The Vytautas Magnus University (VMU) community mourns the loss of world-renowned anthropologist and the foremost researcher of orangutans of Lithuanian origin, a specialist in contemporary primatology, conservationism and ethology, VMU Honorary Doctor, Professor Birutė Galdikas, who actively participated and supported VMU activities. The professor passed away in Los Angeles, United States, after a serious illness.
Prof. Birutė Marija Galdikas was born on May 10, 1946, in Wiesbaden, Germany. In 1966, she completed her studies in psychology at the University of British Columbia, and in 1969 she graduated in anthropology from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). In 1978, she earned her PhD in anthropology at UCLA. Birutė Galdikas was a professor at the National University of Jakarta, Simon Fraser University in Canada, and the University of British Columbia.
Prof. Birutė Galdikas was the first scientist in the world to begin in-depth studies of orangutans. Thanks to her work, knowledge about the behaviour, habitat, and diet of this species of great apes was significantly expanded. She was encouraged to study primates by famed anthropologist Louis Leakey. In 1971, Galdikas arrived in Indonesia, where she established an orangutan research center in Tanjung Puting National Park. The scientist developed and implemented numerous orangutan research and conservation projects. In 1986, she founded Orangutan Foundation International (OFI), which operates in the United States, Indonesia, Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom.
The life and work of Professor Birutė Galdikas have been covered in books and documentary films that were produced in Indonesia, Japan, the United States, France, Italy, and Australia. Among the many awards she received are a United Nations Global 500 Award, the Bauer Hero for the Earth Award, PETA Humanitarian Award, and the Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement with a gold medal.
The professor contributed to the training of Lithuanian scientists, gave lectures, hosted young researchers for field practice on the island of Borneo, and visited Vytautas Magnus University many times, delivering lectures to its students.
In 2010, Vytautas Magnus University awarded Prof. Birutė Galdikas the title of Honorary Doctor. On July 6 of the same year, on the occasion of Statehood Day, President Dalia Grybauskaitė awarded the professor the Officer’s Cross of the Order for Merits to Lithuania. During this visit to Kaunas, Prof. Galdikas was also presented with the VMU Centennial Medal, established to commemorate the founding of the University of Lithuania.
In 2021, the professor joined the committee of the President Valdas Adamkus Award, which is granted for efforts to restore the natural environment and promote sustainability. The award was established jointly by VMU, the Kaunas City Municipality, the President Valdas Adamkus Library-Museum, and the Dana Gedvila Foundation. The environmentalist also frequently visited the oak grove bearing her name in the VMU Botanical Garden. Last year, a teaching visit by the professor to VMU had been planned, but it had to be canceled due to her deteriorating health.
The last lecture by Prof. Birutė Galdikas delivered to students of Vytautas Magnus University (2023).
