Even though the discussion on the much needed reform of Lithuanian higher education institutions has started more than a decade ago, only Kaunas University of Technology (KTU) took this path unwaveringly. The largest internal reorganisation which affected all areas of University activities, including human and other resources’ management, studies and education, initiated by the University itself started in 2013. It was the first initiative of this kind in the history of independent Lithuania.
In the two years of KTU’s Renewal Programme much has been done. Regarding the optimisation of University’s activities and concentration of the potential of studies and science, both 14 faculties and 14 research institutes have been transformed into 9 and 9, 114 departments and centres into 73. KTU also abandoned activities which were uncharacteristic to an institution of higher education. Furthermore, the first integrated mentoring programme in Lithuania has been implemented, and curriculum committees have been established. Overall, a total number of 29 activities have been embodied.
At the end of the year, by optimising the KTU asset management, another unprecedented pilot project was launched – the sale of strategically inadequate real estate of the University, investing the funds received into the renewal and development of its infrastructure.
According to the initiator of KTU Renewal Programme, KTU Rector Petras Baršauskas, in order to become and to remain a leader in your country, in the region, and in Europe, it is absolutely necessary to timely respond to societal changes and to global trends. One of the short-term future objectives is consolidation and merger of universities.
Why did KTU need reorganisation? What are the main strategic objectives? – We asked Mr. Baršauskas.
First the idea of the reform itself came. At that time, not only the University leadership was changing (Baršauskas was elected as a KTU Rector in 2011 ─ ed. note.), but also overall legal situation in Lithuanian higher education institutions was reformed. After the reform, the Council was appointed to function next to the Senate, which made the Rector less dependent on the Senate. This opened new possibilities for certain activities, and higher education institutions started to be perceived as organisations that should be managed by professionals.
Another important aspect is that a lot of new people from business sector and other fields came to work at the University. They had an ‘outsider’s’ point of view, which provided a fresh outlook towards KTU management and activities and allowed to discover what might be missing and what needs to be changed. I am a man of change, and I am aware that it is not possible to move forward without changes, therefore we began to generate ideas in order to see what changes are necessary and how to implement them.
Everything started with the development of the strategy. After it was created, we discovered that there were many interconnected and complex things – it was not possible to change one thing without changing the other. The resulting critical mass of like-minded people enabled us to develop and to launch the Renewal Programme, which has affected all fields and functions of the University ─ from structure to study content.
Perhaps the timing to perform changes was right because people were ready for them psychologically?
People have been ready for changes for ten or fifteen years, but they were not being implemented, because of impeding certain interests and inertia. My respectable elder colleagues listened to what I had to say and always told me, “What you are saying is right, all your plans are solid, but maybe we should wait a little. I only have five years left before I retire”. With this attitude one could not achieve any success. This is one of essential reasons preventing radical reforms in universities.
Which works accomplished would you consider as the most important?
I could name a few. One of them would be the structural optimisation of the University, which happened for the first time since its foundation. However, I would like to emphasize the achievement, which is both the most important and most difficult to change: that is peoples’ mindset and mentality.
People developed a new attitude towards the University management. Previously, it was common to think that a University had to be managed by technical staff controlled by professorship. It was a taboo to say that a University is a regular business enterprise, controlled by professionals, not just the rector or vice-rectors. We were the first ones to employ an Executive Director. Employees noticed that it worked and was necessary.
Also, the attitude towards young people, their skills and estimations has changed – partnership emerged. Now students have an impact on making important decisions, provide serious recommendations, e.g. when the annual budget is being considered.
Study reform is considered as one of the main achievements of the Renewal Programme ─ KTU was the first in Lithuania to establish study programme committees. What does it mean?
Our goal is to open the study programmes because their development and all involved processes are confined to one department – this situation is common in all Lithuanian universities. Formation of Study Programme Committees, chaired by independent programme directors, with the assistance of consultants and disposing the budget is the highlight of this academic year.
What will come next after the Renewal Programme is implemented? What is the vision of the further development of the University?
I want to emphasize that, although the projects of KTU’s Renewal Programme were being carried out from 2013 until 2014, changes and their implementation, and further improvements are continuous. Such large-scale changes might not be necessary but constant renewal and reaction to external demands are essential.
Recent trends, as can be seen in the examples of Sweden, France, Finland, and Denmark, is the merger of universities and their consolidation. There is a new term to describe such universities ─ a comprehensive university, i.e. containing everything in itself, no longer specialised or niche University.
We are also going down this road, promoting interdisciplinarity and cross disciplinarity. The first big step will be implemented in the next academic year, when three joint curriculum programmes together with the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences will start.
