From 12-19 April, the Rector of Kazimieras Simonavičius University (KSU), Prof. Dr. Jolanta Bieliauskaitė, visited Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan to broaden the university’s international ties.
Prof. Dr. Bieliauskaitė met with Gvidas Kerušauskas, the Consul General of the Republic of Lithuania in Almaty (Kazakhstan). Discussions centred around the potential for collaboration with higher education institutions in Kazakhstan, emphasising the importance of KSU’s international development and the reputation of Lithuanian higher education in Central Asia. Following an invitation from Rector Beken Saidakhmetov, she visited the Kazakhstan Civil Aviation Academy (CAA), a partner of KSU since 2023 and the sole institution in Kazakhstan training aviation specialists to meet international ICAO, EASA, and IATA standards. Additionally, the Rector’s visit to the Eurasian Technological University in Almaty opened dialogue on further cooperation in science and education.
On 17-18 April, Prof. Dr. Bieliauskaitė, alongside Anastasija Halaburda from KSU’s International Relations and Strategic Development Department, attended the “Profession and Education 2024” international exhibition in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. This marked KSU’s inaugural participation in a study exhibition in Uzbekistan. “We see tremendous potential to enhance KSU’s collaboration with universities in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, countries with significant potential, where our university can offer their students exceptional academic programmes,” stated Prof. Dr. Bieliauskaitė. The exhibition was an opportunity to showcase student and lecturer exchange opportunities available under the Erasmus+ international mobility programme and to explore avenues for sharing experiences and best practices.
The Rector highlighted the rapid growth of the aviation sector in both countries, which creates a substantial demand for aviation management specialists. “Young individuals can leverage our aviation management degree programme, which offers both bachelor’s and master’s degrees, paving the way for broader employment prospects for Central Asian students both in their home countries and for careers in Europe,” Prof. Dr. Bieliauskaitė concluded.