The Department of Business Economics was founded in 1990 after the merging of the departments of Economic Theory, Industrial Economics and Trade Economics. In 1996 the Department reorganised into the Department of Business Economics and Management. In 2005 the Department of Commerce became a section of the Department of Business Economics and Management.

The Department is concerned with the coordination of the bachelor’s degree programmes in Economics, Management and Business Administration, and master’s degree programme in Marketing and Trade Management, and International Business.

Management and Business Administration studies aim at preparation of qualified managers that are able to solve management problems effectively, and take managerial decisions in business enterprises and manufacturing companies. Graduates are capable of the foundation of an enterprise, its management, the analysis and estimation of business functions, the creation of business, strategic and development plans necessary for the activities of enterprises.

Highly qualified managers that are able to assess the potential of their organization in a competitive struggle, take reasonable managerial decisions, shape strategies and implement them in organization development, analyse models of enterprise development, assess, differentiate and employ theoretical concepts of management and economics.

The Master’s Degree Programme in International Business aims to prepare specialists of international business that are able to analyse economic and social development in the country and internationally, examine and evaluate the potential of an industry or business in the global market, and transform the potential into both strategy and activities of an enterprise.

The Master’s Degree Programme in Marketing and Trade Management aims to educate specialists in marketing and trade management, creatively develops theoretical and practical understanding of management science, integrates knowledge of various sciences, and focuses on solutions to organization marketing and trade management problems in the context of intercultural management. Students acquire the organizing skills of marketing, trade and logistics processes, estimate analytically and critically the changes in market, and make decisions in various fields of marketing and trade management.

The Department’s investigative work aims at factors of business environment. The scientists of the Department collaborate with the Kaunas Regional Association of Small and Medium Business, Kaunas Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Crafts, Lithuanian National Control Commission for Prices and Energy and various Lithuanian companies.

The scientists of the Department do research on mixed economy in the context of balanced development, prepare recommendations on the development of ecologically balanced trade business and natural economic activities; they analyse the social aspects of IT influence, the possibilities and difficulties for women to enter the labour market. The logistic theory of capital management, competitiveness of labour market and human resource, social-ethical marketing actions are applied in the research. Since 2001 the Department organizes the annual scientific conference “The Development of Economy: Theory and Practice”.

The community of the Department publishes the results of scientific research in scientific press, monographs, educational and methodical publications.

The lecturers of the Department participate in various projects:

• “Society and Consumption: Analysis and Modelling of the Lithuanian Consumers’ Behaviour”;
• “Factors of Business Environment – Research of Social-Ethical Marketing in the Environment of Sustainable Economic Development”;
• “Research of Labour Market and Human Resource Competitiveness”;
• “Factors of Business Environment – Ecologically Sustainable Development of Mixed Economy: Development and Management of Ecologically Sustainable Mixed Economy”;
• “Factors of Business Environment – Problems of Entrepreneurship Development: Economical, Demographical, Political and Juridical Factors”;