Every year, Kaunas University of Technology (KTU) accepts about 70 PhD students for state-funded doctoral studies, and about 30% of them are candidates from abroad. This year, KTU calls the applicants’ attention to the brand-new doctoral programme in mathematics and an increased state scholarship for doctoral students. Admissions open on June 5, 2024.
“KTU is one of the leading technology universities in the Baltic States with a well-established international reputation. The quality of the scientific infrastructure, the professional team of lecturers and many years of experience provide an excellent environment for research and studies,” says the KTU Vice-Rector for Research, Prof. Dr Kęstutis Baltakys.
Almost one third of KTU doctoral students are from abroad.
According to Baltakys, some of the PhD places are additionally won by the university’s researchers (artists) who participate in the competition conducted by the Lithuanian Research Council. Currently, KTU is the second in Lithuania in terms of the number of accepted PhD students.
The changing generations also mean that young researchers have a different view of the environment around them, which is why their education is so important. “It is important to choose a career as a researcher because of the opportunity to explore topical issues, to collaborate with other professionals in the field and to solve a variety of problems,” says KTu Vice-Rector for Research.
Reflecting on the beginning of his academic career, Professor Baltakys says that his PhD studies gave him the opportunity to contribute to scientific progress and personal development.
“I can’t say that I was already considering a career in science in the first year of my undergraduate studies. The deeper I delved into my research field and gained knowledge and experience, the more I saw what I could do with further studies,” says Prof. Baltakys, who completed his PhD in Chemical Engineering at KTU.
Unlike other levels of study, PhD students are admitted to a PhD programme to develop a specific topic of their choice. Some of the themes are the subject of joint research with companies, which has a major impact on innovation and technological development.
Reda Žilėnaitė, the Head of the KTU Doctoral School, says that doctoral studies promote state-of-the-art research based on the most relevant knowledge, which enables the development of new technologies or the improvement of existing technologies.
“The themes developed in collaboration with companies broaden the opportunities for PhD students – they can carry out their research not only at the university, but also in business enterprises. It also allows for practical application of the research work,” says Žilėnaitė.
Completing a PhD opens up a wide range of career opportunities, both at university and in business.
“Doctoral students can pursue a career in academia and join research teams and international projects. They can also enter the business sector, where the knowledge they have gained becomes a leverage for key decision-making, innovation and top performance,” says Prof. Baltakys.
From this year, the state support for students studying at a state-funded PhD places is increasing. “This year, the scholarship for the first-year PhD students amounts to EUR 1,045 per month, while for the second- to fourth-year PhD students it is EUR 1,210 per month,” says Žilėnaitė.
In addition to financial support, students who choose to pursue a PhD will have ample opportunities to benefit from additional KTU benefits: to receive additional funding for activities related to their studies and research, and to improve their general competences, such as communication, academic writing or languages, free of charge.
“We are seeing more and more employers paying attention to the need for soft skills in their workforce, and academia is no exception. Therefore, by providing the opportunity to improve general competences, we want to ensure the competitiveness of our students in the job market,” says the Head of KTU Doctoral School.
Doctoral students will also be able to take part in events, summer schools, partial studies and research internships abroad, join the activities of the KTU Doctoral Students’ Association and actively participate in leisure sports activities offered by the Sports and Wellness Centre.
This year KTU is launching a new PhD programme in mathematics, jointly run with Charles University in Prague (Czech Republic) and Georg-August Göttingen University (Germany).
“A PhD in Mathematics is special for several reasons. It is the only mathematics doctoral studis in Lithuania that is carried out together with prestigious foreign universities with high rankings. Both universities are ranked among the top 200-300 universities in the world,” says the Dean of the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences of KTU Bronė Narkevičienė.
These studies provide PhD students with the opportunity to experience international collaboration from the very beginning of their studies.
“The curriculum includes modules that allow PhD students to choose a very broad range of research interests. In addition, the nature of PhD research is oriented towards Lithuania’s scientific and economic growth and priority research areas, characterised by multidisciplinarity in the application of mathematical research in medicine, economics, mechanics and finance,” notes Assoc. Prof. Dr Narkevičienė.
Due to the above-mentioned features of the programme, PhD graduates will be able to pursue their careers in a wide range of fields in Lithuania or abroad. “We believe that the PhD programme in mathematics will not only improve the use of the existing human potential in mathematical science, but also make a significant contribution to the training of young mathematical scientists in Lithuania, the development of mathematical science, and the competitiveness of the Lithuanian economy,” adds the Dean of KTU Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences.
After completing a PhD in mathematics, as well as PhDs in other fields and defending their PhD thesis, future graduates will also be able to obtain a European Doctorate Certificate, a certificate of the internationality of their PhD.
Applications for doctoral studies in KTU-coordinated fields of study and accompanying documents are accepted online in the KTU Doctoral Programme Admissions Information System (DPIS) from 5 to 20 June. More information on the procedure of admission to K TU doctoral studies can be found here.
