Education as soft power: First Lady of Lithuania met with Lithuanian language teachers in Ireland

On 12 July 2025, First Lady of Lithuania Diana Nausėdienė visited Dublin, where she met with Lithuanian language teachers working both in lituanistic schools (which teach Lithuanian language and culture) and Irish general education institutions. The visit reaffirmed the role of education as a key tool for preserving the cultural identity of the Lithuanian diaspora.

Ireland offers a strong example of effective educational integration: currently, 11 lituanistic schools operate across the country, where more than 100 teachers educate over 700 children. Lithuanian also enjoys equal status with other foreign languages in Irish schools, and since 2022, students have been able to take state-level Lithuanian language exams.

Mrs Nausėdienė thanked the teachers for their commitment, calling them “builders of Lithuania in the world”. She stressed that preserving language, culture and identity is not a matter of choice, but a necessity: “After all, no one else will care as deeply about the heritage nurtured over millennia as we do.” According to her, lituanistic schools abroad represent an extension of the Lithuanian state and serve as a platform for future cooperation.

A national goal has been set: by 2030, 20% of children of Lithuanian descent living abroad should be enrolled in lituanistic education.

Diana Nausėdienė is the patron of lituanistic education in Lithuanian communities worldwide. Education is a powerful tool of soft power, helping to promote national values and raise new generations who will carry a country’s culture into the future. For many First Ladies and Gentlemen around the world, education remains a central focus of their efforts. Lithuania’s approach to diaspora engagement is shared by other countries, including Poland, which also recognises its communities abroad as a strategic cultural asset.

Find key information about First Lady of Lithuania Diana Nausėdienė on the First Ladies and Gentlemen page of the Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen Global Platform.

Photo sources: Office of the President of the Republic of Lithuania/ official photos by Eitvydas Kinaitis