis, Vice-Rector @Vilnius University (Lithuania)
  • assoc. prof. dr. Ainius Lašas, Dean of Faculty of Social Sciences Humanities and Arts @Kaunas Technology University (Lithuania)
  • prof. dr. Eugenijus Butkus, Former Chair @ Research Council of Lithuania
  • Alina Boutiuc-Kaiser, Faculty Member of Institute of Educational Sciences @ University of Education Freiburg (Germany)
  • prof. dr. Daumantas Matulis, Professor at LifeSciences Center @ Vilnius University (Lithuania)
  • Karina Maldonado-Mariscal, Senior Researcher of Social Research Centre @ TU Dortmund (Germany), Visiting Professor @Kaunas Technology University (Lithuania)
  • Toma Pustelnikovaitė, Lecturer @ Cardiff University (UK)
  • prof. dr. Ramūnas Stepanauskas, Senior Research Scientist @ Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences (US), Professor @ Aalborg University (Denmark)

This symposium invites scholars, practitioners, and policymakers to reflect on the challenges of attracting and retaining international talent in higher education systems beyond the traditional “brain gain” narrative, with a particular focus on relational and contextual dimensions of internationalization.

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Sustainable Travel Ideas for the EAIR Cork Forum

Travelling from Europe

Visitors from Europe can travel via Eurostar from Paris to London and from there by train to Wales and by boat to Dublin. Travellers can then take the train or bus to Cork. Alternatively, there is a daily boat connection from Roscoff or Calais (in Northern France) directly to Ringaskiddy, Cork.  

Link for Direct Ferries: https://www.directferries.ie/

Travelling from the UK

There are ways to travel to and from Ireland without flying, as there are train and bus services that link with ferry services across the Irish Sea which connect several ports in England, Wales and Scotland with Irish ferry ports of Rosslare, Dublin or Belfast with ongoing travel by car, bus or train. 

Cross County Rail Services

Where taking a flight is necessary, attendees are encouraged to consider direct flights to Ireland (Cork, Dublin) airports and to use cross country rail services where a direct flight to Cork is not possible.

Link for Irish rail: https://www.irishrail.ie/en-ie/

Travel options in Cork

Cork is a city where active travel options are both available and encouraged – walking and cycling.  Visitors to Cork City can get a 3 day TFI bike subscription.

Link to TFI Bike Subscription: https://www.bikeshare.ie/pricing-and-subscriptions.html

All accommodation options and EAIR Forum venues in Cork can be accessed easily by foot. 

Offsetting Travel Emissions

Forum attendees are invited to offset the unfavourable impact of air travel by combining attendance at the Cork forum with other meetings in Ireland, the UK and Europe. 

Forum attendees who wish to consider sustainable travel options may also wish to combine their attendance at the Cork EAIR Forum with their annual holiday and by so doing minimise the number of air flights taken in 2024.