The Kaunas University of Technology (abbreviated as KTU, ) is a

public In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociology, sociological concept of the ''Öf ...

research university A research university or a research-intensive university is a university that is committed to research as a central part of its mission. They are "the key sites of Knowledge production modes, knowledge production", along with "intergenerational ...

located in

Kaunas Kaunas (; ) is the second-largest city in Lithuania after Vilnius, the fourth largest List of cities in the Baltic states by population, city in the Baltic States and an important centre of Lithuanian economic, academic, and cultural life. Kaun ...

, Lithuania. Established in 1922, KTU has been seen as one of Lithuania's top science education centers. In 2021, KTU was ranked the second-best university in Lithuania.

History

Early years

The origins of the KTU go back to the

University of Lithuania Vytautas Magnus University (VMU) (, VDU) is a public university in Kaunas, Lithuania. The university was founded in 1922 during the Polish–Lithuanian War, interwar period as an alternate national university. Initially it was known as the Univ ...

, which was established on 16 February 1922. The university was renamed,

Vytautas Magnus University Vytautas Magnus University (VMU) (, VDU) is a public university in Kaunas, Lithuania. The university was founded in 1922 during the interwar period as an alternate national university. Initially it was known as the University of Lithuania, but ...

on 8 June 1930. The University 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 Vilnius University (Lithuanian language, Lithuanian: ''Vilniaus universitetas'') is a Public university, public research university, which is the first and largest university in Lithuania, as well as one of the oldest and most prominent higher e ...

World War II and the Soviet Era

On 21 August 1940, following

Soviet occupation During World War II, the Soviet Union occupied and annexed several countries effectively handed over by Nazi Germany in the secret Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact of 1939. These included the eastern regions of Poland (incorporated into three differe ...

, the University was renamed to the University of Kaunas. The Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences was transferred to the University of Vilnius in the autumn of 1940. After the German occupation in 1941, the University was once again renamed to Vytautas Magnus University with five faculties: Theology, Philosophy, Technology, Civil Engineering, and Mathematics. The University closed on 17 March 1943,. The

Soviet government The Government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) was the executive and administrative organ of the highest body of state authority, the All-Union Supreme Soviet. It was formed on 30 December 1922 and abolished on 26 December 199 ...

reopened the University on 13 November 1944. The University operated under the name, Kaunas National Vytautas Magnus University until 1946. The Faculty of History and Theology closed in June 1949. The University of Kaunas was reorganized into Kaunas Polytechnic Institute (KPI) and Kaunas Medical Institute in 1950. Throughout the Soviet era, the KPI resisted

Russification Russification (), Russianisation or Russianization, is a form of cultural assimilation in which non-Russians adopt Russian culture and Russian language either voluntarily or as a result of a deliberate state policy. Russification was at times ...

and kept teaching in the

Lithuanian language Lithuanian (, ) is an East Baltic languages, East Baltic language belonging to the Baltic languages, Baltic branch of the Indo-European language family. It is the language of Lithuanians and the official language of Lithuania as well as one of t ...

. Under the influence of

Perestroika ''Perestroika'' ( ; rus, перестройка, r=perestrojka, p=pʲɪrʲɪˈstrojkə, a=ru-perestroika.ogg, links=no) was a political reform movement within the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) during the late 1980s, widely associ ...

, the

Lithuanian SSR The Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic (Lithuanian SSR; ; ), also known as Soviet Lithuania or simply Lithuania, was '' de facto'' one of the constituent republics of the Soviet Union between 1940–1941 and 1944–1990. After 1946, its terr ...

reinstated the School's "University" status.

was re-established as a separate university from KPI in 1989. KPI was renamed to its current name, Kaunas University of Technology in 1990.

Since 1990

Following the restoration of independence, the Institution adopted Western standards. The University started implementing a two-level degree program of higher education and a new procedure for awarding research degrees and academic titles in 1992. The University joined

Magna Charta of the European Universities The Magna Charta Universitatum (Great Charter of Universities) is a two-page document produced by the University of Bologna and the European Rectors' Conference (now called the European University Association) in 1988 in Bologna, Italy. It ident ...

and became a member of the

European University Association The European University Association (EUA) represents more than 800 institutions of higher education in 48 countries, providing them with a forum for cooperation and the exchange of information on higher education and research policies. Members of ...

and the

International Association of Universities The International Association of Universities (IAU) is a membership-led non-governmental organization working in the field of global higher education. It has more than 600 members in over 130 countries, including institutions, organizations, aff ...

in 1998.

Education

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. 6.5 percent of the student population is foreign. KTU also engages in research of physical, technological, and social sciences, and experimental development, while research of biomedical sciences and humanities is promoted.

Institutes

* Biomedical Engineering Institute * Institute of Aviation & Aeronautical * Food Institute * Institute of Architecture and Construction * Institute of Environmental Engineering * Institute of Materials Science * Institute of

Mechatronics Mechatronics engineering, also called mechatronics, is the synergistic integration of mechanical, electrical, and computer systems employing mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, electronic engineering and computer engineering, and also ...

* Kazimieras Baršauskas Ultrasound Research Institute * Health Telematics Science Institute

Education in English

The following programs are offered entirely in English for bachelor's and master's levels.

Bachelor's level programs

*Faculty of Chemical Technology **Chemical Technology and Engineering **Food Science and Technology * School of Economics and Business ** Business Digitization Management * Faculty of Electrical and Electronics Engineering ** Electronic and Electrical Engineering ** Intelligent Robotics Systems ** Renewable Energy Engineering * Faculty of Informatics ** Artificial Intelligence ** Informatics * Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences ** Materials Physics and Nanotechnologies * Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Design ** Aviation Engineering ** Mechanical Engineering ** Mechatronics ** Vehicle Engineering * Faculty of Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities ** Communication Studies and Information Management Technologies ** New Media Language ** Public Governance and Civil Society * Faculty of Civil Engineering and Architecture ** Architecture ** Civil Engineering

Master's level programs

* Faculty of Chemical Technology ** Applied Chemistry ** Chemical Engineering ** Environmental Engineering ** Food Science and Safety ** Industrial Biotechnology * School of Economics and Business ** Accounting and Auditing ** International Business * Faculty of Electrical and Electronics Engineering ** Biomedical Engineering ** Control Technologies ** Electronics Engineering ** Energy Technologies and Economics * Faculty of Informatics ** Artificial Intelligence in Computer Science * Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences ** Materials Physics ** Medical Physics * Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Design ** Aeronautical Engineering ** Industrial Engineering and Management ** Mechanical Engineering ** Mechatronics ** Sustainable Management and Production ** Vehicle Engineering * Faculty of Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities ** Public Policy and Security ** Translation and Localization of Technical Texts * Faculty of Civil Engineering and Architecture ** Architecture ** Structural and Building Products Engineering * Panevėžys Faculty of Technologies and Business ** Control Technologies

Events

Ulrich Daldrup awarded Dr hc at Universiity of Kaunas

*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. *In 2008, Rymantas Jonas Kažys 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. Staniškis is currently the only Lithuanian scientist to receive this award. *In 2010 an agreement on the Integrated Science, Studies and Business Center (Valley) 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 Green chemistry, similar to sustainable chemistry or circular chemistry, is an area of chemistry and chemical engineering focused on the design of products and processes that minimize or eliminate the use and generation of hazardous substances. Wh ...

mechatronics Mechatronics engineering, also called mechatronics, is the synergistic integration of mechanical, electrical, and computer systems employing mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, electronic engineering and computer engineering, and also ...

information and communication technology Information and communications technology (ICT) is an extensional term for information technology (IT) that stresses the role of unified communications and the integration of telecommunications (telephone lines and wireless signals) and computer ...

, and

sustainable energy Energy system, Energy is sustainability, sustainable if it "meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." Definitions of sustainable energy usually look at its effects on the e ...

resources, which are a substantial part of the Lithuanian economy and comprise a significant part of its export. *On 13 October 2017,

Klaus Schwab Klaus Martin Schwab (; born 30 March 1938) is a German mechanical engineer, economist, and founder of the World Economic Forum (WEF). He acted as the WEF's chairman since founding the organisation from 1971 until 2025 when he was replaced by P ...

, head of the

World Economic Forum The World Economic Forum (WEF) is an international non-governmental organization, international advocacy non-governmental organization and think tank, based in Cologny, Canton of Geneva, Switzerland. It was founded on 24 January 1971 by German ...

, 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 "Fourth Industrial Revolution", "4IR", or "Industry 4.0", is a neologism describing rapid technological advancement in the 21st century. It follows the Third Industrial Revolution (the "Information Age"). The term was popularised in 2016 by K ...

". *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.

References

External links

Official website of Kaunas University of Technology
{{authority control Universities and colleges in Kaunas Architecture schools Technical universities and colleges in Lithuania Science and technology in Lithuania Scientific organizations based in Lithuania Universities and colleges established in 1922 Universities and colleges in Lithuania Universities in Lithuania 1922 establishments in Lithuania