Field of Humanities and Arts

In September, Lilita Sproģe, Head of the Doctoral School at Ventspils University of Applied Sciences, went on a business trip to Le Mans University in France to discuss opportunities for creating a joint internship project for doctoral students and developing cooperation in providing doctoral study courses, research, and student mobility. The meeting was organized by COLOURS project partners at the Le Mans University. The day's program included several meetings with representatives of Le Mans University, including Christine Gonzalez, Deputy Director of the EDGE Doctoral School and Lecturer and Researcher at the Faculty of Management and Economics, Geoffroy Martin, Administrative Director of the Doctoral School, Selin Duhan, Head of the International Relations Office, Xavier Lachazette, Vice President of International Relations, and Miloš Borozan, former COLOURS WP3 Manager. During her visit, L. Sproģe familiarized herself with the language faculty and doctoral student workspaces, as well as the research infrastructure on the university campus. Le Mans University is closely integrated into the city structure and easily accessible by public transport from Paris and Le Mans itself. The talks covered key differences between Latvian and French doctoral school models and regulatory frameworks, credit point accounting principles, promotion procedures, and deadlines for completing doctoral theses. The meeting resulted in a strengthened mutual interest in further cooperation in the development of joint doctoral activities and research in the fields of linguistics and economics.

On October 9 and 10, at Ventspils University of Applied Sciences, in cooperation with Jan Dlugosz University in Poland, CoLab “More Than Words: (Inter)Linguistic Aspects in a Practical Context” took place. During the forum, participants discussed topics such as the interaction between language and technology, the impact of artificial intelligence on translation, cultural and identity aspects, current issues in language policy, and the challenges of communication in a multilingual society. Keynote lectures were delivered by speakers from several countries - Ramunė Kasperė from Lithuania, who outlined the future prospects of the translator’s profession in the age of artificial intelligence; Andrejs Veisbergs from the University of Latvia, who addressed issues of censorship in Latvian literary translations; and Olga Słabońska from Poland, who analyzed the grammatical structures of Polish and English from a cognitive perspective. Forum participants were eager to explore current topics from the perspectives of different lecturers and to gain valuable insights, which encouraged a broader understanding of the role of language, culture, and communication in contemporary society. At the end of the first day, all interested participants had the opportunity to visit the Ventspils Open-Air Museum to explore Latvia’s national cultural heritage – the Livonian language – together with Dženeta Marinska, a speaker of Livonian. The lecture concluded with a crossword activity, where participants searched for Livonian names of everyday objects around the museum grounds, followed by a tasting of traditional sklandrauši and smoked flounder from Kolka.  “The Livonian language lecture was truly inspiring – Dženeta spoke about both the history of the Livonian language and her personal journey of learning it. During the lecture, we also listened to Livonian folk songs and experienced the unique sound of the language. This experience made me reflect on the value and fragility of our own language – how easily it could disappear if we do not protect and use it in our daily lives,” shared participant Lelde Bērziņa. As part of the forum, COLOURS Alliance student workshops were also held, where students worked on practical tasks related to digital translation tools, intercultural communication, and foreign language learning. The forum concluded with a panel discussion titled “The Humanities: New Trends, Changes, and the Future.” More photos are available here: https://zviedrans.lv/klientiem/ Beyond Words: (Inter)Lingual Reflections in Practice October 9-10 | Ventspils, Latvia Password: beyondwordsventspils

At 7 AM on the 24th September an airplane took off to fly to Brussels. It was a quiet morning, the air was charged with excitement and sleep deprivation, when seven 4TLT students, along with lecturer Zane France arrived at their destination, where they were welcomed by European Parliament’s vice-presidents’ assistant Guna Zaķe-Baltā. VUAS students had the opportunity to get lost in the ‘labyrinth’ of the European Parliament, attend a lecture about the work of both the European Parliament and its members, as well as get a glimpse into the history of the establishment. The students could learn about how actively (or not) Latvia participates in voting, how much ‘pocket money’ do members get, what is the monthly schedule and how often do the meetings happen in Brussels and Strasbourg. After the lecture the excursion continued, and the students saw a part of the enormous building of the Parliament (one can wonder, do the new hires get a compass and a map?), the famous conference room, gifts of the countries of the European Union (including artworks gifted by Latvia), and even the cabinet of Roberts Zīle (where the guests were greeted by sandwiches, apples, and chocolate :) ). The cherry on top was the opportunity to meet with the European Parliament’s interpreters Dace Rubene and Ilze Lauva, and the Head of the Latvian unit of Directorate-General of the European Commission Uldis Sproģis and talk about how many languages interpreters usually know, how does interpreting differ in the European Commission and European Parliament, what is retour, and what should one do if the speaker’s tempo is too fast, as well as if voice matters in interpreting. At the end, the students had the opportunity to try interpreting in the Conference Interpretation Booths (with the microphone, hopefully, turned off!) and interpret the conference about the safety of minors on the internet. It was a wonderful experience that allowed the students to learn about the professionalism of the interpreters and working in the Parliament, as well as internship opportunities and how difficult it is to become an interpreter in the European Parliament. In the evening and on the next day, the students were given free rein to taste Belgian chocolate, see the Peeing boy statue and ponder on whether to come back and work in the Parliament. Impressions of the participants: “Although I have never thought that conference interpreting is easy, this tour highlighted how difficult and challenging it actually is and what enormous wealth of background knowledge interpreters need to have.” “I really enjoyed the trip! At first, I wasn't too sure whether to participate, but I’m happy that I mustered up my courage and decided to go. I can definitely say that visiting the European Parliament is a wonderful opportunity, and that it was very interesting to learn about the work and experiences of the interpreters.” “I will definitely remember the visit to the European Parliament for an eternity, but the meeting with the interpreters that work there is what left the most significant impression. For a while I thought that they’re some kind of superheroes – which they definitely are – but after the meeting I realised that they are people just like us. Thanks to them, work in the European Parliament has turned from something intangible into a real possibility you can achieve by investing a lot of hard work.”

On September 26, the European Researchers’ Night events took place throughout Latvia, where colleges, universities, and scientific institutes opened their doors to visitors, offering a variety of free activities. At the VIZIUM Science Center, activities organized by Ventspils University of Applied Sciences and the Ventspils International Radio Astronomy Center (VIRAC) introduced visitors to the processes of star formation, comets, and other small bodies of the Solar System. Throughout the evening, visitors played language games, observed stars and planets through a telescope, and tried their hand at solving a mathematical puzzle – the Tower of Hanoi. Guests also had the opportunity to test their knowledge in various quizzes related to space and languages, gaining new insights along the way.

If you want to feel at home faster in our city of Ventspils and like to build your confidence in everyday conversations, and looking to make friends and integrate into the Latvian community, then join the first Language Café meeting – organized by COLOURS WP5 (EDI)! It’s a relaxed and welcoming meet-up where international and local students come together to: Practice different languages Make new friends Enjoy light snacks and friendly conversations No grammar tests, no pressure – just real conversations in small, friendly groups. Come as you are and enjoy the exchange of cultures and languages! Register HERE Tuesday, 30th September at D0, 16.30!

Approximately 700 million Europeans are constantly encouraged throughout their lives to learn as many languages as possible – whether in educational institutions, through self-study, for professional purposes, or out of personal interest. The Council of Europe states that multilingualism is a means to foster better intercultural understanding and is a key component of our continent’s cultural heritage. Representatives from the language centres of the COLOURS European Universities Alliance* joined forces in a collaborative project, creating a video greeting in honour of the European Day of Languages, celebrated annually on September 26. Ventspils University of Applied Sciences is represented in this team by Rūta Maltisova, lecturer at the Faculty of Translation Studies, who also took part in the creation of the video greeting. Rūta is currently working together with colleagues from all COLOURS partner universities on a virtual language and culture guide – a glossary and language learning materials – which are planned to be developed and made available to all partner universities by the European Day of Languages in 2026. This initiative aims to support students and lecturers in learning and teaching nine European languages and cultures: Swedish, Spanish, French, Italian, German, Latvian, Polish, Croatian, and Macedonian. At the end of the video, greetings can be heard in each of the COLOURS alliance member languages, all translating into English as “Happy European Day of Languages!” or in Latvian, “Priecīgu Eiropas valodu dienu!” On the European Day of Languages, Rūta Maltisova encourages everyone to remember that languages are like bridges connecting different cultures. Without them, we would only be able to observe each other from a safe distance, separated by a potential barrier of prejudice that prevents us from understanding the essence and values of another culture. By learning a language, we also learn about the culture – and, in doing so, we learn about one another. Thanks to the COLOURS Universities Alliance, we learn something new every day about each other’s cultures, values, and, undoubtedly, languages. *Le Mans University (France), University of Castilla-La Mancha (Spain), University of Ferrara (Italy), Paderborn University (Germany), Jan Dlugosz University (Poland), Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek (Croatia), University St Kliment Ohridski Bitola (North Macedonia), Kristianstad University (Sweden), and Ventspils University of Applied Sciences (Latvia).

Ventspils University of Applied Sciences Faculty of Translation Studies Bachelor’s degree student of “Translation and Language Technology” Matīss Jansons and Bachelor’s degree student of “Intercultural Communication” Līva Slesare participated in an exciting summer school “Responsible Digitalization: AI, Social Media and their Contribution to a Sustainable Society”, which took place from 21st to 25th of July in Paderborn, Germany. The aim of the summer school was to provide a learning experience about sustainable use of artificial intelligence and digital technologies for the benefit of society, while promoting collaboration, practical innovation and cultural exchange. The summer school program was intense and dynamic – lectures, workshops and discussions led by lecturers and guest lecturers took place throughout the day, covering the practical application of artificial intelligence, its ethical and social aspects, issues of power, prejudice and everyday life. Each day provided new insights and encouraged students to think about the role of technology in the future society. Outside of lectures, students from Latvia, as well as from various other countries, had the opportunity to go on guided tours and get to know the city of Paderborn in Germany and its ancient history, see the world's largest computer museum "Heinz Nixdorf MuseumsForum", as well as have informal conversations and make new contacts. Students admit that the opportunity to work in international teams with participants from several COLOURS alliance universities was very valuable. This diversity promoted the exchange of experience and allowed for different approaches to solving problems related to artificial intelligence. Dr. François Vignale's (Le Mans University) lecture on the identification of AI-generated and biased content also aroused special interest, providing practical knowledge and sparking a discussion about these problems in society. This experience gives students the opportunity to gain new knowledge, opening a broader view of the everyday life of students at other European universities, exchanging opinions and creating contacts and future friendships. Read more about the summer school on the COLOURS website: https://colours-alliance.eu/event/international-summer-school-on-responsible-digitalization-ai-social-media-and-their-contribution-to-a-sustainable-society/

From July 7 to 12, the Multilingualism EU Summer School 2025 took place in Luxembourg for the second time. The participation of master's students in this summer school is ensured by the European Master's in Translation (EMT) network, which also includes the master's program Translation and Terminology of VUAS. Thirty-three students from master's programs in translation or law participated in the summer school. The school aimed to introduce participants to the importance of multilingualism and its practical implementation in EU institutions. This year, our program was represented at the school by Ailenda Bulindža-Leitiete. Ailenda shares: "Participation in the summer school was an excellent opportunity to visit the European Parliament and meet translator Alīna Grīnberga, get acquainted with the European Union (EU) Court's work and meet legal linguists Kristīne Bārdiņa and Kristaps Bērziņš. We also visited the European Court of Auditors, where we had the opportunity to speak with translator Inga Stodere. Additionally, during our visit to the European Commission, we met translator Mairita Drauga. At the Publications Office, I met translator Ieva Rozenberga, who told me about the daily work and the specifics of a translator. We also went to the Luxembourg Ministry of Foreign Affairs and met with Foreign Minister Xavier Bettel, who guided us on a tour. We also visited the European Investment Bank. At each of the visited institutions, we met professionals who shared their experiences, told us about behind-the-scenes work, and encouraged us to engage in practical tasks. The summer school program was intense and packed with activities. There were presentations, thematic workshops, and discussions about language specialists' daily lives, as well as about the role of languages in a broader political and social context. I particularly remember the Luxembourg Foreign Minister's words that diversity is our strength. Of course, one of the summer school themes was also artificial intelligence (AI) and its role in the translation sector. However, this did not raise concerns about the future of the translator profession, but instead inspired us. It was emphasised that the future belongs to those who freely manage AI, and the discussion is about AI managed by translators, not about replacing translators with AI. No less significant was the experience in the informal part – getting to know each other, exchanging thoughts with participants and EU institution representatives, and the spirit of cooperation. This week provided an opportunity not only to gain professional knowledge but also to develop a firm conviction and motivation for translator work. I am especially grateful to the Latvian language section representatives of all the visited institutions. Thank you for the warm welcome and for sharing knowledge! The experience gained at the summer school will serve as a guide for my professional growth. I still think with a smile about every person I met during the summer school week. Luxembourg will now always be a place to return to – in thoughts, languages, or perhaps even as a professional."