Kaunas University of Technology Science and Technology Center
TheKaunas University of Technology (abbreviated asKTU,Lithuanian:Kauno technologijos universitetas) is apublicresearch university located inKaunas, 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.[1]
The origins of the KTU go back to theUniversity of Lithuania, which was established on 16 February 1922.[2] The university was renamed,Vytautas Magnus University 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 theUniversity of Vilnius.тЫЕс
On 21 August 1940, followingSoviet occupation, 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,[3] 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,.
TheSoviet government 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) andKaunas Medical Institute in 1950. Throughout the Soviet era, the KPI resistedRussification and kept teaching in theLithuanian language.[2]
Under the influence ofPerestroika, theLithuanian SSR reinstated the School's "University" status.Vytautas Magnus University was re-established as a separate university from KPI in 1989.[4] KPI was renamed to its current name, Kaunas University of Technology in 1990.
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.[5] KTU also engages in research of physical, technological, and social sciences, and experimental development, while research of biomedical sciences and humanities is promoted.
KTUAulaFaculty of Chemical TechnologyImage ofMona Lisa and mathematical operations depicted on KTU student's dormitory wall in 2017KTU stadiumKTU students during free time
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.[9]
In 2008, Rymantas Jonas Kažys[10] 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.[11] Staniškis is currently the only Lithuanian scientist to receive this award.
In 2010 an agreement on the Integrated Science, Studies and Business Center (Valley)[12] 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-accessR&D Center within the KTU Student Campus in Kaunas. The center will primarily focus on such areas assustainable chemistry,mechatronics,information and communication technology, andsustainable 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 theWorld 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 theFourth Industrial Revolution".[13][14]
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.[15][16]