We congratulate the academic community on the start of the new academic year and on this special occasion – the 25th anniversary of the Lithuanian higher education institution sector. This marks a quarter of a century of knowledge, collaboration, and steady growth – a path taken by higher education institutions from the legalization of colleges to their establishment within the Lithuanian, European, and global higher education space.
Let us recall that only after the restoration of the independence of the Republic of Lithuania did the Lithuanian education system begin to align with the systems of most European countries and with international educational classifications (ISCED). In 1991, on the basis of the former technical schools, new higher education institutions were established, where studies lasted 3–4 years and only students with secondary education were admitted. These higher education institutions introduced new programs and began teaching subjects such as philosophy, management, and a foreign language for the specialty. The number of term papers and seminars increased, teachers were certified, and new directors were elected.
This reform allowed Lithuanian higher education institutions to move closer to the growing diversification of higher education in Europe. Their activities were actively supported by industry, business, and international partners – the associations of colleges in Denmark and Canada. In 1995, the Association of Lithuanian Higher Schools became a member of the European Association of Institutions in Higher Education (EURASHE), and in 1996, the EU-funded PHARE project created opportunities for the development of quality assurance and competence-based study programs. A pilot external evaluation of study quality was carried out in ten higher education institutions. The Bologna Process began, setting common requirements for all countries that signed the Bologna Agreement, while the first priority was to unify higher education systems in Europe and ensure uniform quality assessment.
After the Parliament of the Republic of Lithuania adopted the new Law on Science and Studies, in 2000 the Government established the first four public and three private higher education institutions. This marked the beginning of the formation of a new higher education institution network, and over time, together with universities, a binary higher education system was created, which continues to operate successfully to this day.