SUPPLY AND DEMAND ISSUES OF RECASTING HIGHER EDUCATION IN LITHUANIA

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SUPPLY AND DEMAND ISSUESOF RECASTING HIGHER
EDUCATION IN LITHUANIA

• Terry D. Clark
• Creighton University
• Omaha, NE
• USA

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About the Author

• Professor of Political Science and an active
  scholar
• Director of a graduate program (MA) in
  international relations since 1998
• Managed an active faculty and student exchange
  program with Lithuanian universities since 1994
• Taught at Siauliai University (1996) and Vilnius
  University (1999-2000)

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Purpose of the Essay

1. Briefly consider the state of Lithuanian higher
   education
2. Analyze the demand for masters degrees in light
   of Lithuanian higher educations capacity to meet
   the demand
3. Put forth a best strategy to maximize the
   production of masters degrees

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Analytical Approach

• A comparative advantage approach
• Lithuania can not supply all of its internal
  demand for masters degrees
• Neither can the European Union
• Lithuanian higher education should focus on its
  relative strengths

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The State of Lithuanian Higher Education A
Continuing Crisis

• Low faculty salaries
• Too little attention to peer reviewed,
  international publications
• Corruption of the education system
• Too many universities, too many students

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Analysis of the Demand

• The demand for masters degrees on Lithuanias
  labor market
• Other sources of demand for masters degrees
• The failure to address multiple sources of
  demand the MBA in the United States

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The Demand for Masters Degrees on Lithuanias
Labor Market

• More masters degrees in technology
• Fewer masters degrees in humanities
• The same number of masters degrees in the social
  sciences

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The Demand for Masters Degrees in the Knowledge
Intense Sector

• Indicators of Low Comparative Advantage in the
  Technology Industries
• Low potential market growth in technology
• An aging faculty and low student test scores

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Table 1. Economic Data by Type Sector for 2004
Expert Evaluation Economic Sector value FDI MA/MS business economists added
Large, slow growing 2.2 7.5 7.5 0 Public administration and 1.3 -- 41 public services Traditional, stable growth 4.2 10 17.5 2 1 Small, dynamic 4.9 19 -- Knowledge intense 4.2 51 36 2 2
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Problems in the Technology Industries

• chemicals, chemical products, and man-made fibers
  
• growth in value added is below the national
  average
• EU environmental and regulatory policy
• electrical and optical equipment
• Low FDI
• EU regulatory policy
• Increasing foreign competition

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The Supply Side

• The comparative advantage in Lithuanian higher
  education
• Comparing universities
• Comparing disciplines

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Vilnius University in Lithuanias System of
Higher Education
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Comparing Disciplines

• Measures of excellence
• The quality of graduates
• Faculty research productivity

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Research versus Teaching?

• A False Dichotomy
• Research increases knowledge of the subject
• Teaching contributes to understanding research
• At the Masters Level
• Faculty mentor students in ways of knowing and
  learning

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Faculty Research Productivity

• General impediments
• Too few possess the necessary competence in
  English
• Too few publish in internationally recognized,
  peer-reviewed journals
• An aging faculty possess Soviet-era
  qualifications
• Overall assessment
• Low in most technology sciences
• High in some social sciences and humanities

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Supply and Demand of Masters Degrees in Lithuania

• Demand
• Decreasing market demand
• technology
• Increasing market demand
• the humanities and social science
• Increasing state demand
• Social science

• Supply
• Decreasing supply
• Technology
• Increasing supply
• Specific centers of excellence in the humanities,
  social sciences, and medicine
• Perhaps a few centers in science

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A Strategy for Excellence

• Leveraging Lithuanias comparative advantage in
  higher education
• Focus on academic entrepreneurs
• Bright faculty are like magnets
• They attract bright students
• They attract other faculty
• They form the center of intellectual milieus
• No program is better than its faculty
• University Leadership

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University Leadership

• Reduce the emphasis on the middle
• Empower the lead faculty

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The Bottom Line

• Concentrate resources and effort
• Go with what you have
• Invest in the best