Lithuania

The Republic of Lithuania is the largest and most populous of the three Baltic States. Lithuania sits along the Baltic Sea and shares borders with Latvia, Belarus, Poland and Russian Federation. Geographers claim that the geographical centre of Europe is located a few miles from Lithuania's capital city, Vilnius. Situated at the heart of Europe, with a dynamic economy and a rich history, Lithuania should be on every international graduate student's shortlist of study destinations.

History

Since its establishment as an independent state in 1236, Lithuania has had a turbulent political history. Formally one of the largest and most powerful countries in 13th century Europe, Lithuania was subsequently involved in a constant struggle to retain its independence and unique identity. More recently, in 1990, Lithuania's independence was regained and in 2004, Lithuania became a member state of the EU. Lithuania is currently enjoying rapid economic growth and is more successful than other former USSR economies.

Higher Education in Lithuania

In general, there are two types of higher education institutions in Lithuania: universities (where university studies prevail) and colleges (where non-university studies prevail).

University studies are organized in three cycles: first cycle (undergraduate, Bachelor) studies, second cycle (graduate, Master’s, specialized professional) studies, third cycle (post-graduate, residency, doctoral and post-graduate-art) studies.

There are 48 institutions of higher education in total but these can be broken down as the following: 15 state universities, 9 non-state universities, 16 state colleges and 11 non-state colleges.

Internationalization

Lithuania is an active supporter and implementer of Bologna process. Lithuania has made significant changes in its higher education system to facilitate and accommodate international students. The introduction of the three-cycle-higher education system makes Lithuania consistent with many other European countries. Lithuania has implemented the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) which makes it easier for international students to make their existing qualifications compatible with the national credit system. Programs and courses are increasingly being offered in foreign languages.

Lithuanian institutions of higher education actively participate in various international programmes and develop links with foreign higher education, which serve as a basis for student, teacher and scientist exchange.

The EU Socrates/Erasmus program is the most popular in Lithuania, and is joined by almost all Lithuanian institutions of higher education. Academic exchange programs are currently carried out with numerous countries including: Belarus, Belgium (Flanders), Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Greece, India, Spain, Italy, Japan, China, Latvia, Poland, Mexico and Switzerland.

Sports

You will often hear Lithuanians jokingly say that Basketball is their no.2 religion. Basketball is extremely popular in Lithuania and the team have even enjoyed Olympic success in 1992, 1996 and 2000 with bronze medals. However, many leisure and sporting opportunities are available in Lithuania besides basketball. In the winter you can go cross-country skiing, ice-skating and tobogganing and in the summer, water sports such as windsurfing, sailing or canoe polo are very popular.

Culture

Lithuania has a rich cultural scene. The cities and towns are a melting pot of various architectural styles from including baroque, gothic and renaissance. Vilnius is home to numerous historical sites of interest including Gedimas Castle built in the 13th Century, the Church of St. Anne with its stunning gothic architecture and the Cathedral built in classic Greek and Roman style.

Lithuania celebrates its cultural heritage with a vast array of museums and collections; most of these are located in the Old Town of Vilnius and in the second largest city in Lithuania, Kaunas. From the extraordinary Devil’s Museum in the centre of Kaunas to the poignant Museum of Genocide Victims in Vilnius, Lithuania has something for everyone.

Finance

The currency in Lithuania is Litas (Lt). Approximately, one dollar equates to 2.66 Lt and one Euro is 3.45 Lt. According to calculations made by Vilnius University, the total monthly living expenses of a single student are around 1200 Lt including accommodation. Food expenses are approximately 600 Lt per month and a monthly ticket for public transport within Vilnius costs from 8,00 to 12,00 Lt depending on mode of transport.

However, international students who come to Lithuania for studies or research under the sponsorship of governmental agreements get grants. Some of the agreements stipulate covering such expenses as travel, insurance, tuition fee, accommodation, etc.