This week Yumiko Nunokawa, PhD student at Kaunas University of Technology (KTU) has defended her thesis on contextuality of artistic language of famous Lithuanian artist Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis. Researchers of Čiurlionis art from Lithuania and abroad were participating in a truly international event of thesis defence. In Lithuania, only KTU has a right to organise PhD studies in musicology field.
“KTU provided me the opportunity to enhance my knowledge in a research field I am passionately interested in, which is the creative works of Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis. I am happy that, invited by professor Darius Kučinskas, I came to study to Kaunas where everything I needed for my research was in walking distance – the archive of National M. K. Čiurlionis Museum, Public Music Library and KTU Library”, said Yumiko.
In the University she was not only studying, but also teaching Japanese.
“I had a great opportunity to promote my culture. In future I see myself as a bridge between Lithuania and Japan”, said the young researcher.
Yumiko’s PhD thesis supervisor, professor Darius Kučinskas is convinced that this thesis defence was an exceptional event not only for KTU, but for all Lithuanian research.
“We are really pleased that the dissertation on Čiurlionis was prepared and defended at KTU – the University, which is the only one in Lithuania having right to organise PhD studies in musicology”, said Kučnskas.
Yumiko Nunokawa so far is the only Japanese who has graduated from PhD studies in KTU.
“We are happy to see that the number of PhD students coming to study to KTU from various countries of the world is steadily increasing. This helps us to become more international, more open for people from other coutries and different cultures”, said Jolita Steponkevičiūtė, project manager at KTU International PhD School.
Please read Yumiko Nunokawa’s dissertation Contextuality of the artistic language of M. K. Čiurlionis: links and influence of cultures online.
