"Connecting Horizons": Kiel and Lithuanian LSMU Kaunas Seal Their Twenty-Year Research Partnership

It usually works the other way around: first an agreement is signed, then the research begins. Between Kiel and Kaunas, it was the reverse. For two decades, researchers from both universities have worked together on fundamental questions about genes, microorganisms, and the mechanisms of chronic inflammatory diseases. The agreement that now formalises this partnership is therefore less a beginning than the institutional consolidation of an already established collaboration.

On 25 March 2026, the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences (LSMU), the Faculty of Medicine at Kiel University (CAU), and the University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein (UKSH) signed their Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) – a formal declaration of intent laying the foundation for future collaboration. The signing was accompanied by a multi-day visit programme: a Lithuanian delegation led by LSMU Rector Prof. Dr. Rimantas Benetis gained comprehensive insights into current research priorities, key infrastructures, and ongoing projects at Kiel's Faculty of Medicine.

The institutional framework is now in place, as is the scientific agenda. The medical cooperation between Kaunas and Kiel is structured across multiple levels, bringing together students, clinician scientists, and faculty who collaborate closely in research, teaching, and translation.

In parallel, the Kaunas-Kiel Microbiome & Precision Medicine Center is currently being established at LSMU, a joint research centre integrating microbiome science, systems medicine, and precision medicine, with the goal of translating discoveries into clinically applicable diagnostics and therapies. The development of a Baltic life sciences network is planned. Under the MoU, four research groups with dual affiliations between LSMU and CAU will expand scientific exchange in a structured manner. The Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology (IKMB) contributes as a partner institute and coordinating platform. The groups will be closely embedded in the research network of the Excellence Cluster Precision Medicine in Chronic Inflammation (PMI). To attract internationally competitive researchers, each group is supported by a start-up package of up to one million euros.

This partnership with Kaunas is no coincidence – it is the expression of a clear strategic vision: "Connecting Horizons – from the Baltic Perspective to Global Impact."