Participation in EMT Network Event in Spain

October 27, 2023

Ventspils University of Applied Sciences’ Master’s program in “Translation of LSP Texts” is part of the prestigious European Commission-run network “European Master’s in Translation” (EMT). Marking the end of EMT’s five-year cycle, a network meeting was held on October 19–20 in Salamanca, Spain. The event took place at the Faculty of Translation and Documentation of the 800-year-old University of Salamanca, gathering representatives from the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Translation and EMT-affiliated universities.


The first day focused on enhancing translators’ skills in the era of artificial intelligence (AI). Christos Ellinides, head of the European Commission’s Translation Department, said that translators today need a wide range of skills. Besides language and technical knowledge, they also need good social skills. Society needs trustworthy AI tools that prioritize human values. However, with the rapid development of generative AI, we can’t predict what a translator’s daily work will look like in one, two, or ten years. This makes it crucial for translators to stay open to new technologies while remembering that large language models are fundamentally mathematical, and language data is abstracted and simplified in the process.


Several key insights emerged from the event: students must be educated about AI and have equal access to AI tools; linguistic competence remains critical, especially in post-editing machine-translated texts; AI solutions should be integrated with computer-assisted translation tools; flexibility and a readiness to learn are essential for students; interdisciplinary skills are increasingly important.


Adaptability and openness were mentioned several times. It was also mentioned that AI will force average translators to choose other jobs and that only very good and excellent translators who can outperform machine translators will continue to work in the sector.


The event also presented several projects, such as the development of a competency model for translators that emphasises strategic and methodological skills, including post-editing, alongside communication and language skills and textual literacy. Another project offered a self-assessment tool for beginners and intermediate translators. Attention was also paid to learning how to manage translation projects and how study, research, and work together make a professional.


Colleagues from other universities talked about attracting future students, recognising that translation as a profession is invisible. To change this, there are open events for secondary school students, printed and electronic materials, promotion of the profession and programmes on social media sites, a translation competition for secondary school students, practical workshops, fiction reading sessions, and dedicated sections on the university website for secondary school students and teachers.


On the second day, the European Commission gave the floor to the University of Salamanca, which, by inviting representatives from five other Spanish universities, explored the identity of translators in this global and digital age. It was pointed out that machine translation is not the end of human translation – machine translation is transforming the translation profession – but that the role of the translator has always been very diverse. It was also recommended that technology should be implicit in all courses of study and that we need the help of technology, but we cannot let it lead us.


EMT graduates also shared feedback on how study programs could be improved. For example, students often feel intimidated by automated translation workflows but would be interested in a dedicated course on data handling to boost their confidence. Other practical study issues were also discussed, such as the importance of language technology and post-editing courses, the fact that in a computer-assisted translation course it is enough to fully master one tool, and that the ability to work with translation memory should take precedence over the ability to work with machine translation.

Share on other platforms

Other news

Seminar on the Use of Artificial Intelligence Tools and Agents in Software Development and Radio Astronomy

By Rota Žagare • October 14, 2026
The Engineering Research Institute “Ventspils International Radio Astronomy Centre” (VIRAC) of Ventspils University of Applied Sciences is organising the seminar “Artificial Intelligence Tools and Agents: Their Use in Software Development and Radio Astronomy Data Processing” to introduce the capabilities of artificial intelligence (AI) agents and their practical applications in the development of smart technologies and scientific research. The seminar will take place on 15 October at 10:30 and will be led by Jānis Šteinbergs, Scientific Assistant at VIRAC.

Rector of VUAS becomes a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences

By Rota Žagare • October 12, 2026
Andris Vaivads, Rector of Ventspils University of Applied Sciences, has been elected as a new foreign member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences' Class for Astronomy and Space Science. Andris Vaivads studies what is commonly known as the magnetosphere around the Earth, other planets and the SunClass for astronomy and space science. He performs his research as a professor in Experimental Space Physics at KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm. Earlier, he spent 20 years as a researcher at the Swedish Institute of Space Physics in Uppsala. He studies the magnetosphere around Earth, other planets, and the Sun. Much of space is filled with plasma, a gas consisting of electrically charged particles that are influenced, among other things, by magnetic fields. When magnetic fields pointing in different directions reconnect – a process known as magnetic reconnection – large amounts of magnetic energy can rapidly be converted into other forms of energy, including kinetic energy. Andris Vaivads’s research focuses on these processes, where large amounts of energy are converted within small regions of space. Plasma processes can, among other things, produce the Northern lights (Auroras), affect satellites, and heat plasma to tens and hundreds of millions of degrees. The research group at KTH, in which Andris Vaivads spends 20 per cent of his working time, develops instruments to measure electric fields on satellites. The group also designs small measurement probes that can be launched from Esrange Space Centre in Kiruna on rockets. More recently, Andris Vaivads has also studied processes in the solar wind, a kind of plasma wind that plays a major role in space weather. This research uses observations from spacecraft launched by ESA (Solar Orbiter) in Europe and NASA (Parker Solar Probe) in the US. Members of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences serve on committees and participate in classes that initiate investigations, respond to consultations, and organise conferences and seminars. Based on the information published on the official website of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.

International Scientific Seminar on Massive Star Formation

By Rota Žagare • September 18, 2026
On 24 September, Ventspils University of Applied Sciences will host the international scientific seminar “Massive Star Formation – Latest Research and Developments”, organised by the Ventspils International Radio Astronomy Centre (VIRAC). The seminar will bring together researchers and those interested in research with visiting scientists from the United States. The seminar will feature scientist Dr Todd R. Hunter and Lead Astronomer Dr Crystal L. Brogan from the U.S. National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO). The guests will present current research in radio astronomy, state-of-the-art observational infrastructure, and the opportunities it provides for studying the Universe and the processes of star formation. Dr Todd R. Hunter will give a presentation entitled “Exploring the Universe at Centimeter Wavelengths: The Next Generation Very Large Array”, while Dr Crystal L. Brogan will present “Searching for Our Cosmic Origins Using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array”. The seminar will provide researchers with an opportunity to discuss the latest research findings and methods with internationally recognised experts in radio astronomy, as well as to explore opportunities for future scientific collaboration. Such international knowledge-exchange activities strengthen the research capacity of Ventspils University of Applied Sciences and promote the involvement of Latvian researchers in the international radio astronomy research community. This information has been prepared within the framework of the project “Ventspils University of Applied Sciences` International Cooperation and Innovation for the Development of Latvia’s Smart Specialisation” (Project No. 1.1.1.5/3/25/I/012). 

VUAS Invites to an Open Lecture on the Birth of Massive Stars

By Rota Žagare • September 18, 2026
On Friday, 25 September, at 16:15, Ventspils University of Applied Sciences invites everyone interested to attend the popular science open lecture “From Cosmic Cloud to Star: How Massive Stars Are Born”. The lecture will offer an engaging and accessible introduction to how massive stars are born, how astronomers are able to observe their formation, and what these studies can reveal about the origins and evolution of our Universe. The lecture will be delivered by guests from the U.S. National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) – scientist Dr Todd R. Hunter and Lead Astronomer Dr Crystal L. Brogan. Both researchers use modern radio astronomy techniques to study star formation and processes taking place throughout the Universe. The lecture is particularly suitable for astronomy enthusiasts as well as anyone interested in space and the methods scientists use to explore the Universe. No prior knowledge of astronomy is required. The lecture will be held in English, and participation is free of charge. The open lecture will complement the European Researchers’ Night programme in Ventspils. After the lecture, participants will have the opportunity to continue exploring science at the VIZIUM Science Centre, where European Researchers’ Night activities will take place. The lecture is organized with the financial support of the Baltic-American Freedom Foundation (BAFF), in cooperation with the Ventspils International Radio Astronomy Centre (VIRAC).

Ventspils Radio Astronomers Introduce Artificial Intelligence Methods into Their Research

By Rota Žagare • September 11, 2026
As the availability of artificial intelligence (AI) tools continues to grow, so do their capabilities and the range of tasks they can perform, including increasingly complex and sophisticated ones. Consequently, AI is finding applications in ever narrower and more specialised fields. Scientific research in astronomy is no exception, including radio astronomy and related theoretical fields, which are among the areas of research pursued by scientists at the Ventspils International Radio Astronomy Centre (VSRC) of the Institute of Engineering at Ventspils University of Applied Sciences. AI is based on existing knowledge and cannot independently interpret newly generated scientific results. Nevertheless, AI-assisted data processing, generation of program code, partially repetitive data rows and other types of information, as well as the initial compilation and review of large volumes of information on a scientific topic or, for example, the operation of an existing program, can facilitate certain tasks when carried out under careful supervision and verification by a researcher. The results can, in turn, be checked using another version of an AI agent. However, these approaches do not necessarily reduce the overall amount of work or the time required to complete it. To make the most effective use of the opportunities offered by AI and to communicate this knowledge in an accessible way so that it can subsequently be learned and adopted by everyone involved in research, including members of the older generation of scientists, VSRC launched a series of seminars on the use of AI in science in autumn 2026. The series places particular emphasis on astrophysics and radio astronomy, including radio interferometric observations using the Irbene Radio Telescope (IRT) and the LOFAR network. The first seminar was led by VSRC scientific assistant Gints Jasmonts, who shared his knowledge and experience on 3 September. He provided an introduction to the world of AI and presented examples from his own work in computer science and astrophysics. The discussion focused primarily on large language models available through chat interfaces, search engines and programming environments. At their core, these AI systems operate by predicting the next word or token based on the preceding context. The seminar concluded with a discussion, which revealed that participants are already using AI in their everyday work. At the same time, it became clear that learning how to apply the diverse capabilities of AI specifically to research will require further learning. The next seminar will therefore have a more practical focus. This information has been prepared within the framework of the project “Ventspils University of Applied Sciences` International Cooperation and Innovation for the Development of Latvia’s Smart Specialisation ” (Project No. 1.1.1.5/3/25/I/012).

Ventspils Researchers Present Latest Discoveries on Massive Star Birth at International Astrophysics Symposium in Germany

By Rota Žagare • August 31, 2026
Dr. Artis Aberfelds, Senior Researcher at the Engineering Research Institute "Ventspils International Radio Astronomy Centre" (VIRAC) of Ventspils University of Applied Sciences, participated in the prestigious international symposium "SFB 1601: Cologne-Bonn Symposium on the habitats of massive stars across cosmic time" held at the University of Cologne, Germany. A scientific report on methanol maser activity around forming massive stars was presented during the event. Organized by the University of Cologne, the symposium brought together leading astrophysicists and radio astronomers from around the world to discuss the latest discoveries in star formation, the interstellar medium, and the physical processes governing the birth of stars. The research presented by Dr. Aberfelds was developed in close international collaboration with researchers A. Sanna and L. Moscadelli from the Italian National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF). Utilizing the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) in the USA – one of the world's most sensitive radio telescope arrays – the study analyzed the connection between 6.7 GHz methanol (CH3OH) maser emission, stellar radiation, and outflows from young massive stars. Key Findings and Conclusions: Discovery of 5 new maser sources: Observing 22 star-forming regions, 6.7 GHz methanol maser emission was detected in 13 objects, revealing 5 previously unknown maser sources. Precise indicator of stellar location: Over 90% of all detected maser spots are located in close proximity to the central star. Direct link with thermal free-free radio continuum emission: The study revealed a strong correlation between methanol maser luminosity and thermal radio emission, enabling astronomers to more accurately predict and identify weak radiation sources in the Universe in the future. Potential for next-generation radio telescopes: Calculations indicate that more than 30% of the methanol maser population currently remains undetected due to sensitivity limits of existing instruments. These sources will be unlocked by next-generation radio interferometers (such as the ngVLA and SKA). The research and conference participation were carried out within the framework of the Latvian Council of Science (LZP) Fundamental and Applied Research Project „Revealing the physical mechanism of mass ejection around young massive stars via CH3OH masers” (Project No. 1.1.1.9/LZP/1/24/044).
Other news