BARCLAYS: LITHUANIA HAS GOT WORLD-CLASS PROFESSIONALS
Updated 2009-10-09
This week Barclays’ officials, founding a Technology Centre in Vilnius, have visited the oldest and largest Lithuania’s higher education institution – Vilnius University (VU). The goal of the introduction visit was to express an intention to establish a lasting partnership between one of the biggest banks in the world and VU.
According to Barclays’ executives, Lithuania was chosen as an offshore location for the banking activity expansion because of the very well-developed Lithuania’s technology infrastructure and proximity to other markets as well as because of the high quality of the Lithuanian education system, particularly in mathematics and physics, which has resulted in the development of a pool of world-class IT professionals in Lithuania, many of whom are multilingual. Barclays has committed to employ at least 250 highly-skilled IT engineers in the Technology Centre.
The latest Information Technology and Innovation Foundation’s (ITIF) study shows that Lithuania is one of the leading countries (following only China and Singapore) showing the greatest competitiveness dynamics among 40 European, Asian and North American most innovative countries. Professional, skilful and educated human resources are the key to maintaining and increasing the country’s competitiveness.
Lithuania, along with other new EU member countries, is among the most advanced in the world with regard to the level of education and has one of the best-educated workforces in Central and Eastern Europe. The percentage of the Lithuanian population with higher education is two times higher than the EU-15 average.
There are 22 universities and 28 colleges in Lithuania with a total enrolment of 204.000 students. There are about 4.500 students involved in BA and MA IT studies in 7 universities.
According to Barclays’ executives, Lithuania was chosen as an offshore location for the banking activity expansion because of the very well-developed Lithuania’s technology infrastructure and proximity to other markets as well as because of the high quality of the Lithuanian education system, particularly in mathematics and physics, which has resulted in the development of a pool of world-class IT professionals in Lithuania, many of whom are multilingual. Barclays has committed to employ at least 250 highly-skilled IT engineers in the Technology Centre.
The latest Information Technology and Innovation Foundation’s (ITIF) study shows that Lithuania is one of the leading countries (following only China and Singapore) showing the greatest competitiveness dynamics among 40 European, Asian and North American most innovative countries. Professional, skilful and educated human resources are the key to maintaining and increasing the country’s competitiveness.
Lithuania, along with other new EU member countries, is among the most advanced in the world with regard to the level of education and has one of the best-educated workforces in Central and Eastern Europe. The percentage of the Lithuanian population with higher education is two times higher than the EU-15 average.
There are 22 universities and 28 colleges in Lithuania with a total enrolment of 204.000 students. There are about 4.500 students involved in BA and MA IT studies in 7 universities.
