Report on Progress 2012-2014 Principles of Responsible Management Education

SMK University of Applied Social Sciences, Nemunostreet 2, Klaipėda, LT-91199, Lithuania

Presidential letter (renewal of the commitment to PRME, signed by the highest executive of the organization)

President’s word

The world is changing so fast that every day we all meet new challenges, which make us to rethink the ways of our learning and performing. We understand that higher education must change as well – become integrated, open, interactive, and synergic. Therefore, we seek to create a different higher education institution, where teaching is incorporated together with a personal development, individual involvement and improvement of communal responsibility.

SMK is not only a higher education institution, it is also a friendly, ambitious, youthful and unified community. It is a space, where ideas are generated, new knowledge is developed, and long-lasting relations are formed. We seek to give our students such experience, which would enable them not only to gain and use their knowledge, but also strive for overall improvement, and become responsible people and citizens. We simply want to be a place, where You will always want to come back to. And we are happy that we successfully achieve it. We are proud of the achievements of our students, their professional career accomplishments and their loyalty to SMK.

Here in SMK, we develop personalities, everyday willing to emerge beyond themselves, who realise that it is the main goal for perfection – not to compete with the others, instead improve yourself. Each day become a better person, who learns and knows more, is able to transfer the knowledge to the others, and contributes to the welfare of the family, community and society.

I honestly believe, together we can do much more, accept the challenges and overcome them. Conjointly look for the essence, experience success and learn from our mistakes. Let us help each other grow and progress.

Sincerely,

Gabija Skučaitė, President

Table of contents

About SMK

PRINCIPLE 1

PRINCIPLE 2

PRINCIPLE 3

PRINCIPLE 4

PRINCIPLE 5

PRINCIPLE 6

About SMK

Cornerstone values of the SMK University of Applied Social Sciences which are applied in all activity areas are:

  • Vitality and ability to renew: Nothing gives more meaning to our being as our ability to renew and to look at the world anew. It is becoming a challenge and aspiration of our institution and every member of our community: to preserve personal identity and to change at the same time, understanding the laws of the global development, learning from others and our own experiences, improving and trying to surpass our abilities every day.
  • International and intercultural integration: The world is becomingan openspace for exchangingknowledge,travelling, studying,learning about othercountries andcultures. We must evaluate the advantages of such world bravely and be open to nations, cultures and new approaches. We are striving to become a multinational and multicultural community that respects human freedom, cherishes and nurtures democracy, tolerance and communication, creates ethical principles-based working environment.
  • Social interaction and cooperation: Social interaction is the core of the learning process. We need to understand the benefits of communication, partnership and networking. As well as the simple truth that working together we can do much more. Opening up, interaction, exchanging and sharing must become our key aspirations that would help us develop a cooperation culture based on trust and commitment that is perceived as a fundamental basis for the creation of economic and social value.
  • Creativity in attempt to create and lead: The world that is saturated with different goods and services needs innovations. So, new needs must be created for consumers, whose basic needs have already been met. In fact, innovations create the biggest value in today’s world. To learn from the experiences of others, but not to copy – instead, to discover, invent and create: these are the vectors of our movement direction. We can become the flagman in our sector only if we are able to create.

SMK seeks to be the leader in innovation, affecting not only the development of the higher education system in Lithuania, but also in Europe. Therefore, here, in SMK, new ideas and various projects are constantly born, aimed at improving the quality of higher education and the creation of knowledge economy. Especially SMK is promoting students’ entrepreneurship and creativity, which is highly encouraged during the lectures and after them.

Students are constantly inspired to participate in after-lecture activities. There are conditions created for them to perform internships abroad, to participate in various camps and gain new skills and experience in international community. In order to successfully prepare students for the labour market, Career Centre was established in SMK, which provides students and graduates career support.

Recent rankings and recognitions of the SMK University of Applied Social Sciences:

The SMK is acknowledged and known in Lithuania, takes the leading positions in national ratings of the colleges, wins prestigious awards. In the recent years, based on the choice of students, SMK is the most popular non-state HEI (including universities) and is in the top ten of the most popular colleges in Lithuania.

SMK implements these undergraduate programs:

All of these programmes involves Business ethics and corporate social responsibility. This subject is taught as a compulsory subject. Also some of above mentioned Study programmes are already directly related global social responsibility issues (such as Energy Business, International Business, Technology and Innovation Management, ect.).

One of the key principles of sustainable growth is fostering of personal responsibility among members of society, because on the level of awareness of personal responsibility and its ownership depends the level of common wellbeing. Therefore, fostering of the ideology of sustainable growth, nurturing of personal responsibility and self-consciousness is a key objective for the SMK. Academic year at the SMK traditionally commences with the “Day of Responsibility”, which serves as an instrument to provide a foundation of values for career and personal life, to assist students in acquainting with tendencies in national and global development, and to encourage them to be active and responsible creators of the future. On that day introductory lectures are delivered not only by the College lecturers, but also its social partners, representatives of local municipalities and government, and SMK graduates.

While thinking and acting globally, it‘s important not only to spread own ideas and initiatives, but also to apply global ideas nationally. Therefore participation in such global initiatives as United Nations Global Compact and PRIME (Principles for Responsible Management Education) network of educational institutions are very important to the SMK. At the beginning of every academic year President of the College presents to the teachers the 6 principles of responsible education of the PRIME network, motivating to adhere to them in their professional activities.

SMK mission and key operational objectives underline the importance of scientific activity and the added value it creates for the institution, regional economy, and larger society. SMK’s Mission statement declares its strive to serve the society through supplying it with human capital, which can create new knowledge and innovations, and which understands responsibility to contribute to the creation of advanced, sustainable and safe Europe. Such institutional mission obligates to seek the high quality of scientific activity and establishes it as a fosterer of public wellbeing.

Seeking to effectuate influence on the national level, the SMK follows conviction that society may progress only if it acts conscientiously and responsibly, where relationships are built on ideas of harmony, tolerance and democracy. Therefore in seeking positive changes on national level SMK focuses on formation of societal values, on nurturing self-consciousness, responsibility and citizenship. This is achieved through various social initiatives, national competitions, conferences, forums, discussions, and informational-publicity campaigns.

In 2007-2013 the SMK realized over 700 events and social initiatives aimed at college students, pupils, business community and larger society. Below are the examples of projects and initiatives, implemented by SMK in accordance with the cornerstones of SMK’s public mission.

Seeking to foster sustainable development and increase awareness on sustainable development in society and especially in the national business community, in collaboration with New Generation Science and Business Cluster, SMK implemented a project, during which a series of informational-journalistic broadcasts “Future Lithuania” were created and broadcasted. These programs/broadcasts were presented by the President of SMK, G. Skucaite and aimed to disseminate ideas of sustainable growth, to demonstrate scientific and industrial progress to society, and to encourage development of new entrepreneurial ideas.

Seeking to foster entrepreneurship SMK invests in various initiatives to promote entrepreneurship among young people. One of the most successful examples is 2011-2013 project “Creation and implementation of education methods of entrepreneurship in Lithuanian schools”, during which 238 teachers were trained, 14 entrepreneurship fostering events organized with the total number of attendees over 700 pupils from various secondary schools. In the course of the project SMK executed a competition, called “Entrepreneurial Genius.” This project was selected as the best national investment initiative in fostering entrepreneurship, and nominated to receive entrepreneurship award from the European Commission. Every year the SMK organizes International Week of Entrepreneurship, hosting various events to promote entrepreneurship and the culture of innovation. SMK students take part in a number of entrepreneurial competitions: “Grow a Business Idea”, “Hunt for Business Talents”, “The Idea”, etc. In 2012 the Association of College students “Projects of Tomorrow” has won the first prize in a national competition of business ideas “Junior Initiatives Lithuania Competition 2012”.

In the area of creating social prosperity SMK seeks to be a part in improving the situation of specific social groups, increasing latitudinarian attitudes in society, promoting tolerance, and creating welfare society. Many of such initiatives rest on volunteering among members of community, spreading ideas of common wealth, and inspiring to share wealth with each other. Every year SMK implements and takes part in these traditional social initiatives: solidarity event “Light the candle of your heart”, goodness event “A Gift of a Smile”, social event “Extend the hand of mercy”, blood donorship promoting event “A Gift of a Drop”, “Food Bank” and Maltese Order “Food on Wheels” events, environmental event “Back to Nature”, tolerance event “Friendship Campfire of the Nations”, children’s sporting event “Let’s Greet the Spring Together!”, Lithuanian youth talent competition “Show Yourself”, Christmas Season events for the children of staff and other social initiatives.

In 2011 SMK prepared and executed a programme for developing social competencies “I can” for the target audience of socially marginalized women, seeking to enhance their activeness and motivation, as well as to develop their abilities to plan career and be competitive in the labor market.

In the area of preserving natural environment SMK seeks to promote a conserving and nature friendly lifestyle, to develop personal responsibility for the preservation of the nature and its resources, and to encourage responsible consumption. In the area of preservation of nature and its resources these initiatives of the College are of particular importance: in 2011 in the course of the project “Large-scale public awareness campaign ‘Back to the nature! Let’s live so we would not harm the environment’”, the College filmed and broad casted on LNK TV Channel a series of 10 informational shows-discussions called “Eco Myth”, promoting nature friendly lifestyle; in 2013 through the project “Eco-School.LT - Conservation and responsible use of natural resources:an initiative for Lithuanian educational system” SMK held National pupils’ competition “Eco-School” (2789 pupils from a number of secondary schools took part in this competition) and established a network of Eco-schools, connecting 100 secondary schools in Lithuania, signing a Declaration of an Eco-school (more on this at In cooperation with KursiuNerija National Park the College organizes events to replenish and protect natural environment.

Even though residing locally, SMK perceives itself a part of the world, able and obligated to make influence on global development of society. Firstly, being a part of the European Union, SMK seeks to be a party in creating safe and sustainable future of Europe. This aim is realized through the SMK initiative to create an international network of future thinkers and strategists called „European Future Vision“ (more on as well as through participation in various international projects, networks, development of international partnerships as to share knowledge and experience, creation and implementation of joint study programs.

SMK also organized these conferences, which focused on PRME principles implementation:

  • “The role of media in the creation of the responsible and smart society” (2013);
  • “Economic and Social Transformation in the Age of Smart Technologies“ (2013);
  • “The new role of the higher education institutions in society: the Future Challenges, tendency and prospects” (2012);
  • “Creativity as a tool of the potential disclosure of personal and economic capital development” (2012);
  • “Social Transitions in Economics, Politics and Society” (2012);

Topical areas of the public mission of the SMK define the nature and objectives of various projects, social initiatives and events prepared and implemented by the SMK. All projects and initiatives of College significantly contribute to the fulfillment of needs of various groups in society, as well as those of the regions, and assist in finding solutions to various relevant issues on local, regional and national levels.

Public mission of the SMK would be impossible to achieve working alone, that is why co-operation in developing strong ties with the industry, public and NGO sectors is one of the key success factors. The SMK aims to develop value creating social partnerships, which would be binding and benefiting all partnering sides and larger society.

Collaboration with employers is one of the key aspects of such partnerships, since it provides opportunities to feel the pulse of the labor market, to understand and oblige specific needs of employers and companies in the areas of specialist training and development of qualifications. The SMK is a member of several associations: Confederation of Business Employers of Lithuania (LBEC), Association of Employers of Klaipeda Region (KREA), Klaipeda Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Crafts (KCCIC), Lithuanian Business Confederation (LBC), and Lithuanian Confederation of Industrialists (LCI). Close cooperation is witnessed by the number of projects, implemented together with the employers, e.g. a bilateral project with CBEL “Creation and implementation of the model for internship in management and economy study programs”, in which a working model for student internships was created, as well as a system of support using informational technologies was designed (more about the project at The SMK was also a partner in LBC project “Solutions for young leaders”. At the moment SMK participates in the project “Volunteering is the first step to a successful career”, which has been developed together with CBEL.

In cooperation with banking industry, in 2011 SMK hosted National competition of financial literacy for pupils, called “The Most Economical Class”. In 2014 the SMK decided to follow up on this idea and planned another competition of financial literacy for pupils, titled “EUROclass”, which is listed in a Week of financial education, initiated by the Bank of Lithuania.

Equally important for SMK is participation in associations of industrial sectors that are directly related to the study programs offered at the SMK. SMK is a member of the National Association of Creative and Cultural Industries, Project Management Association of Lithuania, Association of Hotels and Tourism of Lithuania. In 2013 SMK joined the Lithuanian Medical Tourism cluster as to cooperate in creating new study programs, to implement applied research programs and create new internship and employment opportunities for the students.

The SMK is developing international partnerships through membership in these associations: European Association for International Education (EAIE), European Association of the Institutions in Higher Education (EURASHE), Baltic Management Development Association (BDMA), International Management Development Association in Central and Eastern Europe (CEEMAN), and the Network of International Business Schools (NIBS). SMK has also joined Anna Lindh and PRME (Rio+20) international networks.

SMK is not only a member of various organizations, but also is striving to initiate the creation and development of new thematic cooperation networks. For instance, the SMK was one of the founders and key initiators in creating these two associations: “New Generation Science and Business Cluster” and Association of Digital Creative Industries “Mediapolis”. In the process of implementation of the project “ULMA- Upbringing learning motivation of adults” a network of “European Network of Adult Educators” (ENAE) was founded.

The SMK University of Applied Social Sciences presents a great opportunity to implement all students ideas in science, sports, arts and recreation areas!

There are a number of various students club acting in SMK.

ESN SMK section of ESN Lithuania

ESN SMK (Erasmus Student Network) section of ESN Lithuania develops enthusiastic, creative, responsible and tolerant personalities. All these character traits are united by the ESN SMK section candidate Mentor Team.