On Thursday July 29 Liepājas University Rector Dace Markus, Dean of Pedagogy and Social Work Faculty Linda Pavītola and Director of the Institute of Education Sciences Dina Bethere had a meeting with Marijampole University of Applied Sciences Rector Ale Murauskiene and the Vice Dean of the Faculty of Pedagogy and Social Work - Odeta Gluoksnytė.
The guests highlighted that their task is not to sign any cooperation document this time, but to agree on what we have in common and what opportunities are open to this cooperation. The two sides presented each other with their study programmes and concluded that a fruitful cooperation could be developed with Faculty of Pedagogy and Social Work, as such faculties are in both universities. There was also discussion on the two-years study program of preschool teachers. Of course, exchanges were shared about remote learning experiences and the need for the vaccination of professors.
A special part of the conversation was devoted to the higher education reforms in both countries. The reform has been done in Lithuania before and Ale Murauskiene said: “There was a consolidation of the universities in Lithuania (for example, Vilnius University undertook Siauliai University), the first phase of the consolidation has passed successfully, but the second is unclear and there is some chaos now”.
Liepajas University Rector Dace Markus asked guests to share their opinion on the university board idea and we learned that the initial arrangements had been changed in Lithuania and that the internal staff of the universities were currently more widely represented in those boards, because people from outside did not know the Lithuanian education system.
Liepaja University and Marijampoles University of Applied Sciences agreed on cooperation of student internship exchanges, inclusive education and the organisation of cyber-security courses at LiepU.