Vilnius University, Institute of International Relations and Political Science

Vilnius University, Institute of International Relations and Political Science (TSPMI)

About TSPMI

Vilnius University, Institute of International Relations and Political Science (TSPMI). TSPMI is Lithuania's leading research and teaching institution in political science, international relations, and public policy. The Institute conducts policy-relevant research on European security, political economy, and regional affairs, with strong connections to policymakers in Lithuania and the EU.

Project:

The intern will contribute to one or more ongoing research projects in international political economy and security:

NATO burden-sharing: Analyzing experimental data on public attitudes toward defense spending; assisting with revise-and-resubmit responses for papers using panel difference-in-differences and spatial econometric methods. https://www.tspmi.vu.lt/en/tyrimas/25174/

Wage bargaining and growth: Investigating how wage bargaining institutions and varieties of capitalism shape economic performance in the European Union, using quantitative panel methods. https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5039648

Fintech regulation: Examining the political determinants of cryptocurrency, payments, and financial technology regulation across countries using mixed methods. 

Industrial policy (if qualitatively inclined): Case study research on state capacity and transformative industrial policy in Central and Eastern Europe. https://www.tspmi.vu.lt/en/projektas/state-capacity-for-transformative-industrial-policy-in-central-eastern-europe/

Weeks 1–2 (Onboarding): Literature review, familiarization with existing datasets and code, replication of key analyses.

Weeks 3–8 (Core Research): Depending on skills and project needs, tasks may include: analyzing experimental data and drafting results sections; running robustness checks and extensions for revise-and-resubmit responses; building or extending fintech regulatory datasets; conducting expert interviews or case study research for the industrial policy project.

Weeks 9–10 (Output): Draft a working paper section or standalone research note; present findings to the department; document all work for continuity.

Eligibility and Skills Required:

The internship is open to continuing graduate students. Students from any department are welcome to apply. Applicants must be in good academic standing with a GPA of 3.3 or higher. 

Additional required skills and characteristics include:

• Required: Graduate student (MA or PhD) in political science, international relations, economics, or public policy.
• Preferred (quantitative track): Training in quantitative methods (regression analysis, panel data, or experimental methods) and experience with Stata, R, or Python.
• Preferred (qualitative track): Strong qualitative research skills—process-tracing, expert interviews, case study methods—for students interested in the industrial policy or fintech projects. Interest in European security, transatlantic relations, fintech, or political economy is a plus for either track.

Language Requirement:

N/A

Location:

The internship is located in Vilnius, Lithuania

For many students, especially U.S. citizens, a short-term stay of up to 90 days in Lithuania (within the Schengen area) may not require a visa, depending on their nationality and the duration and legal status of the stay. However, visa requirements ultimately depend on the student’s citizenship and the exact length and legal format of the internship.

Stipend:

FSI is committed to providing its opportunities to students regardless of financial constraints. FSI’s Global Policy Interns are provided with a stipend to cover travel and living expenses during the summer. These stipends do not exceed $7,000 per student. Students must submit a budget with their estimated costs along with their application. If you have additional financial constraints that you think may prevent you from participating in this program, please contact FSI Academic Program Coordinator Patrick Laboon directly.

Application:

Applicants will be asked to submit:

• Application Form
• Name of faculty reference (letter of recommendation not required)
• CV/Resume
• Unofficial Transcript
• Budget

Frequently Asked Questions

Please Note: You may only apply to one FSI Global Policy Internship