Kaunas University of Technology Science and Technology Center
Kaunas University of Technology (abbreviated as KTU, Lithuanian: Kauno technologijos universitetas) is a publicresearch university located in Kaunas, Lithuania. Established in 1922, KTU has been seen as one of Lithuania's top science education centers. According to rankings conducted in 2021, KTU was the second-best university in Lithuania.[1] The primary language spoken in courses is Lithuanian, although there are courses that are taught jointly in Lithuanian and English or solely in English.
History
Early years
The origins of KTU go back to the University of Lithuania, which was established on 16 February 1922.[2] On 8 June 1930, the university was renamed Vytautas Magnus University. The university then consisted of seven faculties: the Faculty of Theology and Philosophy, the Faculty of Evangelical Theology, the Faculty of Humanities, the Faculty of Law, the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, the Faculty of Medicine, and the Faculty of Technology. The beginning of 1940 saw the reorganization of the Vytautas Magnus University with The Faculties of Law and Humanities being transferred to the University of Vilnius.
World War II and the Soviet Era
On 21 August 1940, following Soviet occupation, the university was renamed to the University of Kaunas. In the autumn of 1940, the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences was transferred to the University of Vilnius. After the German occupation in 1941,[3] the university was once again renamed to Vytautas Magnus University with five faculties: Theology, Philosophy, Technology, Civil Engineering, and Mathematics. On 17 March 1943, the university was closed.
On 13 November 1944, the Soviet government reopened the university, and until 1946, it operated under the name of Kaunas National Vytautas Magnus University. In June 1949 the Faculty of History and Theology was closed. In 1950 the University of Kaunas was reorganised into Kaunas Polytechnic Institute (KPI) and Kaunas Medical Institute. Throughout the Soviet era, the KPI resisted Russification and, in particular, kept teaching in the Lithuanian language.[2]
Under the influence of Perestroika, the government of Lithuanian SSR reinstated the school's university status. In 1989, Vytautas Magnus University was re-established as a separate university from KPI.[4] In 1990, KPI was renamed to its current name, Kaunas University of Technology.
The Kaunas University of Technology has 122 study programmes, of which 48 are bachelor's, 54 are master's, 19 are doctoral and 1 is a non-degree student programme. Of the 122 offered programmes, 56 are taught in English. The university has more than 9,000 students, of which more than 6,600 are bachelor's, 2,000 are master's and 320 are doctoral students. Approximately 6.5 percent of the student population is foreign.[5] KTU also engages in research of physical, technological, and social sciences, and experimental development, while research of biomedical sciences and humanities is also promoted.
In 1998 the KTU Regional Business Incubator was established. It is the first technology business incubator in Lithuania, providing support to enterprises interested in starting new businesses.[10]
In 2008, Rymantas Jonas Kažys[11] was awarded the National Award for Partnership Advancement for creating technologies of supersonic measurement and diagnostics and for the commencement of European scientific research and practice.
In 2010, Jurgis Kazimieras Staniškis, head of the Institute of Environmental Engineering, was awarded the Baltic Sea Award 2010.[12] Staniškis is currently the only Lithuanian scientist to receive this award.
In 2010 an agreement on the Integrated Science, Studies and Business Center (Valley)[13] of Santaka sponsorship of the first investment project was signed. The implementation of this project will result in the establishment of a world-class National open-access R&D Center within the KTU Student Campus in Kaunas. The center will primarily focus on such areas as sustainable chemistry, mechatronics, information and communication technology, and sustainable energy resources, which are a substantial part of the Lithuanian economy and comprise a significant part of its export.
On 13 October 2017, Klaus Schwab, head of the World Economic Forum, became the 45th Honorary Doctor of Kaunas University of Technology for "spreading the knowledge on the economy and innovative ideas, for fostering social entrepreneurship and support for young businesses, and for his contribution into developing the concept of the Fourth Industrial Revolution".[14][15]
On 8 December 2023, KTU experienced a cyber attack. Personal information such as names, ID numbers, phone numbers, addresses, and passport data was leaked on the dark web. [16][17]
