International panel of experts which was organized by the Centre for Quality Assessment in Higher Education evaluated the Law Faculty‘s studies and granted accreditation for 7 years. The experts rated all the following areas as very good or excellent at national and international level: the objectives, results and content of the studies; the links between research and study activities; student enrolment and support; student achievement and graduate employment; the qualifications and professionalism of the teaching staff; the physical resources of the Faculty and the University; and the management and publicity of the quality of studies. The various initiatives of the Faculty, the successful integration of students and the close and continuous links between the Faculty community and the social partners were commended as well.
This assessment shows that both the Law Faculty’s full-time study programme “Law” and the Master’s programmes “Criminal Justice” and “International and European Law” (in English) are in line with the latest trends, while at the same time retaining the aim of providing students with the competences necessary for all lawyers, both at the national and international levels.
“I am pleased with the conclusions of the experts who evaluated the field of law studies, which emphasised the high quality of studies at the Vilnius University Law Faculty. We are able to train lawyers whose competence is in line with the dynamically changing needs of society. The high evaluation of the quality of studies, as well as the very good results of last year’s evaluation of the Faculty’s research, confirms our leadership in training lawyers,” commented Dean of the VU Law Faculty, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Haroldas Šinkūnas.
The experts also complimented the faculty’s lecturers, highlighting their professionalism, language skills, training abroad and the good balance between practitioners and researchers.
In the evaluation conclusions, the experts also made suggestions on how law studies at the Faculty could be improved. “It is usual that the experts have also made some suggestions and recommendations on how law studies at the Faculty can be further improved. This evaluation of the studies is not only significant that once again it is possible to make sure that the Faculty properly prepares future legal professionals. At the same time, it is also an opportunity to improve the conditions for students and to define what our future aspirations should be”, – commented the results of the evaluation Assoc. Prof. Dr. Vigita Vėbraitė, the Vice-Dean for studies at the VU Law Faculty.
The experts noted a unique and significant phenomenon among law students in Lithuania – they start working in legal jobs during their studies and sometimes even in the first or second year of their studies, so the experts suggest weighing up the advantages and disadvantages of early integration of students into the labour market.
The Chair of the Study Programme Committee, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Rimantas Simaitis, in light of the experts observation, says that the aim will be to continue the dialogue and intensify the cooperation with employers in order to ensure that the quality of studies of employed students does not suffer. Kamilia Edita Fominova, the student representative in the evaluation of the studies, says that the early entry of students into the labour market is proof of the high quality of studies at the VU Law Faculty.
“After the external evaluation of the studies, the expert commission acknowledged that the quality of studies at the VU Law Faculty, which is also recognised at the social level, is of the highest level, and it is fostered by academic activities and research-oriented modules promoted at the university, preparing students who acquire basic and specialised knowledge. According to the experts, this is also supported by the rapid entry of VU Law Faculty students into the labour market already in the year of their studies, as well as by the positive feedback from public and private sector employers on the readiness of VU graduates to work in skilled jobs,” says K. E. Fominova.
“Quality assurance is a dynamic field that requires constant attention. We do not intend to be satisfied for long with good assessment results and the accreditation of the law field of study for a maximum period of seven years. We are very grateful to the international experts for their valuable insights on what could be further improved”, says R. Simaitis.
After taking into account all the experts’ findings and discussing them with all the stakeholders, i.e. students, lecturers and social partners, a plan will be developed and implemented to further improve the content and delivery of legal studies at the Law Faculty, taking into account all the experts’ recommendations.