“The Asian century is set to begin” – declared Financial Times in 2019 by crunching statistical data and summarizing research done by leading political scientists and economists. With this world-changing trend in mind, VMU launched the master’s degree programme of East Asia Region Studies (EARS) in 2007 making it the first and only graduate programme in the Baltic States that is taught in English and focused on East Asian contemporary politics and society.

In addition to providing core knowledge about modern political, economic and social developments of East Asian countries, i.e. Korea, Japan and China, the programme also creates an encouraging environment for students to design their own study plan according to their research ambitions. As a result, students can further expand their knowledge in region’s history, languages, culture or other fields. In addition, motivated students have a possibility to study at least one semester abroad not only in other European countries but also at one of many VMU’s partner universities in East Asia.

The program is designed to respond to the realities and needs of the students, many of whom are already involved in pursuing their careers:

  • There is flexibility to attend the courses from anywhere in the world because all of them are conducted remotely. Many university resources, such as academic databases subscribed by the library, can be accessed online in a digital format.
  • Academic advisors offer online consultations that can be adapted to students’ schedules.
  • The only course that can be optionally taken in-person is conducted in intensive format which is easier to match with other responsibilities. It is offered to allow establishing closer ties with professors and other students of the program.

Competencies acquired:

  • Knowledge of contemporary politics, economics and society of China, Japan and Korea.
  • Ability to critically analyse East Asian political, economic and social processes in the domestic and international context.
  • Understanding of development trends in East Asian countries and changing region’s role in the world.
  • Effective communication skills across East Asian cultures and audiences at a personal and professional level.
  • Ability to use research, communication and evaluation skills in diverse career fields.

The programme is aimed at preparing qualified specialists to work in:

  • the private sector that seeks to develop business relations with East Asian countries;
  • governmental institutions (including diplomatic missions and international governmental organisations, such as EU or UN) that have departments managing relations with China, Japan or Korea;
  • think tanks conducting East Asia related analytical work;
  • education institutions of all levels that require teachers or administrators with specialized regional knowledge;
  • civil society organisations seeking to build ties or conduct activities in East Asia.

In addition, acquiring master’s degree allows graduates of the programme to continue their studies at PhD level in the field of social sciences both in Lithuanian and foreign universities.

Additional information

  1. Program’s description and courses
  2. For admission procedures and other useful information regarding degree studies at VMU, please refer to the English homepage of VMU

IMPORTANT: the programm will not be accepting new students in 2023.