The peaceful yet lively Kaunas and other reasons why it should be the top choice for students

Recently, Lithuania was ranked as the happiest country in the world for young people in the UN-sponsored World Happiness Report. Additionally, Kaunas was listed as one of the best cities to study in the QS Best Student Cities Rankings 2025. With these achievements, it’s no surprise that more and more youth from abroad are choosing Kaunas as their study destination. But what really makes Kaunas so special?

The best answer to this question can be given by students who have chosen to leave their home country for education in Lithuania. The international students at Kaunas University of Technology (KTU), coming from various parts of the world, have diverse perspectives shaped by their unique backgrounds. But they all agree on a couple of things. One of the main being that living in Kaunas is truly great.

The greenery has won the hearts of all

Reflecting on her first impressions of her study destination Kaunas, young informatics specialist Eylül Güleryüz from Turkey says: “The clean, fresh air as I stepped off the plane made me feel like I was breathing for the first time”.

Yasser Chibel, an Electronics and Electrical Engineering student from Morocco, agrees that nature is one of the best parts of Kaunas and all the greenery helps him to escape all the noises and clear his mind.

Of the 20 parks in Kaunas, Dainava, Ąžuolynas, and Draugystės parks, as well as Panemunės šilas, are his favourite places to have a picnic or meet friends for a volleyball game. “All these activities enrich my relationship with Kaunas and encourage me to fall in love with it again daily,” he says.

Santaka, among international students, is one of the most mentioned places worth seeing. Martin Gomez, a student from Ecuador, says that he is still fascinated by the sunset there on warm summer evenings even after four years of living here.

Sundus Osman Mohammed Osman from Sudan reveals that in some way this place reminds her of home. “Kaunas Santaka is the confluence of two great rivers – the Neris and the Nemunas – just like in my hometown, where the White and the Azure Nile meet,” she recalls.

After all, as Ukrainian Sofiia Boichenko highlights, it turns out that we are much more similar than we think.

A city that balances everything

As the students share their experiences, it seems that everyone has found what they were looking for in Kaunas. For some, it was tranquillity, while for others it was a lively bustle.

For example, Eylül says that this new chapter of life helped her to get the tranquillity she had longed for as the calmness of Kaunas was a strong contrast to Istanbul, where everyone is in a rush.

For Safiyya Baba-zada, on the contrary, this was her chance to experience a livelier part of Kaunas. “I was impressed by the fact that students come to Kaunas from all over Lithuania – from small villages, towns, or other big cities. It’s always full of life, youthful ideas, and cultural activities – I visit museums and festivals, and I can choose my favourite concert from a long list of them,” explains Safiyya.

Such a contrast of Kaunas took Informatics student Pavlo Vilkhovyi from Ukraine by surprise: “Sometimes it gets so quiet and peaceful in Kaunas that you can even hear yourself breathing. It seems that Kaunas residents take their time and do their business in peace. Nevertheless, the cultural life of the city is thriving with many events taking place”.

A place to reach academic potential

One last thing they all agree on is the quality of education. After all, this is the reason they chose Kaunas and KTU in the first place.

“It was not difficult to decide to move to Kaunas – I knew that I would receive a comprehensive education here, learn from experienced teachers, and gain a lot of professional practice during my studies,” says Yasser from Morocco.

Originally from Syria, Elessar Mhana graduated from a high school in Côte d’Ivoire. For her bachelor’s degree, she chose KTU as “it has some of the most modern and largest laboratories in the EU while being among the most affordable English studies options”.

“I was amazed at how such a small European city can hold so much scientific and technological potential,” adds Martin.

Sundus Osman was encouraged by her husband to choose Kaunas as her study destination. Talking about her experience, she reveals that exploring Kaunas has been an interesting and inspiring journey during her Master’s studies. “It is a city that combines academic opportunities, cultural heritage, and community spirit. Kaunas stands out for emphasising education; the highest-level professionals are being trained here,” she says.

Whatever attracted them to KTU, be it the convenient application process, the recommendations, or the modern university website, it became a place where they could reach their potential.

Friendly and helpful locals, tasty cuisine, love for basketball, and cultural activities are other things that made these international KTU students fall in love with Kaunas. Now, it’s time to find your own reasons!

6 Aug 2024