A few days ago, during a solemn celebration held at the Kaunas Žalgiris arena, nearly 1,000 Kauno kolegija Higher Education Institution (HEI) graduates were congratulated – they were awarded diplomas denoting the qualification degree of a professional bachelor. In the arena, accompanied by loud applause, graduates of medicine, social sciences, arts, technology, engineering, informatics and other fields received their diplomas this year. During the diploma awarding ceremony, a festive musical programme was presented by exceptional performers – singer Paulina Paukštaitytė and Vilius Popendikis with a band appeared on stage.

‘Allow yourself to be eager for knowledge, experiences, people, challenges. Allow yourself to be brave – ask what no one dares to ask, take on tasks that others avoid, do not be afraid to achieve what seems impossible. Such an attitude helps not only to constantly grow, but also to change the world,’ Kauno kolegija HEI Director Dr Andrius Brusokas congratulated the graduates at the celebration.

Taking away not only knowledge

Austėja Vaičiulevičiūtė, a member of the board of the Kauno kolegija Alumni Club, encouraged everyone to look back at the taken, rejoice achievements and thank to loved ones: ‘Completing your studies means that you open doors: to new opportunities, to self-knowledge, to other paths. I wish you to follow them the way you live – consciously, freely and at your own pace. Take away not only a diploma, but also people, laughter, conversations, acquaintances that you didn’t even notice how important they became.’

Jonė Vartavičiūtė, who graduated from applied communication studies and was receiving her diploma, was happy that it was in this higher education institution that she found answers to the questions she had at the time and got to know herself better: ‘Kauno kolegija, you have known us in different ways – sometimes tired, sometimes lost, but always striving for more. You have taught us not only about our profession, but also about life – friendship, responsibility, creativity. You have helped us become who we are today.’

Kaunas District Municipality Vice Mayor Lukas Alsys also came to congratulate the Kauno kolegija HEI graduates. He was happy that many graduates are already successfully working in the Kaunas district, where their skills contribute to the growth of local communities and business development.

‘Your competencies acquired at Kauno kolegija allow you to introduce innovations in medicine, engineering, business, arts and other fields, strengthen the local economy and improve the quality of life. Your choice to start a professional path at Kauno kolegija can be defined as shaping the future, and the choice itself shows both personal determination and an understanding of the importance of practical skills. This dynamic is an expression of leadership: the ability not to be afraid of new technologies, to introduce innovations and to lead change,’ said L. Alsys.

A celebration marking a special occasion

This year, this graduation ceremony is marked by a special occasion – Kauno kolegija HEI and its community are celebrating the significant 25th anniversary of the establishment of the higher education institution. Over a quarter of a century, Kauno kolegija HEI has grown into a modern, open and innovative educational institution, occupying a strong position among Lithuanian higher education institutions, and the experience gained and the strong community gathered have become the basis that today allows us to achieve the highest scientific, cultural and social goals.

‘Today is an extraordinary day. We are proud to graduate another mature, creative and strong generation of graduates, consisting of representatives not only from Kaunas, but also from the new Alytus Faculty and Tauragė Division of Kauno kolegija, and this celebration is made even more meaningful by the 25th anniversary of our institution. This year is accompanied by the slogan ‘Diversity, Creativity, and Synergy’. It is nothing but different experiences, creativity, and communion that lead us forward, both as an institution and as individuals,’ emphasised Kauno kolegija HEI Director Dr A. Brusokas.

Admission results show that Kauno kolegija HEI is almost every year among the leading higher education institutions and receives the largest number of first-year students among universities and higher education institutions in Kaunas. According to this year’s data from the magazine ‘Rankings’ (Lithuanian: ‘Reitingai’), Kauno kolegija HEI took second place in the Lithuanian higher education institutions rankings, only one point behind Vilniaus kolegija Higher Education Institution.

This year’s ranking results showed another strength – Kauno kolegija HEI received the highest marks for its scientific and art activities and the added value created for the national economy. These indicators reflect not only quantitative achievements, but also the most important qualitative measure – the trust of students and employers.

Kauno kolegija HEI also pays great attention to internationality – this year it received an award for the largest number of organised mobility of students with fewer opportunities and achieved a record number of funded guest lecturers visits. This achievement is the result of the development of consistent international partnerships, which allows to assess the benefits of close cooperation with foreign partners.

Kauno kolegija HEI’s membership in the European University Alliance UNINOVIS plays an important role in the development of internationality. This alliance includes seven leading European higher education institutions, uniting more than 125,000 students and 11,000 employees from all its member institutions.

You can find more moments from the event here.