Every year before Christmas, the Lithuanian Emigration Institute hosts the now-traditional scholarship awards ceremony, funded by the Lithuanian Foundation in honor of prominent Lithuanian émigré benefactors. This beautiful tradition continued this year as well—on the afternoon of December 20, students of Vytautas Magnus University (VMU), their colleagues, and members of the academic community gathered at the Valdas Adamkus Presidential Library-Museum for the scholarship presentation event. This year, alongside the named scholarships awarded by the Lithuanian Foundation in honor of Bronius Bieliukas and Vanda Daugirdaitė-Sruogienė, VMU students also received scholarships established by émigré patrons Prof. Bronius Vaškelis, as well as Liūtas and Francoise Mockūnas. Speaking about the traditions of patronage and the legacy of the benefactors Bronius Bieliukas, Vanda Daugirdaitė-Sruogienė, Bronius Vaškelis, and Liūtas and Francoise Mockūnas were the Director of the Lithuanian Emigration Institute Prof. Egidijus Aleksandravičius, Prof. Dalia Kuizinienė, and Prof. Edgaras Klivis. Students were also congratulated by Leonas Narbutis, a member of the Lithuanian Foundation Board.

This year, the scholarship in honor of historian Vanda Daugirdaitė-Sruogienė, awarded by the Lithuanian Foundation, was granted to Marijus Algirdas Juzumas, a fourth-year student of the History program at the Faculty of Humanities. The Bronius Bieliukas Scholarship was awarded to three recipients: Akvilė Kašiubaitė, a first-year doctoral student of History at the Faculty of Humanities; Agnė Staupelytė, a first-year master’s student of Comparative Cultural Studies; and Gintarė Navakauskaitė, a first-year doctoral student of Literary Studies.

The scholarship established by former VMU rector Prof. Bronius Vaškelis is awarded annually to students of the Theatre Studies and Lithuanian Studies programs at VMU. This year, it was granted to Giedrė Kaziliūnaitė, a second-year master’s student in the Literature, Creativity, Criticism, and Communication program; Liepa Kairytė, a third-year student in the Art History, Criticism, and Media program; and Austė Žiogaitė, a first-year master’s student in the Theatre Studies and Performing Arts Management program.

The Liūtas and Francoise Mockūnas Scholarship was awarded this year to Povilas Mikalauskas, a first-year doctoral student of History at the Faculty of Humanities.

Photographer: Jonas Petronis.