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Around the world in the comfort of the student lounge – Celebrating diversity in VUAS
May 21, 2024
To appreciate the cultures that roam the halls of VUAS and make everyday studies even more colourful and diverse, the 2nd year students of “Intercultural Communication” organized “Culture Days” from the 7th till the 9th of May. The three-day event was a huge success, with participants from different faculties getting a chance to experience the food, traditions, and rich history of nine different cultures.
“Culture days” have not only become a tradition in our university, but also a reminder, that “students have a great opportunity to learn about other countries and cultures straight from the source”, said programme director Rūta Maltisova during the opening ceremony. Ventspils University of Applied Sciences can surely take pride in fostering a culturally diverse environment, as there are currently individuals from 15 different cultures studying and working together daily.
During the event, representatives from India, Nigeria, Brazil, Ghana, Mexico, Spain, Ukraine, France, and Germany introduced participants to their unique traditions and beliefs, as well as created a truly immersive gastronomic experience.
India and Nigeria wowed everyone's taste buds with spicy, but incredibly delicious food. Brazil and Ghana made the end of the day sweeter with traditional sweets and real chocolate. Mexico made everyone dream of guacamole and tamales. Spain provided an entire feast with acoustic guitar music in Latin rhythms and Ukrainian team celebrated their culture with homemade borsch, while France and Germany presented their signature crêpes, cheese, and pretzels.
After representing France together with Marine Le Corcroch, Intercultural Communications student Amanda Lūse said, “Collaborating and representing the culture in which you are most interested is truly a chance I'm glad I took - the culture of France is so much more colourful and interesting than I ever imagined. It is much more than the cliches we all know.”
With presentations concluded, each intercultural student tasted Latvian culture with spoonful of cold beetroot soup and sweets. The air was buzzing with the great atmosphere and the want to travel and know more. Everyone also took a quiz in the end and voted for the most interesting presentation, which turned out to be Ukrainian, and the country they would like to visit next, which is Brazil.
“All of us had a lot of fun! From preparing the food, to the presentation, we really enjoyed participating!” – said Wassim Bouzarhoun, student from UPNA (Public University of Navarre, Spain).
The organizers are very thankful to all participants who shared the joy of being able to learn more about the cultures that roam the halls of Ventspils University of Applied Sciences. Click here to see the video re-cap of the event!
For more information about upcoming events, follow the VUAS social media accounts and webpage.
The press release was written in cooperation with:
Dana Irbe
Anete Kaprānova
Nellija Anna Kurčanova
Amanda Lūse
And a little bit of Rūta Maltisova
The event was co-funded by Erasmus+
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