The year 1991 marks the beginning of Klaipeda University’s activities. Today, KU is the only state university in Western Lithuania, providing greater access to higher education for people in the region. Over more than three decades, KU has made significant contributions to comprehensive research in history and archaeology, engineering, marine studies, the humanities, social sciences, health sciences, and natural sciences, supported by a strong community of researchers. The University educates specialists in various fields, conducts scientific research, and develops innovations. KU also collaborates with leading European universities and actively participates in international academic initiatives.
The event was opened by the Rector of Klaipeda University, Artūras Razbadauskas, who presented the University’s mission, research areas, and its role in the development of the state. “From the very beginning, the University assumed responsibility for educating professionals essential to the port city and to Lithuania as a whole: teachers, marine and coastal researchers, engineers, healthcare specialists, and humanities scholars. Through long-term research and accumulated expertise, Klaipeda University has become an expert platform relied upon not only by the public sector and business but also as a pillar supporting state decisions related to the condition of the Baltic Sea, coastal management, maritime infrastructure, and security,” the Rector stated.
Professor A. Razbadauskas emphasized that today the University seeks not only to maintain academic excellence but also to respond actively to rapidly evolving societal, technological, and environmental challenges. The University focuses on innovation, sustainable development, and evidence-based decision-making, striving to provide students not only with theoretical knowledge but also with practical skills and critical thinking abilities. The Rector also highlighted the importance of the academic community – the joint efforts of faculty, researchers, students, and social partners in creating an open, responsible, and future-oriented academic environment.
During the event, attendees had the opportunity to listen to a series of academic presentations on the University’s key research areas delivered by Zita Rasuolė Gasiūnaitė, Director of the Marine Research Institute; Rita Vaičekauskaitė, Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences; and Vasilijus Safronovas, Director of the Institute of Baltic Region History and Archaeology. KU researchers presented the University’s strategic research directions, including environmental policy, marine research, engineering, regional development, health sciences, history, and culture.
The celebration concluded with an open discussion on the conditions necessary to enhance the impact of university research – when and how science begins to make an impact – and what knowledge, decisions, and experiences Lithuania would lack today had Klaipeda University not been established 35 years ago. Participants included Gintaras Valinčius, Chair of the Research Council of Lithuania; Vidmantas Janulevičius, President of the Lithuanian Confederation of Industrialists; Vytautas Nekrošius, President of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences; and Inga Žalėnienė, President of the Lithuanian University Rectors’ Conference. The discussion was moderated by Rytis Zemkauskas.
The event also featured a historical exhibition presented to guests entitled “The Most Important Investment of Lithuania in Klaipėda – 35.” The exhibition’s principal curator, Prof. Vasilijus Safronovas, Director of the Institute of Baltic Region History and Archaeology, highlighted the key stages in the establishment and growth of Klaipeda University.
During the exhibition, a newly developed “Impact Map” was introduced, created through the collaboration of KU researchers from various fields. The map presents 35 key areas of KU’s activities and responds to the provocative question: what knowledge, decisions, and experiences would Lithuania lack today if Klaipėda University had not been founded 35 years ago? The display provides a comprehensive overview of what KU researchers have created over the years and where they are active today, including past and ongoing projects, their geographical scope, scale, and significance.
On the occasion of Klaipeda University’s 35th anniversary, congratulations were also extended by the President of the Republic of Lithuania, Gitanas Nausėda. The message was delivered by the President’s Advisor, Saulius Olencevičius: “Klaipeda University has educated a generation of leaders who today manage ports, develop high technologies, strengthen public health, research the history of Lithuania Minor and the Klaipėda region, and preserve the unique identity of the seaside. I would like to express my gratitude and respect to the entire Klaipeda University community: your dedication has enabled Klaipėda to become a city of high technologies. I wish that the coming decades bring Klaipeda University abundant new achievements – may ideas that change the world be born in your laboratories, and may your lecture halls nurture critically thinking, free individuals who love their country. Continue to be dynamic intellectuals, and may the intellectual wind fill the sails of your progress.”
