Background

Arnas’s academic and professional interests have long sat at the intersection of politics, finance and European affairs. His background in politics and international relations first developed his interest in how institutions function, how policy is shaped, and how decisions taken at European level affect things at a local level.

Alongside his professional work, Arnas is currently reading for a Master’s degree in Financial Engineering at Vilnius Tech in Lithuania. His studies have allowed him to explore another side of many of the issues that already interested him, particularly the relationship between policy, financial markets, investment and technological development.

Before joining AcrossLimits, Arnas gained experience across communications, public affairs, civil society and political work. Much of this involved familiarising himself with complex subjects, then adapting materials and communicating them to a wide range of audiences. This background proved particularly useful when he moved into EU proposal development with AcrossLimits.

Role at AcrossLimits

As a Senior Technical Writing Officer at AcrossLimits, Arnas works primarily on the development of proposals for European funding programmes. His role involves researching funding calls, contributing to project concepts, drafting and refining proposals, and consolidating contributions from different partners.

The variety of the work is one of the aspects he enjoys most. Depending on the week, this can mean getting to grips with anything from a new technology or business model to education, social policy or the finer details of European funding rules. Arnas has a particular interest in proposals related to finance, emerging technologies and investment ecosystems, as well as topics related to poverty alleviation, where his academic, personal and professional interests have a habit of converging.

He also values the international nature of the work. European projects bring together organisations with very different backgrounds, priorities and areas of expertise, making proposal development something of an exercise in figuring out how all the pieces of a rather complicated puzzle are supposed to fit together.

The flexibility and independence offered by AcrossLimits are another part of the job he appreciates, particularly given that he combines his work with his studies.

Life Outside of AcrossLimits

Outside office hours, and when he is not trying to catch up with his studies, Arnas enjoys spending time away from his screen. This usually means long walks, catching a train to a nearby town, visiting art exhibitions, cat-spotting, and (slowly but surely) building up a collection of coffee paraphernalia. The urge to escape from screens does, however, regularly clash with his interest in gaming, so maintaining the balance remains a work in progress.