ABSTRACT:
Universities in Central and Eastern Europe have, over the past decade, begun developing and revising former programs of study in order to reorient them to changing market demands. Many new programs of study are currently being offered in these countries, and many existing programs are internationalizing their business curricula to better compete in the academic market of the European Union. This paper presents a relatively new master program in International Business at Vilnius University in Lithuania. The program content, goals, tasks, admissions procedures and student turnover are presented and discussed.
Many international studies have been conducted with the intent to compare and assess programs in international business. It can be seen from the results, that although European universities introduced graduate programs in business far later than the United States, their level of internationalization and their ability to provide the skills necessary for future employment in an international environment are slightly higher. This is partly due to the emphasis on technical or functional aspects of business by many programs, where the softer skills needed for success in international business are of minor importance. The Central and Eastern European universities, despite the newness of their curricula, are advancing and beginning to compete with their western counterparts, as evidenced by satisfaction with graduates from their programs by recruiters and executives. The Vilnius University Master of International Business Program is one example of a program gaining popularity among future executives.
The Master of International Business program was introduced in 2001. The program is designed to develop the knowledge and skills necessary for a dynamic international business environment, and its aims and objectives emphasize the attainment of both theoretical and practical knowledge. In developing the program, it was sought to obtain an optimal balance between functional and interpersonal aspects of business, as may be seen in the program contents. Development of distance learning courses is underway as well. A survey of prospective students revealed that of the graduate-level business programs offered by the university this program, this program was the primary choice. Recent graduates of the program also evaluated the program rather favorably.
However, although the program has been in existence for only a few years, it is already in need of some revision, to better adjust to the changing business environment upon Lithuanian accession to the European Union. The university also still has little experience in exchanging resources and developing ties with local and foreign businesses, which is of primary importance for such a program. Additional programs of study are being introduced as well, which concentrate on functional aspects of business, such as marketing, and operations management.
Business education in Lithuania has come a long way since the 1990s and has certainly seen a shift from more technical to general business and management disciplines. Many of the programs have been heavily influenced by western principles of education, and have borrowed from European and U.S. education. However, it is apparent that modules and programs cannot be taken directly from western countries and applied. The current needs of future executives and current business must be taken into account. It is obvious that business education in Lithuania, considering the size of the Lithuanian market and its entry into the European Union, must be internationalized. The question that remains is how to best achieve these goals and how to assess the competitiveness of these relatively new programs.
