2017-02-20
Erasmus Exchange Programme Celebrates 30 Years
This year European academic exchange programme Erasmus celebrates 30 years. Two years in a row VGTU is a leader among Lithuanian higher education institutions in terms of number of students and lecturers traveling abroad and sees a record high of incoming students.
The Rector of Vilnius Gediminas Technical University (VGTU) A. Daniūnas believes that the University has a lot of valuable experience in international academic exchange: “The possibility to study in English at VGTU is available since 1992; and in 1999, when VGTU joined the Erasmus programme, we already had a solid background for international studies. We have been among the leaders of higher education institutions in Lithuania in the area of internationalisation ever since. During the first year of the programme 50 VGTU students left for exchange, now approximately 500 students travel for exchange every year".
This academic year (2016/2017) is exceptional for VGTU as the number of incoming exchange students is at record high – 459 international exchange students. Currently, international students make 10.4% of total VGTU's student body.
Interesting facts about VGTU's participation in Erasmus programme:
- VGTU offers 30 study programmes given in English.
- Students from 77 countries study at VGTU.
- Biggest share of exchange students is from Germany, France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Turkey.
- VGTU students most often travel to Germany, Portugal, Spain and Finland for their exchange studies, and to the United Kingdom, Spain, Germany, Italy and Latvia for their internships.
- The new Erasmus programme for international mobility outside the EU, brought a significant change in 2015. VGTU's relationships with their strategic partners all over the world got much stronger. Now more than half of VGTU's international partners outside the EU are among Top 500 on the QS University Ranking.
- VGTU lecturers also take part in Erasmus programme. In 2015/2016 academic year 156 VGTU lecturers were teaching at the top global universities in Europe and Japan, South Korea, the USA, Malaysia.
- Two years in a row VGTU is a leader among Lithuanian higher education institutions in terms of number of mobilities and institutional budget – approx. 1/4 of all Lithuanian budget for exchange programmes was allocated to VGTU.
- Since 1999, more than 5500 VGTU students have participated in exchange programmes: 4426 for Erasmus studies and 1065 for internships.