We began the new 2025 academic year with engaging lectures on Chinese culture, one of which on 10th September was held at the A. Mickevičius Library. Attendees listened to a lecture titled "Garments, Accessories, and Body in Chinese Culture," delivered by Marta Logvyn, an art historian and exhibition curator at the National Bohdan and Varvara Khanenko Art Museum in Kyiv.
Amidst the variety of autumn events, special attention was given to the lecture "Free Will, Luck, and Meaning: Chinese Philosophical Perspectives on Making Sense of our Lives" delivered by Professor Dr. Paul J. D'Ambrosio, a professor of Chinese philosophy that was held on September 11th.
On September 9th, our institute hosted a guest from Ukraine, Marta Logvyn, who is a leading research fellow at the Bohdan and Varvara Khanenko National Museum of Art. She delivered two lectures, one of which focused on the concept of wealth in Chinese culture and its connections to spirituality.
It has become a lovely tradition in our institute to conclude the academic year with the Children's Chinese Language and Culture Summer Camp and this year the camp was open from June 30 to July 4.
Chinese traditions are closely tied to the seasons, each of which is unique in colors, sounds, and aromas. In Chinese culture, the beginning of summer is considered one of the most joyful, productive, and energetic periods. On June 13, we invited guests to come and welcome summer with the doors of the Confucius Institute wide open.
On 27th May, we listened to Dr. Loreta Poškaitė's lecture titled "Contemporary Chinese Youth and Its Subcultures" in a virtual setting. The lecture is relevant to individuals interested in modern Chinese society, particularly those studying sociology, cultural studies, or Asian studies. It addressed the multifaceted nature of youth identities, including conflicts with traditional values, governmental policies, and global influences.
On the 28th of May, the Vilnius University Confucius Institute held an online lecture. The lecture was lead by J. Asist. Balys Astrauskas, he is both a professor at Vilnius University and an expert in Chinese history and classical literature. The theme and title of the lecture was “Judge Bao and classical Chinese detective fiction”.
It has become a beautiful tradition to enhance the joy of spring with experiences of Chinese art, and from 9th to12th of May, together with Qi Xiaoting, a Ukrainian artist of Chinese origin, we organized as many as six creative workshops.
On the 15th of May a lecture was held at the Vilnius University Great Confucius Hall, which was led by Doc, dr. Vytis Silius, he is a sinologist, philosopher, translator as well as a researcher of Chinese thought and culture. The title of the lecture “Disciples of Confucius: the very first to tread the path of wisdom”.
On May 7th, we were delighted to present Professor Dalia Sekmokienė's lecture on preparing the body for summer according to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Summer is associated with the element of fire, which, in Chinese medicine, governs the heart and small intestine channels.
During April 16th, commemorating International Chinese language day, we met online with professor dr. Lu Xiaohong, who is a lecturer at our partner university, the East China Normal University. During the meeting, Lu Xiaohong presented an interesting and vivid lecture, which is titled “Built in Characters: the Architecture of Chinese Script”.
On April 9, we listened to a remote lecture titled "Traditional Chinese Medicine: The Wind of Change – How Not to Break?", delivered by Dr. Dainius Butvilas, a physician and acupuncture specialist with a doctorate in medical sciences. Dr. Butvilas has interned in China at the Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine and is currently actively practicing Chinese medicine techniques in Lithuania.
On the last Saturday of January, the Confucius Institute at Vilnius University was buzzing with children's excitement and enthusiasm, as the much-anticipated Chinese language and culture quiz took place.
On 20 January we had a virtual meeting with translator Indre Balčikonyte-Huang, who was awarded the Dominik Urba Prize in 2024 for her translation of Shuang Xuetao's (双雪涛, b.1983) short story collection "Rouge street" (2023) - one of the first translations of Chinese literature into Lithuanian, and the first translated work of the same title was also included in the lists of the best translated works of the year.
In the last lecture of the lecture series "Great Classical Chinese Novels", Balys Astrauskas, Junior Assistant, Lecturer and PhD student at the Institute of Asian and Transcultural Studies of Vilnius University, presented another Chinese novel "The Dream of the Red Chamber". This novel is considered one of the four great classical Chinese novels and is known for its complex plot and profound themes.
We ended the year with a high-profile lecture on health, "Taiji: brain-body harmony from a neurobiological perspective", given by Osvaldas Rukšėnas, PhD, Professor and Head of the Department of Neurobiology and Biophysics at the Institute of Biosciences.
The fourth lecture was dedicated to one of the most scandalous and controversial works of Chinese fiction - "The Plum Branch in the Golden Vase", delivered by a lecturer, PhD student, Assistant Professor at the Institute of Asian and Transcultural Studies of Vilnius University. Balys Astrauskas.
On 16 October, we listened to the lecture "Journey to the West" from the lecture series Great Classical Chinese Novels, given by Balys Astrauskas, a junior assistant professor, lecturer and PhD student at the VU Institute of Asian and Transcultural Studies.
In the second week of September, we delved into the truths of Confucius in a lecture by Dr. V. Silius on "Confucius - The Teacher". We also celebrated Teacher's Day in China on 10 September, which is associated with the philosopher's birthday. After all, Confucius (Kongzi 孔子) entered Chinese tradition and is still remembered today as the "teacher of ten thousand generations".
On the occasion of the birthday of the Chinese philosopher, politician, teacher and founder of Confucianism Confucius, the audience had the opportunity to hear a lecture by Dr. Assoc. Prof. L. Poškaitė on "Confucianism in Traditional and Contemporary China".
