VILNIUS GEDIMINAS TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY EXPERIENCE AND PROBLEMS IN MARKETING OF OUR STUDY PROGRAMMES

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VILNIUS GEDIMINAS TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY
EXPERIENCE AND PROBLEMS IN MARKETING OF OUR STUDY
PROGRAMMES FOR FOREIGN DEGREE STUDENTS

• Birute Tamulaitiene
• Director for International Studies Centre
• birute.tamulaitiene_at_adm.vgtu.lt

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Outline

• History of VGTU International Studies Centre in
  brief
• International Studies Centre today
• Four Ps in marketing our study programmes
• Target countries
• Is the glas of water half-empty or half-full?

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History in brief (1)

• International Studies Centre (ISC) at Vilnius
  Gediminas Technical University was established in
  1992 to organize and coordinate the studies for
  international degree students
• Functions
• Marketing study programmes
• Recruitment of foreign students
• Admission
• Academic assistance
• Administrative, moral, and social support

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History in brief (2)

• Year 1992 first 10 students from Lebanon
• 6 in Architecture study programme
• 4 in Civil Engineering study programme

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Present (1)

• Each September, 70 to 100 foreign degree
  students start or continue their studies at VGTU.

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Present (2)
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Present (3)
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Marketing alhabet
Four Ps of marketing

• Product
• Price
• Place
• Promotion

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Marketing alhabet
Four Ps of marketing

• Product

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Product
Marketing alhabet

• Study programmes in English
• 8 bachelor degree programmes
• Architecture
• Business Management
• Building Energetics
• Information Systems Engineering
• Electronics (Informatics Engineering)
• Mechanical Engineering
• Civil Engineering
• Transport Engineering Economics and
  Management

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Product
Marketing alhabet

• Study programmes in English
• 4 master degree programmes
• International Management
• Environmental Engineering
• Electrical Energetics Systems Engineering
• Production Management

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Product
Marketing alhabet

• Study programmes in English
• PhD studies
• - Technology
• - Physical sciences
• - Social sciences
• - Arts and Humanities (architecture)

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Marketing alhabet
Four Ps of marketing

• Price

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Price
Marketing alhabet

• Application fee 100 EUR
• Annual tuition fee (for non EU students)
• 3 500 EUR bachelor programmes
• 3 900 EUR master programmes
• 4 600 7 200 EUR PhD studies
• Students from any EU country are considered like
  Lithuanian students

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Marketing alhabet
Four Ps of marketing

• Place

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Place
Marketing alhabet

• VGTU is located in the capital of Lithuania
• Vilnius is one of the largest cultural,
  scientific and industrial centers of the Baltic
  States.
• Traditions of student activities in sports, arts
  and social life.
• Unexpensive beer.

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Marketing alhabet
Four Ps of marketing

• Promotion

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Promotion
Marketing alhabet

• Annualy updated leaflets and brochures containing
  information on study programs and survival
  handbook.
• Advertisements in papers and journals in target
  countries.
• Participation in education fairs.
• Word of mouth spreaded by our foreign students
  and alumni.
• Information disseminated by Lithuanian Ministry
  of Education and Science, Embassies, and other
  national institutions.

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Target countries

• EU countries (geografical proximity, no cultural
  schock)
• China (hard-working)
• Turkey (motivated in perceiving European culture)
• India (English speaking)
• Kazahstan (selected students with governmental
  support)
• Georgia (presidential scholarships)

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Optimistic self-evaluation

• We have experienced faculty and staff.
• Promotion of VGTU study programmes abroad
  increases.
• VGTU offers new study programmes in English
• Costs of the entire study package including
  tuition fee and living expences is competative.
• Most of the foreign students live in dormitory
  for affordable price.
• As a capital city, Vilnius offers wide
  opportunities for diverse cultural activities.

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Pessimistic view to reality

• We can easily have more foreign students, we
  would like to have more good foreign students.
• Compatibility of education systems in countries
  world-wide is a problem.
• Many of applicants (expecially from Pakistan,
  Nigeria, Iran) seek not knowledge, but a visa to
  a EU country.
• Strong competition by other European universities.

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Realistic hopes for the future

• Improving our study programmes
• Increasing international visibility of our
  university
• Taking lectures from good practice of other
  European universities
• Following suggestions of participants of this
  seminar

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Thank you for attention
Geography of VGTU students
 
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