Vilnius Gediminas Technical University (VILNIUS TECH) is a public university located in Vilnius, Lithuania. There are 10 faculties including Antanas Gustaitis Aviation Institute, Architecture, Business Management, Civil Engineering, Creative Industries, Electronics, Environmental Engineering, Fundamental Sciences, Mechanics, Transport Engineering. Scientific research and experimental development is performed by 13 institutes, 3 research centres and 23 research laboratories.
VILNIUS TECH is among the top 2.1% of universities in the world and scores highest in Lithuania in the subject areas of Architecture / Built Environment (QS Top 101-150), Business & Management (QS Top 201-250) and Economics & Econometrics (QS Top 301–350) according to QS World University Rankings by subject.
History
VILNIUS TECH was founded on 1 September 1956, when the Vilnius Evening Division of the Kaunas Polytechnic Institute (now Kaunas University of Technology) was established, with Jeronimas Kudaba as the first dean. In 1960, the division was reorganized into the KPI Vilnius Evening Faculty. Aleksandras Čyras was named the Dean of the Faculty, with 500 students. In 1962, the first class of graduates completed their studies. In 1964, the Faculty of Construction Economics was added, followed in 1968 by the Faculty of Urban Construction.
In 1969, the division separated from the Kaunas Polytechnic institute and became the Vilnius Civil Engineering Institute (Vilniaus inžinerinis statybos institutas), or VISI, and Čyras was named the first rector. In 1971, the Faculty of Architecture was added, and in 1987 the Faculty of Municipal Economy was established.
After the Re-Establishment of the State of Lithuania in 1990, the Supreme Council of Lithuania decided to change the VISI into the Vilnius Technical University (VTU), with Edmundas Kazimieras Zavadskas as rector. After the statute of VTU was adopted in 1991, the Supreme Council approved it on 2 July 1992. VTU moved more toward a Western European university structure and featured faculties of architecture, construction, engineering communications, mechanics, and electronics.
The following year, in 1993, VTU established the Aviation Institute and two more faculties, one in business management and one in fundamental sciences, along with the Faculty of Transport Engineering the following year.
On 22 August 1996, the Lithuanian Government awarded the name of Gediminas, a 14th-century Grand Duke of Lithuania, to VTU, and the university became known as Vilnius Gediminas Technical University.
Romualdas Ginevičius was elected rector by the VILNIUS TECH Senate in 2002. With the 2009 Law on Higher Education and Research, the Seimas of the Lithuanian Republic ordered all state-funded universities to reorganize into nonprofit organizations (Viešosios įstaigos) tasked with working in the public interest by 2011. VILNIUS TECH met this requirement in 2011.
Campus
The VILNIUS TECH campus is spread across Vilnius, with the main buildings in the wooded Saulėtekis neighborhood of the Antakalnis eldership, not far from many of Vilnius University's faculties as well as Mykolas Romeris University and the European Humanities University. The future plans of the university involve expanding the Saulėtekis campus.
Saulėtekis
The Saulėtekis campus is the main university campus. It houses the university's administration offices as well as the Faculties of Environmental Engineering, Fundamental Sciences, Civil Engineering and Business Management. The VILNIUS TECH library, which has over 100,000 distinct titles, is located nearby at Saulėtekio al. 14. The two primary VILNIUS TECH dormitories are also on Saulėtekio al., at numbers 39 A and 25. The Saulėtekis campus is accessible from the Vilnius city center by the 2, 10, and 14 Vilnius trolleybuses. It is also served by the 4G and 5G express buses, 18 and 38 buses, and 19 and 21 trolleybuses.
Vilnius Old Town
The Faculties of Architecture and Creative Industries are located at Pylimo g. 26/1 in Vilnius Old Town, in a complex which includes a historical manor belonging to the House of Tyszkiewicz. The building is also the home of the VILNIUS TECH bookstore Technika. The campus is located right in the city center, just off the Trakų stop, which connects with the Vilnius Train Station via the 1G express bus; 53 bus; and 1, 2, 7, and 20 trolleybuses.