Komaru Transportation Company together with Hiroshima University Lithuanian Center and VMU Center for Asian Studies is organizing the Fifth and already traditional Japanese Language Speech Contest. Participants from schools and universities who are studying Japanese language in Lithuania are welcome. Traditionally, the organizers are going to surprise participants with special prizes.

The year 2022 is special to Lithuania-Japan history – this year we are commemorating the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the diplomatic relations between these two countries.

The topic of the contest is “transportation” in its broad meaning, including traffic, travels etc. Speeches must be original and created by participants. Speeches will be evaluated by a special committee that will take into consideration its grammar, fluency, expressions, content and answers to questions.

The registration is open until October 14th (Friday), 2022. In order to register fill out an online application. After registering the participants will receive a link to submit their speeches in written form (the deadline will be announced later).

If you have additional questions, please contact CAS senior coordinator Ms. Kayako Takagi via email.

For more information please refer to a detailed description.

We would like to invite all interested in culture and politics of East Asia to listen to the public defense of students’ final thesis. This year the defenses will take place as usual in university’s auditoriums.

Master thesis defense of East Asia Region studies will take place on May 26th, from 13:00 at Putvinskio str. 23, room 310.

Bachelor thesis defense of East Asian Cultures and Languages will take place on June 6-7, from 10:00 at Putvinskio str. 23, room 310.

The Centre for Asian Studies is inviting researchers, students and the general public to an international academic conference dedicated to explore historical and contemporary relations between the countries in the Baltic and East Asia regions. It will be held in a mixed format (participation is possible both online and in-person; all presentations will be streamed online) on March 4-5, 2022 at Room 313/103, Putvinskio str. 23, Kaunas or online via MS Teams platform.

Conference program (PDF format)

The conference is inspired by the fact that there are multiple anniversaries marking relationship between the Baltic and East Asian countries. 100-year anniversaries are related to the fact that Japan expressed de jure recognition of Estonia and Latvia in 1921, and of Lithuania in 1922. The Republic of China did the same in 1923. This marked official beginning of various affairs between these two geographically distant regions. Unfortunately, many things had to be put on halt for almost half a century due to the Soviet occupations and Cold War tensions. The interaction between the regions was resumed in the early 1990s, and this marks another set of anniversaries – 30 years since the re-establishment of diplomatic affairs that happened in 1991.

Such anniversaries encourage historians and scholars of other fields to reflect on the past and provide insights that could help to build stronger inter-regional cooperation in the future. The conference seeks to contribute to this goal by encouraging further research and sharing of knowledge.

FB event: https://www.facebook.com/events/642136990426373

Centre for Asian Studies cordially invite researchers of social sciences to participate at scientific conference “China and Central and Eastern Europe International Cooperation: Strategies and Allocations” that will be held online on December 21st, 2021.

Conference program and the link for participation can be found here (PDF file).

The conference aims to bring together researchers from Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) to provide academic insights and research-based analysis on different aspects of China’s operational strategies and cooperation within CEE countries. In the past decade, economic and trade cooperation between China and CEE countries has grown rapidly and cultural exchange has become more frequent. Nevertheless, Lithuania has dropped out of China’s “17+1” group, which became an indication of an increasingly shaky relationship between China and the European Union.

Abstracts (250-300 words) can be submitted until December 13^th via e-mail: conference.asc@vdu.lt. On December 15^th we will contact selected presenters.

Aiming to avoid the spread of COVID-19 and ensure safety, the conference will be held online.

Language of presentations: English and Lithuanian.

For more information please contact: mantas.macikas@vdu.lt

The Baltic Association of Korean Studies conference organizing committee is pleased to officially announce the 3rd BAKS conference, which this year, considering the continuous difficult situation, will once again be held online from 15th to 16th of December, 2021 on the Zoom platform.

We would like to invite you all to a cycle of lectures by the Board member of European Japan Experts Association, Prof. Anders Törnvall, under the title: “East Asian Values, Philosophies, Psychologies and Religions Influences on The Process of Intercultural Communications Today, Focusing on China, Japan and Korea” that will take place in VMU on November 11-12^th.

Public lecture “The Two Koreas- a Squeezed Civilization between North and South, Collectivism and Individualism” will focus on what the two Koreas have in common from cultural, political and emotional points of view as well as the differences and the difficulties for a reunion. It will take place on November 11th 11:15-13:13 (Putvinskis 23, Room 103). (more…)

VMU Center for Asian Studies invites to a series of events dedicated to the memory of “comfort women”. The problem of “comfort women” remains relevant to this day and affects international relations in East Asia. Japan views this question as resolved, meanwhile South Korea is seeking redress and a formal apology from Japan. We would like to invite you to broaden your horizons on this topic and join the discussion by participating in a series of three events on three Fridays: October 22nd, 29th and November 5th.

On October 22nd, 14:30 in room 103 (V. Putvinskio g. 23, Kaunas) screening of the movie “Shusenjo: The Main Battleground of the Comfort Women Issue” is going to take place. The movie by a Japanese American director Miki Dezaki analyze controversial “comfort women” issue aiming to answer the question causing intense discussions – were “comfort women” paid or they were taken into slavery. What is more, director reveals the motivations and intentions of the main actors pushing to revise history in Japan. (more…)

Komaru Transportation Company together with Hiroshima University Lithuanian Center and Vytautas Magnus University Centre for Asian Studies as well as Japanology  club “Hashi” is organizing Fourth Japanese Language Speech Contest. Competition is intended for pupils and students who study Japanese language in Lithuania. Organizers of the competition aim to strengthen bilateral Lithuania-Japan relations and mutual understanding. This year’s topic invites to raise awareness about road traffic safety.

This year contest gained unique form – aiming to ensure safety during the pandemic, contestants are asked to upload recordings of their speech, which later will be evaluated by the Committee, taking into account the correctness of the speech, figurativeness, content, etc. Competing speeches have to be original and composed by participants.

You can register and submit recordings of your speeches until October 22nd, 2021., by filling the registration form.

Results of the contest will be announced on November 13th, 2021, 9:00-12:00 Lithuanian (16:00-19:00 Japanese) time. (more…)

VMU Centre for Asian Studies is inviting not to miss the opening of Dr. Arvydas Kumpis photography exhibition “Taiwan: Between Tradition and Modernity” which is going to take place on October 1^st, 13:45 at the 4^th floor gallery (V. Putvinskio g. 23, Kaunas). After the opening we are inviting all to open lecture (in English) by Alex Fratila during which he will introduce contemporary Taiwan’s societal peculiarities and cultural variety. The exhibition will take place until November 29^th in 4^th floor gallery.

Taiwan is a country of enchanting nature, charming culture, and colorful society. Due to its geopolitical location, it is more often discussed in the comments of politicians than comments of travelers, historians, or cultural figures. And that makes this land harder to know.

Physical distance complicates cognition of Taiwan – this factor is common to all East Asian countries. However, it is enough to take a little look at the features of Taiwan in order to feel the urge to visit it. We did exactly that with wife Simona. (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.

Sorry, this entry is only available in Lithuanian.

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…)

Sorry, this entry is only available in Lithuanian.

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…)

Applications for scholarships for studies in China in 2021-2022 are open. Persons who are nationals of Lithuania, EU or persons from the third countries having the right to live in Lithuania are welcome to apply.

Applications may be submitted by representatives of various fields of Lithuanian science and studies institutions/ representatives of science fields – Bachelor, Masters and PhD students. (more…)

The Government of Japan has announced a competition for financing studies in Japan according to Japonology study program. Estimated studies duration one year from October 2021.

Those who wish to apply for the scholarship must be BA students (from second course), have sufficient knowledge of Japanese language and a good study results. (more…)