On Wednesday, March 6, 2024, Professor MOURI Tetsuya from the Faculty of Engineering, Gifu University received a letter of appreciation from His Excellency Dr. Aurelijus Zykas, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Lithuania to Japan at the 'Reception of the 106th Anniversary of the Restoration of the State of Lithuania and the Independence Restoration Day' held in Tokyo.

Professor Mouri conducted research work at Kaunas University of Technology (Lithuania, GU's overseas partner university) from 2010 to 2011. Even after returning to Japan, he has maintained ongoing exchanges with people in Lithuania. Since 2019, he has been hosting a 'Lithuania Study Meeting,' which is open to anyone on and off campus. The purpose of this meeting is to enhance people's understanding of Lithuania and its people. Additionally, as part of the Campus-Wide Core Curriculum (Zenkyo), he currently teaches a course on cross-cultural theory (with a focus on Lithuania).

Gifu University continues to engage in a wide range of exchanges with people in Lithuania whose relationship started through the efforts of a man of humanity, SUGIHARA Chiune¹.

1) SUGIHARA Chiune (1900 - 1986) was a Japanese diplomat who was born in Gifu and served as vice-consul for the Japanese Empire in Kaunas, Lithuania. During the Second World War, Sugihara helped thousands of Jews flee Europe by issuing transit visas to them so that they could travel through Japanese territory, risking his job and the lives of his family.