Last month, on the 23^rd of May, the 2^nd international student scientific-practical conference “DISSEMINATION OF STUDENTS’ EXPERIENCE IN RESEARCH WORKS IN THE FIELD OF REHABILITATION 2023” was held at Kauno kolegija Higher Education Institution, which was organized by the Rehabilitation Department of the Faculty of Medicine. In order to expand accessibility and ensure the opportunity for international students to participate, the conference was organized remotely, through the Zoom programme.

During the plenary session of the conference, Milda Gintilienė, the head of the Rehabilitation Department at Kauno kolegija, extended a warm welcome to all attendees of the event. Also, the warm greetings were extended by Ernesta Lažauskienė, an organisation development and learning specialist representing the strategic partner, The Medical SPA “Eglės sanatorium”.

The first keynote speaker of the plenary session Dovilė Valatkienė, Physiotherapist, Member of the board of the Lithuanian Society of Physiotherapists shared her expertise on the topic „Equine Facilitated Therapy – the Alternative Method in Rehabilitation“.

The second keynote speaker of the plenary session Giedrė Sasnauskienė, Occupational therapist, and President of the Lithuanian Occupational Therapists Association shared her expertise on the topic „Sensory Attachment Intervention Features for Adolescents and Adults“.

The main part of the conference continued in 6 separate sections, two of which were held in English. The sections were moderated by teachers-experts who administered the fluent work and discussions: assist. Prof. Ph.D. Christina Athanasopoulou (University of West Attica, Greece), Assoc. Prof. PhD Hulya Yucel (University of Health Sciences, Istanbul, Turkey), Prof. Ph.D Manuel González Sánchez (University of Malaga, Spain), Ph.D Milda Žukauskienė (Vilniaus kolegija Higher Education Institution), Ph.D Laura Žlibinaitė, Ph.D Ligita Šilinė, and Ph.D Daiva Baltaduonienė (Kauno kolegija Higher Education Institution).

At the conference, about 70 presentations were developed by students from Higher education institutions: Klaipėdos Valstybinė Kolegija, Vilniaus kolegija Higher Education Institution, Vilnius University, Lithuanian Sports University, Kauno kolegija Higher Education Institution, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Vytautas Magnus University (Lithuania), University of Health Sciences (Turkey), Istanbul Medipol University (Turkey), University Francisco de Vitoria (Spain), University of West Attica (Greece), and Higher Educational Institution Fizioterapevtika (Slovenia).

Given that the conference theme was about rehabilitation, it is important to note that the majority of students in attendance were from the fields of physiotherapy and occupational therapy. However, there was also active participation from students studying programmes such as Adapted Physical Activity, Tourism and Sports Management, Medicine, Rehabilitation, Health and Rehabilitation, Midwifery, Environment, and Ecology. Participants were of all levels of study, from bachelors to Ph.D. students.

At the end of the conference, the moderators took the opportunity to share their reflections on the works presented in the different sections. The moderators commented on the overall quality of the work, the innovative methodologies employed, and the implications for future research and clinical practice. In addition, in each section, presentations were selected and recognised winners. Winners were awarded prizes established by partners/ sponsors „Eglės sanatorium “ and Dianeta.

The organising committee of the conference would like to thank to all the participants. This diverse representation of students from various study programmes highlighted the interdisciplinary nature of the conference, fostering a collaborative environment where different perspectives and expertise converge to contribute to the advancement of rehabilitation research.

Coming soon: The abstracts of the Conference „DISSEMINATION OF STUDENTS’ EXPERIENCE IN RESEARCH WORKS IN THE FIELD OF REHABILITATION 2023“ will be published in the electronic Book of Abstracts.