One of the main strategic goals of the Kauno kolegija Higher Education Institution is to increase its internationality. To achieve it, the network of international partners of the Kauno kolegija Higher Education Institution is constantly strengthened and developed and has already crossed the borders of Europe and includes partnerships with institutions located on other continents.

One of these institutions is California State University, Chico, whose lecturer Suzanne L. Zivnuska has been visiting Kauno kolegija Higher Education Institution for the last few days and is giving lectures to the students of the Sales and Marketing study programme of the Faculty of Business. She points out that, as the world becomes globalised, international cooperation is becoming more and more important.

“The economy is global now and so we all have to work to become global citizens and participate and we have to be able to understand each other and communicate well. And that’s how we create knowledge, that’s how we disseminate knowledge. If we don’t partner together then we’re all operating in our own little cycles and we’re all trying to create a wheel ourselves and we need to be sharing and understanding  from each other,” says the lecturer from the USA, who is visiting the Kauno kolegija Higher Education Institution for the first time, and adds that she was impressed by the activity, involvement, and attitude of the Kauno kolegija Higher Education Institution students.

“I’m very very grateful for the opportunity. All of my colleagues here have been so welcoming, everybody has gone above and beyond to make sure that I have a really good visit and everything I need. In fact, one person even brought me laundry detergent, so I could wash my clothes. I felt so welcomed and I really hope I get to come back,” a lecturer at the California State University, Chico shares her impressions.

Director of Kauno kolegija Higher Education Institution Dr Andrius Brusokas points out that international partnerships open up wider opportunities for international exchanges, allow to learn from other higher education institutions and share our own good practices, contribute to improving the quality of studies, etc. Internationality also takes an important place in the implementation of Kauno kolegija Higher Education Institution’s aspiration to become a university of applied sciences.

“In order to become a university of applied sciences, it is very important for us to develop international partnerships by presenting Kauno kolegija Higher Education Institution as a reliable partner in the implementation of international activities. Cooperation also includes analysing good practices of university management,” says Dr Andrius Brusokas and adds that in the future it is planned to further develop and strengthen international cooperation both with the California State University, Chico and with other universities.

“We are happy that people from such a country, from such a university, with such competencies choose us and come to Kauno kolegija Higher Education Institution. It is like an indicator that we are on the right path. Although now the California State University, Chico cooperates only with the Faculty of Business of Kauno kolegija Higher Education Institution, we will seek to expand this partnership with other faculties in the future,” shares Dr Andrius Brusokas.

Gelmina Motiejūnė, Vice Dean of Kauno kolegija Higher Education Institution’s Faculty of Business, is glad that the partnership with California State University, Chico has been going on for several years.

“The Faculty of Business appreciates the cooperation with California State University, Chico that has been going on for several years. The world has become global, so it is especially important for today’s specialists to know the intricacies of business in an international context. The lecturers of this university come every year to give lectures to the students of our faculty. This time, the freshmen of the Sales and Marketing study programme were lucky to have a lecturer from California State University, Chico. The visit is also relevant for improving the quality of studies and increasing the internationality of activities, as well as targeted inter-institutional cooperation in areas such as conducting joint applied research, updating the content of studies, etc.,” says Gelmina Motiejūnė.