Kauno kolegija maintains leading positions in the national rankings
The magazine ‘Reitingai’ annually ranks Lithuania’s public and private universities and higher education institutions based on more than 30 evaluation criteria. The latest rankings published yesterday reveal that Kauno kolegija Higher Education Institution has, for several consecutive years, confidently remained among the leading higher education institutions.
Kauno kolegija achieved some of its highest scores in the fields of science and arts, as well as in the categories of students and studies. These indicators reflect the institution’s qualitative growth – achievements in applied science and the arts demonstrate an increasing research potential, while the fact that last year Kauno kolegija enrolled the highest number of the country’s most talented school graduates, who achieved 86–100 per cent in national matriculation examinations, confirms the high quality of studies trusted by applicants.
Choice of the country’s most talented school graduates and focus on study quality
‘First of all, I would like to express sincere gratitude to the entire Kauno kolegija community and our social partners. These evaluations confirm that only by being proactive, setting the highest quality standards, and working consistently and responsibly can we maintain leading positions. This is particularly encouraging given the number of ongoing changes within the organisation – I am pleased that the community is accepting and responding to them responsibly, while we collectively understand and identify the areas that require improvement,’ says the Director of Kauno kolegija, Dr Andrius Brusokas.
According to the Director, Kauno kolegija’s leading position in the students and studies category is the result of long-term, consistent and purposeful work. Dr A. Brusokas emphasises that these achievements directly align with one of the Kauno kolegija’s strategic priorities – to be a higher education institution that develops future competences and strengthens international competitiveness.
Vice Director for Studies, Jolanta Bareikienė, highlights that high-quality studies and the preparation of specialists capable of meeting the constantly changing needs of the labour market remain one of the institution’s key priorities.
The fact that the most talented school graduates in Lithuania choose Kauno kolegija among higher education institutions, according to the Vice Director for Studies, confirms that Kauno kolegija is moving in the right direction.
‘To ensure high-quality studies, we do not limit ourselves to updating study programmes content. We continuously maintain close cooperation with social partners, who are actively involved in study field committees, provide feedback on the relevance of study content, participate in assessing student achievements, and initiate joint projects,’ says J. Bareikienė.
According to the Vice Director, the development of entrepreneurship and creativity competences is also becoming an important factor in study quality. This helps students not only acquire professional knowledge but also develop the ability to generate innovative ideas, think critically, solve complex problems, and take initiative in creating new activities or projects.
‘An important contribution to strengthening these competences is made by Kauno kolegija’s entrepreneurship and creativity centre ‘ideaPoint’, which enables students to test their ideas in practice through hackathons, participate in mentoring programmes, and work with representatives of business and the public sector in addressing real-world challenges,’ J. Bareikienė shares.
Modern infrastructure and researchers’ expertise ensure high achievements in applied science
and the arts
Vice Director for Research and Development at Kauno kolegija, Dr Inga Stravinskienė, emphasises that the high rankings in science and the arts are the result of a consistent strategy and investment in the quality of applied research.
‘The first successful Research Council of Lithuania research group project and successful R&D partnership with business demonstrate the Kauno kolegija’s growing scientific potential and its ability to compete at the highest level,’ says Dr I. Stravinskienė.
High achievements in applied science and the arts are also directly linked to the consistently developed quality of artistic activities. Dr I. Stravinskienė notes that the targeted development of specialised infrastructure enables researchers at the Faculty of Arts and Education to achieve the highest standards of applied research and ensure competitiveness.
‘In contemporary higher education, the quality of art is no longer just a creative process – it is high-level applied research. For example, the newly opened Laboratory for Physical and Chemical Material Research enables researchers at the Faculty of Arts and Education to further expand the scope of their studies and develop innovative solutions,’ emphasises the Vice Director.
According to her, this strengthens the position of arts professionals in interdisciplinary projects and ensures the highest standards of artistic activities.
‘Modern infrastructure and investment in human capital are fundamental conditions for ensuring the highest standards of activity – both in applied science and in the arts,’ Dr I. Stravinskienė concludes.