There are 26 high-ranking police and border authorities from 14 EU-Member States, who are studying in the programme, attending. 

 

Officials from the EU European Border and Coast Guard Agency (FRONTEX), and the international organisation Interpol, are participating.

 

The programme, financed by FRONTEX, has exceeded expectations, said a programme director. Therefore, it is planned that studies will continue after 2021. Joint 2-year Master's Degree studies are divided into 10 sessions, that include different themes and preparation of a Master's thesis.

 

For each session there is one of six universities that are responsible. Studies sessions have also been conducted at Mykolas Romeris University.

 

According to MRU Vice-Rector for Education and Research Dr. Inga Žalėnienė, this joint Master's studies programme is unique even in the European Union context.

 

"The goal of the programme is to bring together the best EU border officials and to help them exchange good practices, learn from each other," Dr. Žalėnienė said. "This is also a good international evaluation of the great studies quality at MRU, of the research and competencies. 

 

The studies programme was initiated by FRONTEX. Officials noted that not one of the EU-member states has a specialised Master's Degree programme devoted solely to border security. Therefore, a consortium of European universities was established to set up the joint Master's Degree programme.

 

Universities involved in the programme included Spain's University of Salamanca and the Spanish University of Distance-Learning Education; the Estonian Academy of Security Sciences; the Netherlands Defence Academy, Faculty of Military Science; Latvia's Rezone Higher Education Institute; and MRU.