The environment at Ventspils University of Applied Sciences (VUAS) is quite multicultural and in the hallways you can meet Ronnie from Ghana. He is a second-year student in the bachelor’s study programme “Intercultural Communication” and he is very satisfied with his choice, because of the interesting courses, friendly lecturers and the helpful staff that treats student’s needs with urgency.

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

My name is Ronnie Kofi Nyarko and I come from Ghana. I got my secondary education in the Accra Academy in the capital city. I used to be an active football player, however after I had to stop playing, I decided to focus on my music career and education. Now I am enrolled in the bachelor’s study programme “Intercultural Communication”.

How did you decide to come to Latvia and to Ventspils? Why did you choose this study programme?

I heard about the university from a friend who completed his masters here. He said a lot of good things about the university in terms of the environment, the affordable fees and that students and lecturer are very friendly to each other. Actually I opted to study here instead of going to the USA. In the future I want to meet people from different cultural backgrounds and that will be possible by studying more about communication and also by studying other languages.

What have been your impressions of Latvia so far? 

I am impressed by the peaceful environment in Ventspils and the clean and beautiful surroundings. Also I was surprised about how friendly the staff in VUAS is. I was told that Latvians are not as friendly but I have had a completely opposite experience.

Tell us a little bit about your study process. 

I enjoy the courses and the lecturers are very nice.  I have some challenges with the new languages that I am studying such as Russian and Latvian languages. Also I am not used to the system here but I think I am definitely adjusting and I will do much better next semester. My favorite courses are Intercultural Communication, Organizational Behavior and Communication Theories.

What do you like the most about Ventspils and VUAS?

Ventspils is a beautiful place and about VUAS, I like how student's needs are treated with urgency and that everyone is always ready to help if needed.  We have everything in one building and we don't have to face the weather every day. 

What do you wish for anyone who is just thinking about applying to study in VUAS?

I wish they don't have a change of plan to study in VUAS because it's the best place to be and I can't wait to see them experiencing what I have experienced as a student.