Kurk Lietuvai (in English: Create Lithuania), also known as KurkLT,[1][2] is a strategic government initiative focused on fostering innovation and implementing best practices within the Lithuanian public sector.[3][4] It is part of Invest Lithuania, country's foreign investment agency.[5][6]
This is the only program of its kind in Lithuania with few equivalents abroad.[7] Multiple Lithuanian politicians have praised it for effectiveness and results.[8][9]UN and UNESCO reports have identified Create Lithuania as a good example for other countries to follow.[10][11][12]
History
The program was created in 2012 as an attempt to establish a mechanism of innovation in Lithuanian public sector. In the early years of the program, it was co-financed by European Union.[13][14] The program initially targeted young Lithuanian professionals with considerable foreign experience and attempted to attract them to Lithuania.[15][16][17] Many participants have been educated at primarily foreign universities, e.g. Cambridge, Oxford, Maastricht and others.[18]
Past projects
During the first 6 years of its existence, the program successfully implemented 180 projects. During the first decade – about 300.[19] Since 2022, multiple projects were aimed at improving conditions for Ukrainian refugees[20] and rebuilding Ukraine post-war.[21][22] Create Lithuania has contributed to the creation of Lithuanian deposit-refund system,[23] which became one of the most successful in Europe with higher than 90% return rate.[24] Lithuanian Startup Visa system was co-created by Create Lithuania and launched in 2017.[25] In 2019, 62 startups applied to relocate to Lithuania on Startup Visa, 18 of which were approved.[26] In its projects, Create Lithuania has also partnered with private companies, e.g. Google[27][28] and Oxylabs.[29]
Every year, the program selects about 20 participants for an annual work contracts that begin in September.[50] The program targets Lithuanian diaspora and Lithuanians with extensive experience abroad, but is open to everyone. Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Lithuanian embassies assist in recruiting the candidates.[51] Create Lithuania has had Lithuanians from all continents, also from countries not well known for Lithuanian diaspora like New Zealand, Mexico, China or Kenya.[52]
The program consists of two 6 month long projects in the Lithuanian public sector and its ministries and organizations. The projects are typically tailored to candidate's education, skills and interests. Therefore, there is a lot of variation in project areas – education, immigration, gender equality, finance, defense, business environment, city planning etc.[53][54][55][56][57]
In the past, KurkLT projects and their results have been presented to Lithuanian ministers,[58][59][60][61] prime minister,[62] presidents,[63][64] Government Chancellor and various heads of government institutions.[65]
Former participants
Majority of former participants moved to Lithuania for the program and about 80% of them stay in Lithuania long-term.[66][67] After the program, many take jobs in the public sector and former participants include multiple current or former deputy ministers,[68][69] ministers, deputy mayors,[70][71] heads of governmental institutions,[72][73][74] presidential advisers,[75][76] multiple advisers to the prime minister,[77] members of Parliament and European commissioner. Notable former participants include MP Lukas Savickas,[78] author Unė Kaunaitė [lt][79] and European Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevičius.[80][81]
^"Aštuonioliktosios Lietuvos Respublikos Vyriausybės programa". e-seimas.lrs.lt – Seimas (in Lithuanian). Archived from the original on 2024-02-06. Retrieved 2024-02-06. 139.4. Inovatyvios viešojo valdymo inovacijos. Siekdami modernios ir veikiančios viešojo valdymo sistemos, įkursime viešojo valdymo inovacijų centrą, kurį įtrauksime į Vyriausybės strateginės analizės centro (STRATA) sudėtį ir kuris sujungs jau dabar egzistuojančias iniciatyvas: „GovTech" laboratoriją, „Policy Lab" viešosios politikos inovacijų laboratoriją ir „Kurk Lietuvai" programą.
^"Good practices – "Create Lithuania"". Interreg. 10 January 2024. Retrieved 2024-02-06. the programme was created as a tool to attract young proffesionals (Lithuanian citizens) back to Lithuania to implement innovative projects in public sector
^"Prie užstato sistemos Lietuvoje vis svariau prisideda tarą grąžinančios organizacijos". LRT (in Lithuanian). Mar 26, 2023. Archived from the original on 2023-03-26. Retrieved Feb 7, 2024. 2022 metais Lietuvoje buvo surinkta ir sutvarkyta apie 92 proc. į rinką išleistų PET plastiko užstato pakuočių, žmonės grąžino daugiau negu 672 mln. šio tipo atliekų (transl. In 2022, around 92% of PET bottles sold in Lithuania were collected for recycling, people returned more than 672 million pieces of this type of waste.)
^Degutis, Gintautas (2019-04-13). ""Startup Visa" rezultatai gerėja, panaši programa ruošiama ir darbuotojams". vz.lt – Verslo Žinios (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 2024-02-06. Iš viso 2019 m. pirmąjį ketvirtį „Startup Visa" programa sulaukė 62 paraiškų iš užsienio įmonių, norinčių perkelti savo verslą į Lietuvą. (transl. In the first quarter of 2019, the Startup Visa programme received a total of 62 applications from foreign companies wishing to relocate their business to Lithuania.)
^Birgile, Gabija (2023-03-10). "Oxylabs' "Project 4β" Partners with The Environmental Protection Department". Oxylabs. Retrieved 2024-02-06. Oxylabs will help tackle the problem of illegal classified ads in Lithuanian websites through the "Application of Webcrawling Method in the Environmental Protection Department activities" initiative, developed by the "Create Lithuania" program.
^"Programos "Kurk Lietuvai" dalyvių projektų rezultatų pristatymo renginys". Ekonomikos ir inovacijų ministerija (in Lithuanian). 2019-03-06. Archived from the original on 2023-12-20. Retrieved 2024-02-06. Ekonomikos ir inovacijų ministras Virginijus Sinkevičius dalyvaus programos "Kurk Lietuvai" dalyvių projektų rezultatų pristatymo renginyje (Lietuvos Respublikos Vyriausybė, Gedimino pr. 11, Vilnius)." (transl. Minister of Economy and Innovation Virginijus Sinkevičius will participate in the result presentation of Kurk Lietuvai projects (Government of the Republic of Lithuania, Gedimino pr. 11, Vilnius).")
^"Projektas "Kurk Lietuvai" – savivaldybių savarankiškumui stiprinti". Kauno diena (in Lithuanian). 2020-06-01. Archived from the original on 2020-06-10. Retrieved 2024-02-06. Programos „Kurk Lietuvai" komanda Lietuvos Respublikos Prezidentui pristatė jos įgyvendinamo projekto „Bendru sutarimu link savivaldybių savarankiškumo stiprinimo" tarpinius rezultatus. (transl. The team of Kurk Lietuvai programme presented project's "Bendru sutarimu link savivaldybių savarankiškumo stiprinimo" interim results to the President of Lithuania)
^""Kurk Lietuvai" projektų pristatymas". MITA (in Lithuanian). 2019-03-03. Archived from the original on 2024-02-07. Retrieved 2024-02-07. MITA direktorius K.Šetkus dalyvaus "Kurk Lietuvai" projektų pristatyme. Vieta: LR Vyriausybė. (transl. MITA Director K.Šetkus will participate in "Kurk Lietuvai" project presentations. Location: Government of the Republic of Lithuania.)
^"Užsienio lietuviai gaus finansavimą Lietuvos garsinimo, investicijų ir eksporto skatinimo projektams". ino.lt (in Lithuanian). 2023-09-07. Archived from the original on 2024-02-07. Retrieved 2024-07-17. Jau daugiau nei 210 užsienyje studijuojančių ir dirbančių jaunų žmonių grįžo dalyvauti programoje „Kurk Lietuvai". Iš jų daugiau kaip 80 proc. po programos lieka kurti Lietuvoje, daugiau kaip 40 proc. įsidarbina viešajame sektoriuje. (transl. More than 210 young people studying and working abroad have already returned to take part in the "Kurk Lietuvai" programme. More than 80% of them remain in Lithuania after the programme and more than 40% join the public sector.)
^"Nominantai 2021". Globalios Lietuvos Apdovanojimai (in Lithuanian). 2021-11-30. Archived from the original on 2024-07-17. Retrieved 2024-07-17. sėkmingai dalyvavo programoje „Kurk Lietuvai" <...> Šiandien P. Vertelka dirba technologijų kompanijoje „Google" (transl. successfully participated in the "Kurk Lietuvai" programme <...> Today P. Vertelka works for the technology company Google )
^"Prasidėjo atranka į "Kurk Lietuvai" programą". renkuosilietuva.lt (in Lithuanian). 2020-03-09. Archived from the original on 2023-12-20. Retrieved 2024-02-06. Programa didžiuojasi ne tik po jos Lietuvoje liekančiųjų profesionalų skaičiumi bei įspūdingais projektų rezultatais, bet ir jos alumnių pasiekiamais po programos. <...> SEB inovacijų centro vadovas Audrius Rutkauskas ir daugelis kitų Lietuvą keičiančių lyderių. (transl. The programme is proud not only of the number of professionals who stay in Lithuania after the programme and the impressive results of the projects, but also of the reach of its alumni after the programme. <...> Audrius Rutkauskas, Head of the SEB Innovation Centre, and many other leaders who are changing Lithuania.)
^"Miško advokatės svajonė – kurti žaliąją gerovės valstybę". KaunoDiena.lt (in Lithuanian). 2024-07-13. Archived from the original on 2024-07-13. Retrieved 2024-07-17. Prieš dešimt metų dalyvavau programoje „Kurk Lietuvai" <...> Liepos 6-ąją Monikai įteiktas Lietuvos didžiojo kunigaikščio Gedimino ordino medalis už aplinkosauginę veiklą. (transl. Ten years ago, I took part in the "Kurk Lietuvai" programme <...> On 6 July, Monika was awarded the Order of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas for her environmental work.)
^"Veiklos ataskaita – Annual Report". Lituanica Rotary International Club. Rotary klubas "Lituanica International" tapo pirmojo Lietuvoje nevyriausybinėms organizacijoms skirto „NVO Akseleratorius“ partneriu kartu su „Kurk Lietuvai Alumni“, „Women Go Tech”, „Jaunimo Linija”, M. Čiuželio labdaros ir paramos fondu, „Ankstukai”, „Maisto Bankas”, „Kauno Hospiso Namai”, „NVO Avilys” ir kitais. (transl. Rotary Club "Lituanica International" became a partner of the first NGO Accelerator in Lithuania, together with Kurk Lietuvai Alumni, Women Go Tech, Jaunimo Linija, M. Čiuželis Charity and Support Foundation, Ankstukai, Maisto Bankas (Food Bank), Kauno Hospiso Namai, NGO Avilys and others.). Archived from the original on 2024-02-06. Retrieved 2024-02-06.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: others (link)