2025
No reforms
2024
Combining studies with military service
On 1 July 2024, amendments to the Law on higher Education and Research entered into force, giving students the right to take an academic leave at any time during their studies to serve their initial compulsory military (including the first semester of studies). This also allows citizens of the Republic of Lithuania to combine their studies with their initial compulsory military service. Until now, students in most higher education institutions have only been able to take academic leave for compulsory military service based on personal reasons and only once during their study period. As a result, students who used up their only opportunity to take an academic leave for personal reasons were no longer able to do so.
2023
Reforming the college network
A plan to strengthen the network of public colleges is being launched in 2023 to provide students with better quality education based on professional practice and applied research. Developed over a two year period, the plan involved discussions on higher education’s missions, and an assessment of the potential of individual institutions. It consulted with both Lithuanian and international experts, social partners, and the colleges themselves, to determine the best solutions for strengthening what is provided. As a result, a number of institutions will experience some changes:
- Alytus College is to be merged with Kaunas College.
- The Lithuanian Maritime Higher School will be merged with the Vilnius Gediminas Technical University by establishing the Lithuanian Maritime Academy in Klaipėda, as a subdivision of Vilnius Gediminas Technical University.
- Kaunas College of Forest and Environmental Engineering will merge with the Kaunas Technical College. Following the reorganisation, the college will be renamed as the Lithuanian Engineering College.
- Marijampolė College will become part of the Mykolas Romeris University by establishing a branch of Mykolas Romeris University in Marijampolė.
- Vilnius College of Technology and Design will merge with Vilnius College.