On December 22nd, we lost our former colleague Mykolas Jurgis Drunga, whose absence will be deeply felt by colleagues at the VMU Lithuanian Emigration Institute, as well as by everyone who knew and collaborated with him. M. J. Drunga was a versatile personality, and his experiences, ideas, stories, tolerance, and subtle sense of humor have become a part of our collective memory.

In 2004, Mykolas Jurgis Drunga returned to live in Lithuania. He began working at the then Vytautas Magnus University Center for Emigration Studies (now VMU Lithuanian Emigration Institute) and also taught journalism at the VMU Department of Public Communication. He engaged in journalistic activities at LRT, edited the university magazine, and for many years, he was a translator for the university’s scientific journals “Darbai ir Dienos” and “Oikos,” as well as an English language editor. He published his articles in academic and cultural publications, actively participated in university life, combining journalistic work with philosophical research, to which he returned in Kaunas. In 2011, M. J. Drunga defended his doctoral dissertation in philosophy at VMU.

Death creates a certain perspective on time, a different view of a person’s life and accomplishments. From this perspective, it becomes clear how much has been achieved and done, not in one area but in many: journalism, science, culture. We mourn and express our sincere condolences to his family, colleagues, and friends.