Kaunas University of Technology

Year of foundation: 1922
Approx. number of students: 10,500
Period of study: Early September-End January; Early February-End August
MCI partner since: 2016

The City

Kaunas is the second-largest city in Lithuania and has historically been a leading centre of Lithuanian economic, academic, and cultural life. Kaunas was the biggest city and the centre of a county in Trakai Municipality of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania since 1413. In the Russian Empire it was the capital of the Kaunas Governorate from 1843 to 1915. It became the only temporary capital city in Europe during the interwar period. Now it is the capital of Kaunas County, the seat of the Kaunas city municipality and the Kaunas District Municipality. It is also the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kaunas. Kaunas is located at the confluence of the two largest Lithuanian rivers, the Nemunas and the Neris, and near the Kaunas Reservoir, the largest body of water entirely in Lithuania. Kaunas has approx. 300,000 inhabitants.

The University

Kaunas University of Technology (KTU) is a public research university. Initially established on January 27, 1920, the school was known as "Higher Courses". With an increased rate of staffing and attendance, the school was instituted as the first independent higher education institution within Lithuania by the government on February 16, 1922. Renamed Vytautas Magnus in 1930, the university specialized in four areas: civil engineering, mechanics, electrical engineering, and chemical technology. The turmoil of World War II brought combinations of Soviet, then German, and finally Soviet re-occupation, numerous name changes and an eventual closing of the university in 1943. After re-occupation by the Soviets in 1944, the University reopened and eventually reformed into Kaunas Polytechnic Institute (KPI) and Kaunas Medical Institute in 1946. Under the influence of Perestroika, the Soviet Lithuanian government reinstated the schools university status, and it was renamed the Kaunas University of Technology (KTU). Independence from the Soviet Union brought rapid westernization with a flexible module/credit system and membership to many Western European organizations.

Since the establishment in 1922, the University has produced more than 125 000 graduates. Following Lithuanian independence, KTU has issued over 1000 doctoral, and 62,000 bachelor's and master's degrees.

With a current academic staff of almost 3000 employees and nearly 17,000 students, KTU stands as the largest technical university in the Baltic States.

www.internet.ktu.lt/en/index5.html

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