On October 18–19, 2024, the Centre for Asian Studies at Vytautas Magnus University (VMU, Kaunas, Lithuania) hosted the international academic conference “Nation Building and Cultural Diversity in East Asia: Challenges, Narratives, Perspectives.” The event attracted over 30 presenters from 12 countries, including Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, India, Poland, the United Kingdom, and others. While the majority of scholars gathered in Kaunas, some presentations were delivered remotely, and the entire conference was open to the public to observe online, extending the audience beyond the university venue. Over the course of two days, participants explored topics such as multiculturalism, intellectual and political history, nationalism, contemporary national images, and religious diversity, focusing on specific cases in Taiwan, Japan, Korea, and China.

The conference opened with greetings from the Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Humanities, Dr. Giedrius Janauskas, the Head of the Centre for Asian Studies, Dr. Arvydas Kumpis, and the Head of the Taiwanese Representative Office in Lithuania, Constance Wang. This was followed by a keynote speech from Prof. Chih-yu Shih of National Taiwan University, who examined classical Chinese texts, searching for Confucian insights that could help explain (or critically assess) the contemporary dichotomy between democracy and autocracy.

The organizers extend their gratitude to all participants, student volunteers, the VMU administration, and everyone else who contributed to the success of the conference. The event was part of the larger “Spotlight Taiwan” project.

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