Among the top 250 universities in the world by 2025 – this is the ultimate goal of Kaunas University of Technology (KTU) and Lithuanian University of Health Sciences (LSMU). The leading Lithuanian universities in technological, health and social sciences have taken the decision to consolidate their competences and to become one university, which will carry the historical name of the University of Lithuania.
Also, the close synergetic partnership processes have started between KTU and ISM University of Management and Economics.
The University of Lithuania will become an attractive place for research and studies to the world class researchers and the most talented students of the region, which will help to fulfil the national innovation potential. It is expected that the comprehensive university of global scope based in Lithuania will become the leader in the region.
The thorough project of the merger was introduced at Lithuanian Ministry of Education and Science, on Friday 22 January. It is anticipated that the main processes of joining KTU and LSMU will last about 3-4 years after the confirmation of the merger. The first students to the new university will be admitted on 1 September 2020.
“More than ten years ago Europe has taken the path of merging universities in order to consolidate resources, to increase the quality of research and studies, and to boost internationality. In Lithuania there are 14.5 higher education institutions for a million of people, whereas an average in European Union is 4.6. The numbers indicate the necessity of the optimisation of the higher education network in our country, which has been delayed for many years. We are expecting that politicians will authorise the decision and finally set the processes in action”, says KTU’s Rector Petras Baršauskas.
“Each of the universities taking part in this merger is a national leader in a certain field. However, after consolidating our research and studies potential we will climb to a higher level, becoming one of the strongest higher education institutions in the Baltics. Of course, for this process to run smoothly we need the support of the State. It needs to invest into the future, into the progress”, says Remigijus Žaliūnas, the Rector of LSMU.
The leaders of both universities emphasise the fact that in the last couple of years KTU and LSMU have been close partners rather than competitors.
