On October 17, the national applied higher education forum was held in the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania, marking the 25th anniversary of the binary higher education system, highlighting the importance of colleges, and discussing the future of the sector.
“The goal of colleges is to stand alongside communities — to create, test, and implement innovations that shape everyday life. The essence of applied sciences is not distance from practice, but strengthening it,” said LKDK President Dr. Lina Girdauskienė.
The forum opened with welcoming remarks from Vaida Aleknavičienė, Chair of the Parliamentary Committee on Education and Science; Raminta Popovienė, Minister of Education, Science and Sport; and Dr. Jūratė Litvinaitė, Adviser to the President of the Republic of Lithuania.
LKDK President Dr. Lina Girdauskienė presented the future and vision of colleges in Lithuania, while Dr. Nijolė Zinkevičienė, Vice-Rector for Research and Partnerships at Vilniaus kolegija, introduced the role of LKDK within the European Higher Education Area.
Hannes Raffaseder, President of the European Association of Institutions in Higher Education (EURASHE), delivered a presentation on the role of professional higher education in the European Higher Education Area and introduced EURASHE’s activities.
The forum continued with a panel discussion, “From Policy to Practice. Colleges – Catalysts for Regional Development and Drivers of Change.” Participants included Minister of Economy and Innovation Edvinas Grikšas, Jonava District Mayor Mindaugas Sinkevičius, Šilutė District Mayor Vytautas Laurinaitis, Kaunas College Director Andrius Brusokas, Šiauliai State College Director Dr. Lina Tamutienė, and SMK University of Applied Sciences Director Viktorija Palubinskienė.
Following the presentations and discussion, colleges showcased their applied research activities.