This year the library of Vytautas Magnus University is donated a significant collection of publications on Asian and African country topics, compiled by the famous Lithuanian orientalist Dr. Romualdas Neimantas (1939-2009) during his lifetime.

The collection consists of more than a thousand scientific and fiction books about Asian and African cultures in Russian, Lithuanian, English, Japanese and other languages. Furthermore, the donation includes an especially valuable bibliography, which was collected from 1959 till 2009 and which is the only bibliography of Lithuanian orientalistics in Lithuania. It contains the majority of articles from Lithuanian newspapers and magazines, which talk about various countries of the Orient. (more…)

The open meeting of the project “Japan in the West: a Comparative Analysis” will take place in the afternoon of November 4 at the Historical Presidential Palace of the Republic of Lithuania in Kaunas (Vilniaus str. 33, Kaunas). During the meeting six scholars from Vytautas Magnus University, Japan, France, Austria and Australia will discuss about the changing notion of Japan in the West.

The meeting is going to be held right after the international symposium of Asian studies in Lithuania. Everyone interested in these issues is invited to listen to the presentations and to take part in discussions.

The aim of the meeting is to present the results of individual research, to discuss the further tendencies for the joint research and to prepare for the publication to be released next year. The project is sponsored by the Japan Foundation. (more…)

This year the ex-head of Japanese Studies Centre Mr. Arvydas Ališauskas has been awarded by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan for the development of Japanese language studies in Lithuania. On October 10th the award ceremony took place in Vilnius, in the residence of the ambassador of Japan H. E. Miyoko Akashi. This is the third award of this kind in Lithuanian history.

Since 1969 Arvydas Ališauskas has been the first translator in Lithuania, who translated Japanese literature directly from Japanese language. He is the translator of such Japanese authors as  Akutagawa Ryūnosuke, Ogawa Pimei, Rieko Nakagawa, Miyoko Matsutani, Sachiko Hatanaka.  Starting from the year 1995 he taught Japanese language and a theoretical course “Japanese way of thinking and ethics” in Vytautas Magnus University, as well as consulted about the specifics of Japanese business. Under his initiative in 2001 Japanese Studies Centre was established. Mr. Ališauskas became the head of the newly established Japanese Studies Centre and continued this activity until 2008. He is considered to be the initiator of Japanology in Kaunas.

The visiting lecturer Dr. Hyun Jeong-im from Sogang University (Seoul, South Korea) will deliver public lecture “The third way of doing politics: Pro-democracy movements in South Korea from 1960s to nowadays” for all University’s students on October 06.

The lecture will be held at the History Hall of the Rector’s Office (Donelaičio 58). Lecture’s time: 14:15-15:45.

Behind the shinning economic success story of South Korea, the Korean people have the long and suffering but successful struggle stories for the democracy. Through this lecture, Dr. Hyun will present a passionate history of the social movements in South Korea, especially the pro-democracy movements against the military authoritarian regime since 1960s to 1987, and the consolidation of democracy in these days. (more…)

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The Centre for Asian Studies invites to the International Symposium Japanology within Asian Studies in Lithuania: Historical Perspective and Present Situation, which will take part on November 3-4 in Kaunas, at the Historical Presidential Palace (Vilniaus g. 33, Kaunas).

The Symposium is dedicated to discuss and to evaluate the situation of Asian Studies in Lithuania. Specialists representing different fields of Asian studies will participate. The Symposium is organized on the occasion of the 10 years anniversary from the establishment of the Centre for Asian Studies of Vytautas Magnus University, Kaunas. (more…)

In August (2011), the Centre for Asian Studies successfully finished the international and interdisciplinary collective research project “Reception of Japanese and Korean Popular Culture in Europe“, supported by Suntory foundation (Japan) subsidy program 2010-2011. As result, the selection of articles was published.  The selection of articles discusses the acceptance of Japanese and Korean culture in Europe, which could be considered as one of the most influential factors in constructing the image of these two Asian countries.  This book is composed of seven articles.

On July 19, VMU signed Memorandum of Understanding with Kangwon National University (KNU). Although the Memorandum itself describes general and broad items, both institutions already started discussions about possibilities of academic and student exchange, financial support and scholarships, collaboration in joint researches and projects.

Kangwon National University was founded in 1947 and is one of ten core national universities located in Chuncheon, the capital of G(K)angwon Province in Korea.

To become a renowned university in the world with a solid globalization policy, KNU puts emphasis on active international relations with its 91 sister universities from 26 nations and made an official exchange agreements.

Please refer to homepage of KNU: http://www.kangwon.ac.kr/english/main/main.php

The visiting lecturer Dr. Hyun Jeong-im from Sogang University (Seoul, South Korea) is visiting VMU since September 01, 2011. She will deliver a compulsory course Case of Corea: Democracy and Totalitarism in East Asia for the students of East Asian studies. The lectures will start at September 12, and will continue for one academic year. During the Fall semester, the course will be taught for the second year students, and during the Spring semester, for the first year students.

The lectures of Fall semester will be taught on Mondays, at Gedimino 44, 301 aud., 15:00-16:30.

Dr. Hyun Jeong-im is visiting on the basis of the project on the Academy of the Korean Studies, under the Visiting Lectureship Program of Korean Studies Grant 2011.

Dr. Hyun Jeong-im defended her dissertation of PhD in Sociology at University Paris IV-Sorbonne. Since 2008 she is teaching at Sogang University in Seoul. Her main research interests are concentrated on political sociology and social movements. For additional information, please refer to her curriculum vitae.

New website “Japonų kalba VDU” for learning Japanese language from Lithuanian resources has been launched! Sponsor – Japan Foundation. Accessible through the following links:

• japonųkalba.vdu.lt/
• japonukalba.vdu.lt/

Facebook:

• Japonų kalba VDU

Website is designed for self-studies. Includes materials required for preparing for the JLPT-5 and JLPT-4. Now only several lessons added but by the end of this year you will find the complete set of lessons with audio recordings!

We are happy to announce a call for papers for the 6th annual ISCAS (International Student Conference on Asian Studies). The conference will take place on April 15 at Vytautas Magnus University (V. Putvinskio 23, Kaunas).

Your academic interest in East Asian cultures, languages, arts, economics, or related fields can materialise into the conference paper. Organized by students of VMU East Asian Languages and Cultures in collaboration with the Centre for Asian Studies and the Department of Cultural Studies, the conference offers an excellent opportunity to present your research, academic work, or insights to peers from this and related disciplines. Participants will also gain valuable experience, strengthen their public speaking skills, and find inspiration through discussion and exchange. Presentations may be delivered in Lithuanian or English. (more…)

We are happy to announce a call for papers for the 5th annual international students’ conference on Asia. The conference will take place on April 9 at Vytautas Magnus University (V. Putvinskio 23, Kaunas).

If you are interested in East Asian cultures, languages, arts, economics or other areas, this event is just for you. The conference, organized by VMU East Asian Languages ​​and Cultures students, together with the Centre for Asian Studies and the Department of Cultural Studies, is a great opportunity to share your accumulated knowledge, work or research with colleagues in this field and not only, to gain experience and improve your public speaking skills, or even get some inspirations. (more…)

We are sharing the invitation to submit abstracts for the 4th annual Student academic Conference, focusing on Asia. The conference will be held on April 24, 11:00-14:00, V. Putvinskio 23-310 in Kaunas, Lithuania.

This event, which has become an integral part of VMU Asian Week, is organized by VMU Regional Studies Asian specialization students and VMU Center for Asian Studies together with the Department of Cultural Studies. As every year, students from various fields whose work and research touch on the topic of Asia are welcome, both from the humanities, social sciences, arts and other disciplines. (more…)

The National Taiwan Library announced “Guidelines to the National Taiwan Library Fellowship for International Visiting Scholars and Students”.
The library provides Fellowship for experts and scholars to pursue their academic goals in Taiwan studies or Southeast Asia studies. Please click here to read more.

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It is time for all who are interested in East Asian cultures, languages, economics, politics and more to come together for what has become an annual student research conference, organised by the VMU East Asia Cultures and Languages students.
This conference is a great opportunity to share your knowledge, work and research with colleagues in the field, to try and improve your public speaking skills, to gain experience and to listen to presentations by like-minded people. (more…)

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Are you interested in politics of Japan? Maybe you are interested in economy of China? Maybe you are fascinated in Korean art and traditions? It does not matter in which field you are interested in, as long as it is related to East Asia we have a very interesting proposition to you. (more…)

VMU Department of International Relations informs about ongoing studies exchange and internship contests as well as “Erasmus Days’21” which are going to take place on February 17th, 18th, and 19th, during which students will be able to learn more about exchange opportunities. (more…)

Beijing Normal University entrusts the European Federation of Overseas Chinese and Chinese Associations to recruit 100 candidates for MBA and MPA studies (conducted fully in English) from all over the world. Appropriate students are welcome to sign up. (more…)