From 21 to 25 September 2026, four students from the Faculty of Civil Engineering at Vilnius College, accompanied by Associate Professor Andrius Gulbinas, travelled to the Mainz University of Applied Sciences (Hochschule Mainz, Germany), where they took part in the international ‘Erasmus+’ blended intensive programme (BIP) ‘Bridge Engineering’.
The programme also involved students and lecturers from the University of Applied Sciences in Mainz (Germany), Halmstad University (Sweden) and the West Pomeranian University of Technology in Szczecin (Poland).
During the contact week, the main focus was on practical bridge design and international teamwork. Working in mixed international groups, students prepared a detailed bridge design: they developed design concepts, analysed structural solutions, familiarised themselves with structural analysis software, and prepared a construction concept and final project documentation. At the end of the week, the teams presented their design solutions. Participants also examined maintenance strategies for existing bridges and the structures of timber bridges, worked with MOLA structural models, and put the construction principle of the Leonardo da Vinci bridge to the test in practice.
One of the most important practical activities of the programme was a technical visit to the city of Worms. There, the participants visited the bridge over the Rhine and gained first-hand insight into the bridge’s structural design, as well as issues relating to its operation and maintenance.
The BIP programme gave students the opportunity to deepen their knowledge of bridge design and construction and to apply it in practice whilst working in international teams. Working alongside students from different countries allowed them to compare engineering approaches, improve their professional communication skills in English and gain experience of international project work.
Participation in the programme also helped to strengthen cooperation between the Faculty of Civil Engineering at Vilnius College and foreign higher education institutions, and laid the foundations for further joint study and international initiatives.
