Klaipėda University ( or KU) is a university in the

Lithuania Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania, is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, bordered by Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east and south, P ...

port A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Hamburg, Manch ...

city of

Klaipėda Klaipėda ( ; ) is a city in Lithuania on the Baltic Sea coast. It is the List of cities in Lithuania, third-largest city in Lithuania, the List of cities in the Baltic states by population, fifth-largest city in the Baltic States, and the capi ...

Overview

Klaipėda University was formally founded on 1 January 1991, by a decree of the

Seimas The Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania (), or simply the Seimas ( ; ), is the unicameralism, unicameral legislative body of the Lithuania, Republic of Lithuania. The Seimas constitutes the legislative branch of Government of Lithuania, govern ...

(the Lithuanian parliament). The new university incorporated existing institutions of higher education in the city. At its inception, it comprised 3,000 students and three faculties (Humanities and Natural Sciences, Marine Engineering, and Pedagogy). It has since grown to seven faculties and eight institutes: the faculties of Natural Science and Mathematics, Humanities, Marine Engineering, Art, Pedagogy, Social Sciences, and Health Sciences; Maritime Institute, Seascape Institute, Institute of Continuing Studies, Coastal Research and Planning Institute, Institute of Baltic Sea Region History and Archaeology, Institute of Regional Policy and Planning,

Mechatronics Mechatronics engineering, also called mechatronics, is the synergistic integration of mechanical, electrical, and computer systems employing mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, electronic engineering and computer engineering, and also ...

Institute, and Musicology Institute. Having 4000 students and 600 persons in educational staff (in 2017), the university offers 54 undergraduate (bachelor's degree), 4 specialized professional, 48 graduate (master's degree), and 11 postgraduate (doctoral) study programs.

Historic structures of the university campus

Klaipėda University occupies a former military campus. The territory of contains six

Neo-Gothic Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic or neo-Gothic) is an architectural movement that after a gradual build-up beginning in the second half of the 17th century became a widespread movement in the first half of the 19th century ...

buildings that have been declared architectural monuments. In the first half of the 20th century these four-story red brick buildings, erected by the Germans in 1904–1907, comprised two residential blocks for servicemen, a chapel-canteen-club, HQ and a guardhouse, a residential block for officers and an storehouse for uniforms. During the 20th century it was a base for, successively, German, French, Lithuanian and Soviet troops.

Students and studies

Klaipėda University offers a developed three-level study system: 58 bachelor, 2 specialized vocational, 56 master, 10 doctoral study programs. It also offers 7 international study programs for foreign students. Its location in a seaport determined that the university develops academic programs not found in other Lithuanian universities, including marine environment research and engineering of marine transport, hydrology and oceanography, port technologies and engineering, history and languages of

Lithuania Minor Lithuania Minor (; ; ) or Prussian Lithuania (; ; ) is one of five ethnographic regions of Lithuania. It is a historical region of Prussia, where Prussian Lithuanians (or Lietuvininkai) lived, now located in Lithuania and the Kaliningrad Obla ...

and Baltic region, ecological engineering,

landscape architecture Landscape architecture is the design of outdoor areas, landmarks, and structures to achieve environmental, social-behavioural, or aesthetic outcomes. It involves the systematic design and general engineering of various structures for constructio ...

, underwater archaeology, port technology, and naval engineering.

Structure

Klaipėda University is an autonomous state study and science institution of the Lithuanian Republic. The highest authority in the university is its Council. The Council is a collegial governing body of the university, formed according to the Law on Science and Studies under which the management of state schools of higher education includes not only the representatives of academic community but those of public as well. The Council provides strategic objectives of the university, affirms the vision and mission of the university, elects the rector and ensures

accountability In ethics and governance, accountability is equated with answerability, culpability, liability, and the expectation of account-giving. As in an aspect of governance, it has been central to discussions related to problems in the public secto ...

and contact with society and the founders. The Senate is a collegial body managing the academic affairs of the university. The Senate of

University operates in accordance with the Statute of

University. Daily University is led by the rector who represents the university and operates on behalf of the university. The rector uses the assistance of the vice–rector for research and academic affairs, vice–rector for

infrastructure Infrastructure is the set of facilities and systems that serve a country, city, or other area, and encompasses the services and facilities necessary for its economy, households and firms to function. Infrastructure is composed of public and pri ...

and development affairs, of the seven deans of the faculties, of the directors of the three scientific and two studies institutes, of the president of the students union, and of rector's office units. Rapidly developing Klaipėda University has more than 2,800 students and 900 staff, including 550 professors, associate professors and lecturers studying and working in: 3 faculties: *Faculty of

Social science Social science (often rendered in the plural as the social sciences) is one of the branches of science, devoted to the study of societies and the relationships among members within those societies. The term was formerly used to refer to the ...

and

Humanities Humanities are academic disciplines that study aspects of human society and culture, including Philosophy, certain fundamental questions asked by humans. During the Renaissance, the term "humanities" referred to the study of classical literature a ...

*Faculty of Marine Technologies and

Natural Sciences Natural science or empirical science is one of the branches of science concerned with the description, understanding and prediction of natural phenomena, based on empirical evidence from observation and experimentation. Mechanisms such as peer ...

*Faculty of

Health Sciences The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to health sciences: Health sciences – those sciences that focus on health, or health care, as core parts of their subject matter. Health sciences relate to multiple a ...

2 institutes: *Marine Research Institute * Institute of Baltic Region History and Archaeology and other structural units: *Laboratories *Library *Virtual Learning Center *Botanical Garden *Publishing Office Klaipėda University owns ''Brabander'' – the largest Lithuanian exploratory – sail training vessel, designed for students’ practice and marine expeditions. On 18 January 2008 by the decision of University Senate an independent structural element – laboratory scientific research and training sailing vessel BRABANDER was established. The university also owns the

yacht A yacht () is a sail- or marine propulsion, motor-propelled watercraft made for pleasure, cruising, or racing. There is no standard definition, though the term generally applies to vessels with a cabin intended for overnight use. To be termed a ...

''Odisėja'' for marine expeditions and sail training. On 14 November 2014 acquired a new special research vessel ''Mintis'' which was funded by the project “Creation of Marine Valley Nucleus and the Renewal of Studies Infrastructure (JŪRA)”.

International cooperation

Klaipėda University established the International Relations Office in 1992. It helps to implement the university's policy concerning its relations with foreign higher education institutions. In 2019, Klaipėda University joined the EU-CONEXUS which is an international alliance of coastal cities universities aiming to enhance cooperation between them.

Rectors

* Donatas Švitra (1991–1993) * Stasys Vaitekūnas (1993–2001) *

Vladas Žulkus Vladas Žulkus (born April 16, 1945, in Telšiai) is a Lithuanian archaeologist. In October 2002 he was elected Rector (academia), rector of Klaipėda University. Biography Žulkus started his career as an archaeologist in the Institute for Mon ...

(2002-2011) * Vaidutis Laurėnas (2011-2014) * Eimutis Juzeliūnas (2014–2018) * Artūras Razbadauskas (2019–present)

Notable persons

* Minister of Internal Affairs and Member of Parliament Agnė Bilotaitė studied

political sciences Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and power, and the analysis of political activities, political thought, political behavior, and associated constitutions and ...

at Klaipėda University. * Former mayor of

Kaunas Kaunas (; ) is the second-largest city in Lithuania after Vilnius, the fourth largest List of cities in the Baltic states by population, city in the Baltic States and an important centre of Lithuanian economic, academic, and cultural life. Kaun ...

Vytautas Šustauskas and member of Parliament studied

management Management (or managing) is the administration of organizations, whether businesses, nonprofit organizations, or a Government agency, government bodies through business administration, Nonprofit studies, nonprofit management, or the political s ...

at Klaipėda University. *

sport Sport is a physical activity or game, often Competition, competitive and organization, organized, that maintains or improves physical ability and skills. Sport may provide enjoyment to participants and entertainment to spectators. The numbe ...

s commentator, TV presenter, writer Robertas Petrauskas studied

history History is the systematic study of the past, focusing primarily on the Human history, human past. As an academic discipline, it analyses and interprets evidence to construct narratives about what happened and explain why it happened. Some t ...

at Klaipėda University. * Lithuanian singer Jurijus Veklenko studies

tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure, and the Commerce, commercial activity of providing and supporting such travel. World Tourism Organization, UN Tourism defines tourism more generally, in terms which go "beyond the common perception of tourism as ...

and

recreation Recreation is an activity of leisure, leisure being discretionary time. The "need to do something for recreation" is an essential element of human biology and psychology. Recreational activities are often done for happiness, enjoyment, amusement, ...

at Klaipėda University.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Klaipėda University Klaipėda University Buildings and structures in Klaipėda Universities and colleges established in 1991 1991 establishments in Lithuania Education in Klaipėda