Benediktas Girdvainis

Education:

• Master‘s degree in Comparative Criminal Justice, cum laude, at Leiden University, Netherlands
• Leiden University Leadership Program, including the execution of a morale boosting project for the Leiden Municipality
• Bachelor’s degree in International Relations and Organizations at Leiden University
• Honours College program at Leiden University, specialization in Science and Society

Professional Experience:

• Anti-Money Laundering Officer at Danske Bank in Vilnius
• Volunteering soldier in the Lithuanian Armed Forces

Motivation

During my studies of politics and law in the Netherlands, I met many academics and had a number of debates on values. Eventually, I realized that the neutrality-justified disengagement from making concrete change and sitting in an ivory tower was not for me. So immediately after graduating with a Master’s degree, I decided to contribute directly to building prosperity and solving challenges in the public sector. However, I have also retained the view that science-based evidence is essential for effective decision-making. 

After reading about Create Lithuania, I found out that it supports research-based decision-making and promotes a dialogue between science, government, businesses, and society. The results are remarkable. I firmly believe that my professional and academic background will also contribute to concrete steps towards Lithuania’s ambitions. I am also confident that I will not fail to match the efforts of past generations.

Rotation