New Strategy of Vilnius Business College – The Ambition for Breakthrough
In response to societal changes and as it enters a new stage of development, Vilnius Business College presents its 2025–2030 strategy. This strategy is not merely a document, but a collective agreement on the direction to pursue over the next five years. During the development of the strategy, a conscious effort was made to ensure that it would not become just a planning text. Significant attention was devoted to discussions about what kind of institution we want to be in five years, what value we will create for students, partners, and society, and what principles will guide our decision-making. The academic community and administration were actively involved in the process, discussing directions in studies, applied research, internationalization, and organizational sustainability. It was important for the College to agree not only on goals, but also on the principles that will guide daily operations.
Director Gabija Skučaitė says, that “for us as an institution, a strategy is not merely a formal document that contains visions and goals. Of course, that is important, but what matters most is the implementation of the strategy and collective cohesion, because only then does the strategy become a way of daily action. A strategy is important to an organization insofar as it provides energy, momentum, and direction, as it accumulates collective efforts and transforms them into consistent movement toward a common goal.”
This approach became the core of the entire strategy. It is built on three interrelated dimensions – quality, sustainability, and digitalization – understood not as separate initiatives, but as shared principles of action that must be reflected in studies, applied research activities, and management decisions alike.
Deputy Director for Academic Affairs and Quality, Regina Kilinskaitė, emphasizes the unifying significance of the strategy: “A strategy for an institution is not only a planning document, but also a guideline that unites the community and provides direction for daily decisions. Strategic focus helps in making decisions, planning activities, and evaluating results so that all actions lead toward a common vision – to create an innovative, open, sustainable, and internationally recognized higher education institution.”
From an academic perspective, the strategy clearly defines its direction – to strengthen a student-centered learning environment and to more closely integrate applied research with practical experience. However, as R. Kilinskaitė notes, what is most important is the integrality of this direction: “Our strategy clearly states that our strength lies in the ability to connect people and knowledge. We speak about an ecosystem in which studies, applied research, and business are not separate worlds, but operate together.” According to her, the value of the strategy lies in the very process of its creation: “It is very important to us that the strategy does not become merely a formal planning document; therefore, it was born from discussions and co-creation.”
From a long-term development perspective, the strategy also defines a clearer position for the College within the Lithuanian and international higher education landscape. Deputy Director for Strategy and Development, Jūratė Balčiūnaitė, highlights the practical aspect of the strategy: “The new VBC strategy obliges us to work in a modern way: to rely on data, continuously improve quality, and more boldly implement digital solutions. The strategy opens a path toward international visibility and recognition within the European Higher Education Area by creating an open, co-creation-based ecosystem of studies–applied research–business, where impact is measured by real results. For daily work, the strategy is important because it establishes a common language for decision-making and priorities: it is clear what we consider quality, how we measure progress, and how sustainability and digitalization become practical standards rather than slogans.”
The importance of the strategy for daily work is reflected in clearer priorities, more consistent decisions, and shared responsibility for results. When direction is collectively agreed upon, it helps unite different initiatives and move forward together.
As the Director concludes: “The future aspiration of Vilnius Business College is to live the advanced principles of the strategy in everyday practice: to be an international, open, forward-moving, bold, and intellectually vibrant institution that makes an impact both on individual personal growth and on society at large.”
