International Center of Knowledge Economy and Knowledge Management organised the celebration of the beginning of the academic year. More than a hundred of guests gathered to celebrate the event.

On the 1st of September in internet café "Despina" (Pamënkalnio g. 2, Vilnius) International Center of Knowledge Economy and Knowledge Management organised the celebration of the beginning of the academic year. More than a hundred of guests gathered to celebrate the event – respectable politicians and the representatives of educational institutions, Centre’s students. Prof. Renaldas Gudauskas, councel of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Lithuania, made an opening speech. On the occasion of the beginning of the academic year congratulated the Centre: Klausas Brunðteinas (IFIP President), Virgilijus Bulovas (Minister of the Foreign affairs of the Republic of Lithuania), Artûras Zuokas (Vilnius Mayor), Petras Auðtrevièius (Director of the European Committee under the Government of the Republic of Lithuania), Aleksas Pikturna (VU Pro-rector), Asta Dirmaitë (UNESCO commission general secretary), Gintautas Babravièius (IVPK vice-chairman), Martynas Bieliûnas (“Microsoft” representative at the Baltic States), Danguolë Rutkauskienë (President of the Lithuanian Distance Learning Association), Egidijus Andriuðkevièius (“Hewlett Packard” General Director at the Baltic States), Aina Kirdulienë (Penki kontinentai, UAB representative). Vilnius Mayor A. Zuokas congratulated the Centre students and the lecturers with the new academic year and emboldened them to involve in creation of the information city and knowledge driven information society. "Your personal improvement is significant not for you only, but for the whole country as well. But you should not forget that the technologies, no matter how modern they are, are worth nothing without the human", - said A. Zuokas. IFIP President Klausas Brunðteinas, who has also recently participated at the international "WITFOR" forum, has emphasized that Lithuania has already reached much progress in information society creation. "It is being much spoken but little done on this worldwide. I was pleasantly surprised with seeing how promptly and with what enthusiasm Lithuanian youth starts implementing IT projects", - said Brunðteinas. According to him, Lithuania has achieved really much in IT sector during the latest decade of independency, and WITFOR forum one more proof. P. Auðtrevièius, Director of the European Committee under the Government of the Republic of Lithuania, was very glad that “the old school” gets new shape. "Lithuanian youth has got huge potential, and senescent Europe needs new ideas," – he said. After the conference, the masters of the international knowledge economy and management centre were presented with certificates and given the first lecture. Center of Knowledge Economy and Knowledge Management was established in June, 2003 in Vilnius University. Objective of the Center is to prepare new generation specialists in knowledge economy, strategic information and knowledge management, information systems and international communications. The specialists are expected to be able to integrate not only into the changing market of Lithuanian economy, politics, business, knowledge and culture, but also integrate knowledge management into other sciences. Renaldas Gudauskas, counsel of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Lithuania, is the Director of the Centre. International knowledge centre was established on the initiative of the United Nations. The project is supported by the United Nations European Economic commission, the World Bank, UNESCO. The Centre plans to prepare international academic, scientific and business projects paying a special attention at the countries of the Central and Eastern Europe. Penki kontinentai, UAB and Lietaus dizainas, UAB have created a web site for the centre www.tzc.vu.lt. The web site presents detailed information on activity of the centre, scientific research and publications, its international projects. The web site works on "I-manager" what makes it easy to update the web site constantly. Internet cafe "Despina" of Penki kontinentai has been chosen as the place for the festive activities for several times already. In spring of 2003 VU communications faculty together with "Linkage Inc" organized the series of distant lectures from USA. On the sixth of September the internet cafe celebrates its second anniversary; the visitors will be nicely surprised.