Nov. 2nd, 2015, Mykolas Romeris University (MRU) Vice-Rector for Education Assoc. Prof. Giedrius Viliūnas attended a discussion on the quality of Lithuania's higher education with President Dalia Grybauskaitė, other experts and a student representative.

Assoc. Prof. Viliūnas, who is the Studies Committee Chairman for the Lithuanian Rectors' Conference (LURK), was one of several higher education representatives attending the discussion.

Vilnius University (VU) Council Chairman Ingrida Šimonytė, Biotechnology company, "Thermo Fisher Lietuva" Director Algimantas Markauskas, VU Prof. Eugenijus Butkus and Lithuania's Student Association President Paulius Baltokas were among those also participating.

President Grybauskaitė noted in a press release, that the competitiveness of Lithuania, along with a growing economy can only be fueled by a quality higher education.

She said that the quality of higher education in the country does not meet the country's, nor the needs of the market, so she will submit amendments to the Law on Higher Education and Research.

We must, without delay, turn our attention to the quality of higher education, she said. Otherwise, we will have in the future an illiterate country with higher education diplomas.

Lithuania, with its high number of university graduates, is ahead of many other European countries, but according to world innovation ratings, it is only in 39th place, a press release issued by the President's Office, noted.

Although Lithuania's population has been decreasing during the past decade, the number of higher education institutions is one of the largest in Europe. For 1-million inhabitants, there are 14,5 insitutions of higher education, while this figure is 4,6 in Europe.

Currently there are 47 institutions of higher education in Lithuania. There are about 150,000 students in Lithuania of which 46% are in state-financed places.