Project “Enhancing capacity of universities to initiate and to participate in clusters development on innovation and sustainability principles” (UniClaD)

EU program Erasmus +, project KA2 n° 609944-EPP-1-2019-1-LT-EPPKA2-CBHE-JP

Study tour Lithuania 16.09 – 20.09. 2024

From 16 to 20 September 2024, Kauno Colegija hosted teachers from Ukraine, Moldova and Azerbaijan. This visit was a bit unusual, because together with the teachers, all the events were attended by students who were here on an internship as part of student mobility in frame of the UniClaD project.

The first day of the study visit was dedicated to getting to know the university and education system in Lithuania. After presenting of general information it was presented the study tour agenda and presentation of Kauno Kolegija. The participants of the visit had the opportunity to get acquainted with the university's laboratories, the university library and talk to teachers In the evening in was organized the city tour.

The second day the program participants spent in Research Centre for agriculture and Forestry. They knew that this Centre is the Member of the National Food Cluster of Lithuania. Teachers and students visited various laboratories, got acquainted with the technologies of fruit and berry processing, honey. It is interesting that no sugar is added during the production of candies and jam. The product is one hundred percent natural. Of course, there was a tasting of the products, which everyone loved.

The next day of the study visit was dedicated to Clusters in Lithuania. Rita Jukneviciene, head of production at “Pienas.Lt” told about her agricultural cooperative. We learned about the operating system of the cooperative, the main products they produce, the basic principles of work organization. We also visited the botanical garden of the university.

The day which we spent at the two departments of Vytautas Magnus University of Lithuania Agriculture Academy was very interesting and efficient. In the first half of the day, we visited the experimental station, where we learned about the directions of work of Lithuanian specialists, about the crops that are grown in the fields of the station.

In the afternoon, we visited the educational farm of the university. We saw the animals that the university has, the equipment they work with. There was also a tasting. The group members had the opportunity to taste the milk produced at this farm.

The last day of the visit was dedicated to learning through simulation exercises. It was a training on the topic "Sustainable development in agriculture", it was conducted by Dr. Lina Skinuliene. Then there was a presentation of Kristina Sermuksnyte „Experience of clusters in Lithuania: example of “Agrifood Lithuania”.

After the training, the results of the study visit were summed up, all participants received their certificates