Kaunas University of Technology (KTU) is a public research university located in Kaunas, Lithuania.
Initially established on January 27, 1920, the school was known as « Higher Courses ». With an increased rate of staffing and attendance, the school was instituted as the first independent higher education institution within Lithuania by the government on February 16, 1922. Renamed Vytautas Magnus in 1930, the university specialized in four areas: civil engineering, mechanics, electrical engineering, and chemical technology. The turmoil of World War II brought combinations of Soviet, then German, and finally Soviet re-occupation, numerous name changes and an eventual closing of the university in 1943. After re-occupation by the Soviets in 1944, the University reopened and eventually reformed into Kaunas Polytechnic Institute (KPI) and Kaunas Medical Institute in 1946. Under the influence of Perestroika, the Soviet Lithuanian government reinstated the school’s university status, and it was renamed the Kaunas University of Technology (KTU). Independence from the Soviet Union brought rapid westernization with a flexible module/credit system and membership to many Western European organizations.