Activities of both universities will remain independent, since what is being pursued here is the establishment of a unique study platform and reinforcement of interdisciplinarity, and not an integration on organizational level. Consolidation of their fortes will enable students from technological and engineering fields to gain entrepreneurial skills at one of the best management universities in the Baltics, while ISM students will benefit from their access to the potential of KTU, the leading technical university in the region.
"KTU is consistent in its aim to strengthen study and research capacities, therefore I am extremely glad that we share the same vision with ISM. It is only natural for two universities, known for their avantgarde thinking and orientation towards quality, to become partners. While aspiring to become even stronger, we are looking for potential overseas partners – the top universities in the United States," said Petras Baršauskas, KTU Rector. In the last two years, steps towards merging of KTU and Lithuanian University of Health Sciences (LSMU) are also being taken by putting joint study programmes and research projects at the core of this intensive integration process.
"Strategic and long-term partnership between ISM and KTU will allow both institutions to make substantial progress towards the study model responding to the needs of modern economy, which is essential for Lithuania," said Justas Kučinskas, ISM's board member.
While commenting on the initiative, Jens Petter Tøndel, Executive Vice President of BI Norwegian Business School, draws our attention to a historical consistency: "ISM was founded due to efforts from Lithuanian and Norwegian governments on the basis of the partnershio between BI and KTU. That is why we have no doubts towards competencies of both partners, and we are happy to be a part of these positive processes."
ISM rector Alfredas Chmieliauskas stresses the imperative to integrate technologies and management when in the era of Big Data organizations and processes within are becoming increasingly complicated: "hither contact with technology specialists corresponds with our strategic goals and accords with current initiatives."
Both Rectors emphasized the necessity to improve the quality of studies in order to respond to the needs of the country, society and business, and this can only be achieved by consolidating the study and research potential of top higher education institutions in Lithuania and by closely cooperating with business. In their opinion, only then Lithuanian universities can compete on global scale, retain their talents and attract the very best local and international students, teachers, and researchers.
