The participants of the 6th International Teaching and Staff Training Week (Global Faculty Week 2025), organised by the International Relations Department at KTU, came from 28 different countries around the world.
The traditional, much-anticipated event took place at the beginning of May. It brought together more than 100 participants from 71 universities representing 28 countries around the world, to strengthen the internationalisation of study programmes and promote academic cooperation with colleagues from universities around the world.
“Every year I discover new ideas, and the hospitality of the organisers always leaves a great impression,” says Guillermo Mosquera from the International University of Ecuador, who read lectures at the KTU’s Faculty of Electrical and Electronics Engineering.
Interesting thematic workshops were organised by Professor Tomas Blažauskas of the Faculty of Informatics, while Neringa Dubauskienė, lecturer at the Faculty of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, gave a lecture “Artificial or Intellectual – the Future of Higher Education”, which was very popular among the guests.
“What an incredible week this was. I learned so much more about AI tools in Higher Education than what I thought I knew. The people of Kaunas were so warm and welcoming and the KTU staff also made us feel so welcome,” said Lerato Sono from the University of Pretoria in South Africa.
All KTU faculties welcomed international guests
Lecturers from different faculties integrated the guest lectures into their teaching modules, and the international colleagues went beyond the academic curriculum and actively participated in all the activities offered.
“The Global Faculty Week was very intense and productive; the organisers put a lot of work into making everything run smoothly. I appreciate the opportunity to be part of it,” said Roman Banakh, who came from Lviv Polytechnic National University in Ukraine to read lectures to the students at the Faculty of Informatics. He thoroughly enjoyed the tour of the KTU campus, especially the visit to the M-Lab and the Renewable Energy Laboratory.
All KTU faculties welcomed guests, but the largest number of participants was hosted by the Faculties of Electrical and Electronics, Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities, Mechanical Engineering and Design, and the School of Economics and Business.
Virginijus Baranauskas, Associate Professor at the Faculty of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, who actively participates in the Global Faculty Week every year, hosted colleagues from the Czech Republic, Spain, Norway and Ecuador, most of whom he has a long-standing cooperation with.
Over the years, the cooperation has expanded to the Faculty of Electrical and Electronics Engineering and now includes faculty and student exchanges funded by Erasmus+ and Nordplus programmes, jointly prepared project proposals and planned joint research.
The geography of the guests spans from South Africa to Ukraine
The geography of the guests from the Faculty of Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities was impressive: the teachers came from universities in South Africa, Poland, Romania and Ukraine, while colleagues from Brazil and India gave lectures remotely. While some colleagues, such as those from the University of Pristina, Kosovo, came for the first time, others visit KTU regularly.
Lecturers and students enjoyed the high quality of the lectures. The guests, in turn, were impressed by their experiences.
“I have discovered interesting spaces at the School, such as the Digi Lab, and it was interesting to try out the AI tools at KTU, which I will use in my lectures,” said Fabien Eymas from the University of Upper Alsace in France, who also initiated a new cooperation agreement with the School of Economics and Business.
Rasa Lalienė, Associate Professor of the School, who hosted the largest number of international lecturers, was pleased to note that the cooperation with the University of Johannesburg in South Africa is developing successfully. In autumn 2025, the school plans to host a large group of MBA students from this University, who will not only attend lectures but will also visit Lithuanian companies. The cooperation with Prof. Ben Dippe from Ulm University of Applied Sciences in (Germany) is also continuing. Prof. Dippe not only came to teach but also brought some of his students, who visited several Lithuanian companies and carried out joint tasks together with KTU students.
Global Faculty Week, a strategic university initiative
“This event presented an opportunity not only to give lectures but also to make new friends among the colleagues,” said Keti Tskhadadze, who came from the University of Georgia. She also enjoyed taking part in discussions and training sessions on the integration of DI in higher education.
“The programme masterfully combined academic activities with cultural experiences and created a meaningful environment for professional development and partnership building. The whole week provided valuable insights into global practices in higher education,” said Tskhadadze.
The students of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Design were taught by 13 lecturers from 8 countries. Some of the colleagues from Europe and Africa (Tanzania), and lecturers from partner universities in Malaysia and Indonesia were delivering lectures remotely.
“This event promotes knowledge exchange, academic cooperation and creates a platform for new projects. It is an investment in long-term partnerships and the development of internationalisation at KTU. Therefore, let’s say, see you in Kaunas next year,” says Gintarė Vilbikienė, Head of the KTU International Relations Department’s Academic Mobility and Networks Unit.
