The 3rd of April marked the end of VMU rector’s Prof. Zigmas Lydeka visit in East Asia. Rector’s purpose was to visit universities in Taiwan and Japan.

On March 27th , a meeting was held with National Zhengzhi University’s authorities. This university has tight relations with VMU – both universities not only engage in students exchange (3 students of VMU are studying at NCCU at the moment, 1 student of NCCU is studying in Kaunas), but also in academic exchange as well, together organize the activities of the Taiwan Centre. During the negotiations the expansion of Taiwan Centre, a matter of Chinese language teachers and a question on how to raise Taiwanese students’ motivation to study in Kaunas were discussed.

On March 30th VMU delegation visited Tokyo University of Foreign Studies (TUFS), where they met rector Prof. Hirotaka Tateishi. TUFS is one of the four Asian universities, which has Lithuanian language studies. The importance of the collaboration of two universities was stressed in order to help developing each university’s respective regional studies. In addition, the establishing of Global Japan Office at VMU was mentioned by TUFS, which would greatly strengthen Japanese studies in Kaunas. For the new Centre of Lithuanian language and culture in Tokyo and their teacher Dr. Eiko Sakurai VMU delivered a present – books about Lithuania and a collection of Lithuanian language textbooks.

March 31st another meeting was held, this time with Showa Women’s University Prof. Mariko Bando, where the opportunity to write an agreement and expand student exchange network was discussed. An old friend of the Centre for Asian Studies Prof. Sonoko Shima also attended the meeting.

On April 3rd in Kyoto, the historical capital of Japan, our rector visited the newest VMU partner Doshisha University, which impressed with a wonderful campus, historical buildings and a cozy atmosphere. This year VMU will receive the first exchange student from this university. Rector Prof. Koji Murata expressed his hopes that students of Došišia university will also select VMU as their future destination for the international exchange.

“VMU rector’s visit to Taiwan and Japan is a very important step towards the development of our East Asian studies” the head of Centre’s for Asian Studies Dr. Aurelijus Zykas, who was a part of VMU’s delegation, said. “It is like a symbolical confirmation that VMU considers the partners in East Asia seriously. With some of the universities the negotiations are being held for a few years now, so I hope that this visit of Prof. Zigmas Lydeka will speed the process of some matters.”

During the visit rector also met with the ambassador of the Republic of Lithuania in Tokyo Mr. Egidijus Meilūnas and other diplomats form the embassy, with the head of Japan-Lithuania Echange Centre (JLEC) Mr. Kenjiro Tamaki, spend some time and did sightseeing in Taipei and Kyoto together with VMU students at NCCU and Osaka universities.

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