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Christmas Conference at Ventspils University of Applied Sciences
December 22, 2022
On December 21, as every year before Christmas, VUAS held its Christmas conference, where lecturers and researchers from reflected on their achievements, presenting them to colleagues, students, and other attendees. Different fields of science were covered, and open discussions took place.
This year, five topics from eight authors were submitted to the scientific conference. The event was opened by VUAS Rector Kārlis Krēsliņš, Vice-Rector for Studies Una Libkovska, and Acting Vice-Rector for Science and Development Inese Lūsēna-Ezera.
The conference covered the following topics:
- “One Original, Several Translations: Baudelaire’s “The Enemy”” by A. Skrābane;
- S. Hiļķevičs and V. Semakina presented a topic on economic forecasting based on DSGE macroeconomic method;
- M. Šneps-Šneppe explained the phenomenon of slow ageing;
- K. Krēsliņš, A. Mežciema, and M. Rosario talked about a digital maturity best practice model; and
- a speech by I. Lūsēna-Ezera.
After the conference, Acting Vice-Rector for Science and Development Inese Lūsēna-Ezera invited the Dean of the Faculty of Translation Studies, Sandija Skudra, Director of the VIRAC Aleksejs Klokovs, Vice-Rector for Studies Una Libkovska, and Rector Kārlis Krēsliņš to present certificates of appreciation to the staff members who form a strong team, are helpful, positive, and have accomplished particularly significant tasks that we all take pride in. Overall, a high number of employees received certificates of appreciation, and it was concluded that everyone in the VUAS team is important and that together we are achieving great goals.
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From March 21 to March 23, Ventspils University was the venue for the European University Alliance Colours hackathon "Combat Robotics" and the Ventspils Robotics Championship – one of the stages of the Latvian Championship. The event brought together technology and robotics enthusiasts from Latvia, Lithuania, Spain, Croatia and Egypt.
On Wednesday, May 28, everyone is invited to the Kurzeme Business Forum “Artificial Intelligence – The 4th Industrial Revolution”, which will take place at the Latvija concert hall. The forum will bring together entrepreneurs, municipal representatives, university staff and students, as well as technology experts to discuss the significance of education and the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on business. The first part of the forum will focus on the role of higher education in the AI era. The development of Ventspils University of Applied Sciences will be examined in this context, addressing key questions: How will the education system adapt to new requirements? Which professions will remain relevant, and which will change? The discussion will also explore the synergy between AI and cybersecurity in academic studies. The second part of the forum will address the question—do businesses need AI? The legal framework and state support mechanisms for such innovations will be introduced. Entrepreneurs will share their experiences, and participants will gain insights into common myths and the real situation regarding AI in Latvia’s economy. The discussion will conclude with an exploration of the opportunities for port development in the AI era. Participants will have the chance to engage in valuable discussions and networking sessions. Although the forum will be held in Latvian, the company SIA Tilde will provide real-time translation into any language using AI technology. Register for the forum now: https://www.kurzemesbiznesaforums.lv/ The forum is organized by Ventspils University of Applied Sciences within the European University Alliance COLOURS, in collaboration with the Ventspils State City Municipality, the Freeport of Ventspils Authority, and the Green and Smart Technology Cluster.
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As part of the European University Alliance “COLOURS”, the students of the Alliance universities are offered a great opportunity to participate in a rapid and collaborative engineering hackathon – the International Ventspils Combat Robotics Hackathon “Combat Robotics”, March 21- 23, 2025 . If any international hackathon participants wish, there is a unique opportunity to participate in an additional activity – the Latvian Robotics Championship 2025, which will also take place in Ventspils, on March 22. , welcoming robotics enthusiasts and curious spectators. Students can participate in this championship with existing robots that they bring with them. Dream it! Make it! Test it! Share it! Problem/ challenge to be solved in the hackathon: Make a robot for the relevant section that proves to be the best combo of performance, innovation, design and technical solutions during the hackathon. Background to the Hackathon problem/ challenge: The CoLab event “Higher education and workforce in the Region” a very topical trend emerged from the business community and stakeholders who participated in the event – that regions need not just engineers, but engineers with creativity and initiative. Research and Development departments need innovative ideas and technological solutions to make the production process more efficient and innovative through the use of robotic technologies. Hackathon Objective: to allow students to apply the theoretical knowledge acquired in their studies in practical projects, to promote engineering and robotics technology development, and to encourage student collaboration within the COLOURS Alliance. Skills which will be improved: design and critical thinking, prototyping, testing, problem-solving, engineering skills, team management and communication skills. The theme of the hackathon matches the area of regional specialization: Advanced industries, manufacturing and smart technologies, electro-mechanical industry, mechatronics and automotive, and Industry 4.0. Over three exciting days, teams will: Develop their combat robots; Present their robots to a jury; Compete in a specially designed arena with eligible robots. Based on the “COLOURS” agreement, the prize fund for the Hackathon is up to 2500 EUR. It’s possible to receive valuable prizes from event sponsors. Registration for the hackathon: Open until March 18, 2025 , by filling out the application form: https://forms.gle/kDraaQ157YyMdA619 The construction will take place on-site with the given materials. To successfully implement the project, you must definitely have some basic technical skills, i.e., electrical connections will be given, you must know simple soldering, the design and implementation of the case requires the ability to draw 2D or 3D simple objects for printing, laser cutting. We will try to help within our abilities, but that is why there are 3-4 people in the team (preferably with different skills) in order to successfully implement the intended project, design.
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