The Law defines that a higher education institution operating under exile conditions is a Lithuanian higher education institution the activities of which were terminated in the country of origin due to political reasons. The status of a higher education institution under exile conditions will be granted upon the proposal by the Minster of Foreign Affairs.
Under the adopted provisions, the Government and the Minister of Education and Science will be able to set the procedures, criteria, indicators and assessment areas for the evaluation and accreditation of study courses provided by higher education institutions operating under exile conditions, the external quality evaluation of higher education institutions, the assessment of real (material and human) resources, and the granting or suspending of an authorization to deliver studies and implement activities related thereto. The conditions for the activities of Lithuanian higher education institutions of the kind will be set by the Government.
‘Creating favourable conditions for higher education institutions operating in forced emigration (exile) would be of positive political importance, as this would translate into very concrete Lithuanian support for the democratic development in Eastern Europe. Lithuania has successfully proceeded along this path by facilitating the functioning of the European Humanities University in Vilnius and providing it with wide-ranging support for 12 years now,’ the explanatory note to the draft legislation says.
