The Lithuanian Emigration Institute (LEI) is a research unit of Vytautas Magnus University that focuses on the collection, preservation, research, and exhibition of the cultural, political, and scientific archival heritage of emigration organizations and individuals. It conducts fundamental and applied interdisciplinary research on the cultural history of the Lithuanian diaspora and contemporary migration processes.

The Lithuanian Emigration Institute has been operational since 1994 (established on the basis of the Emigration Studies Center, created at the University on November 23, 1994) and was founded specifically to study the emergence of the Lithuanian diaspora worldwide, the cultural and political-social activities of emigration, and to collect, preserve, and research the documentary heritage of the diaspora.

The activities of the LEI are organized in accordance with its regulations, the University Statute, other internal University documents, and the laws of the Republic of Lithuania.

The LEI Council makes decisions on key organizational matters related to the Institute’s activities.

The Institute employs researchers from various academic fields who study the history of the Lithuanian diaspora, exile literature, cultural history, and contemporary migration issues. The archival materials held at the Institute are used for research and integrated into the study process.