The Faculty of Communication, together with the Faculty of Philosophy of Vilnius University, Vytautas Magnus University and the NGO Global Lithuanian Leaders, has launched a project, The Formation of the Lithuanian Diaspora and Relations with Lithuania: Comparing Waves and Generations. Researchers of Lithuanian origin from the Universities of Essex (UK) and New York (USA) are also participating in the project. The project is funded from the Lithuanian Studies 2025–2030 Program and will last until the end of 2028.
The topic of migration has been extremely relevant for Lithuania. For more than three decades of independence, almost half a million residents have left the country, mostly to the USA and the UK. Lithuanian communities in these countries are changing noticeably: Lithuanians with higher education Baltic Heritage Network 17 are migrating more often, and a second generation of migrants has grown up. As a result, the social profile of Lithuanian communities has changed, and more opportunities have emerged for migrants to contribute to the economic, social, cultural and civic life of Lithuania.
At the same time, media in the diaspora have changed and the importance of social networks has increased. These processes have not been studied yet. The aim of the project is to study the characteristics of different generations of Lithuanian migrants in the USA and the UK, their involvement in preserving Lithuanian identity and their connection with Lithuania. Researchers will compare migration waves and generations and investigate the role of diaspora media in the formation of Lithuanian identity, conducting interviews with Lithuanians living abroad and representatives of Lithuanian media, and analyzing the content of diaspora media. The results of the research will be presented in publications, conferences, and a monograph, as well as recommendations for policymakers on the inclusion of different migrant generations in the creation of Lithuania’s prosperity.