Jolanta Navickaitė, Senior specialist of Academic Mobility and Continuing Education of Higher Education, Science and Technology Department, Ministry of Education and Science, presented results of the programme for promotion of internationalisation of higher education in 2011–2012: joint study programmes; adaptation of study programmes to foreign students; support to foreign lecturers and students; activities aimed at strengthening Lithuanian language centres at other countries' universities; raising the profile of Lithuanian higher education and development of the system of education acquired abroad.
There are 18 joint study programmes currently in place in Lithuanian higher education institutions. The total amount of LTL 35 million of the EU Structural funds support has been allocated for their development and implementation during 2007–2013. Development of ten new joint study programmes is planned by 2015.
The Ministry representative informed that since 2012 the Ministry of Education and Science has been providing support to foreign lecturers who come to work to Lithuanian higher schools. "In 2012, the support was given to 87 and in 2013, to 75 foreign lecturers," Ms Navickaitė said.
Gintaras Steponavičius, MP, was interested to know the amount of funding earmarked for promotion of internationalization of higher education in next year's budget. Ms Navickaitė informed that LTL 1million will be additionally allocated for this purpose from the saved internal resources of the Ministry.
Ms Navickaitė acquainted members of the Seimas Committee on Education, Science and Culture with the main goals, priorities and objectives of the Action plan of promotion of Internationalisation of Lithuanian higher education 2013–2016.
