NEWS

Lecture by Dr. Aurelijus Zykas, Ambassador of the Republic of Lithuania to Japan

Update: January 28, 2025

On January 21, 2025, the lecture "Lithuania in the Changing World Order: The Past and the Present" by Dr. Aurelijus Zykas, Ambassador of the Republic of Lithuania to Japan, was held in the Science Hall. The lecture was hosted by ICU Social Science Research Institute (SSRI).

Dr. Zykas is the Ambassador of the Republic of Lithuania and a former Associate Professor at Vytautas Magnus University (VMU), a partner university of the ICU, former Director of the VMU Centre for Asian Studies, and an expert and writer on Cultural and public diplomacy and Japan-Lithuania relations.

Based on his rich experience both as an academician and a diplomat, Dr. Zykas, after giving a short introduction into the long history and cultural aspects of Lithuania, shared his insights on the importance of combating the threats for both Japan and Lithuania, as both find themselves in similar geopolitical standing, he highlighted the importance of the collaboration between Japan and Lithuania in aiding Ukraine and the importance of Japan for Lithuania and the entire EU.

The event was moderated by Dr. Wilhelm Vosse (Professor of Politics and International Relations) and attended by around 100 students and faculty members in person.

In the lecture, Dr. Zykas mentioned the history of Lithuania's independence from the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union, the preservation of the then-banned Lithuanian language, economic, political and historical relationships with Lithuania and Japan, today's Lithuania's democracy and economic development, strong support for Ukraine to protect Lithuania from "the next invasion", and the importance of respecting the "rule of law" for small states to keep the right to exist.

During the Q&A session, there was a lively exchange of opinions by more than 10 students and faculty on the threat of strong states, outlook on the wars, Lithuania's economic strategy, and diplomat's credo. The students were particularly interested in the Lithuanian responses to recent geostrategic changes and the war in Ukraine, as well as how Japan and Lithuania can further enhance their security cooperation. After the lecture, many students had further questions and tried to further engage with Ambassador Dr. Zykas.