April Lunch Seminar: Seizing the Opportunity: Lithuania’s Decision to Host the Taiwanese Representative Office

On April 13, 2026, the IUJ Research Institute (IRI) held a lunch seminar in Classroom 203.

At this seminar, Prof. Vida Macikenaite from GSIR delivered a presentation titled “Seizing the Opportunity: Lithuania’s Decision to Host the Taiwanese Representative Office.”

The presentation examined the Lithuanian government’s 2021 decision to host a de facto Taiwanese embassy under the name “Taiwanese Representative Office.” Using Kingdon’s Multiple Streams Approach, the speaker analyzed how the convergence of the policy, problem, and political streams created a window of opportunity for this foreign policy decision.

The talk also addressed broader contextual factors, including Lithuania’s longstanding support for Taiwan, the shifting perception of China as a policy problem following a change in government, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The study further demonstrated the value of combining original interviews with publicly available documents as a research methodology.

The seminar attracted many students and faculty members, and the Q&A session was marked by a large number of questions and lively discussion. Although time constraints prevented all questions from being addressed, participants continued their discussions with the speaker even after the session.

Prof. Macikenaite commented that such opportunities provide a valuable chance to view one’s own research from different perspectives. In fact, she continued engaging in discussion with students for approximately 30 minutes after the seminar, making the event a highly productive academic exchange.

IRI will continue to provide opportunities for research exchange through events like this.