On March 7 at 16:00, the opening of the Ventspils University of Applied Sciences Student Entrepreneurship Center will take place at the Moomentum coworking space. The center is being established within the framework of the European university alliance COLOURS and will serve as an innovation and entrepreneurship support hub for students. The primary goal of the Student Entrepreneurship Center is to foster innovation and entrepreneurship among alliance students, helping them create and develop business ideas. The center provides a supportive environment where students can collaborate with partners to design new products and services that address modern challenges. On March 8, a practical workshop is planned, during which students themselves will define their needs and the type of support they would like to receive when starting a business, as well as identify what has been lacking so far. The head of the Student Entrepreneurship Center, Gvido Grīnbergs, states: "In my opinion, this center will be an excellent collaboration point between the Ventspils Business Support Center, the LIAA Ventspils branch, the Moomentum coworking space, Ventspils University of Applied Sciences students, and society as a whole." The COLOURS alliance brings together nine international universities, uniting approximately 126,000 students, 12,300 staff members, and 54 associated partners. COLOURS offers students opportunities to participate in hackathons both in Latvia and abroad, develop mobility networks, take advantage of extensive internship opportunities, acquire micro-qualification courses for personal development, attend summer schools, and represent their university in international student forums. Additionally, the alliance aims to promote joint educational programs in research and innovation by collaborating with local businesses, thereby enhancing student, young researcher, lecturer, and administrative staff mobility among partner universities. At the same time, innovative interdisciplinary projects will strengthen international research collaboration and support both local and international entrepreneurs by sharing knowledge and technologies.

Translatology plays an important role not only in the accurate transfer of cross-lingual messages, but also in the preservation of the Latvian language in the digital age. Modern technologies, including machine translation, can affect the quality of the language, so scientists are looking for solutions to ensure the richness and accuracy of the Latvian language. The future PhD Aiga Bādere is a lecturer at the Faculty of Translation Studies of the Ventspils University of Applied Sciences, Head of the Bachelor's Study Program “Translation and Language Technologies” and an experienced translator. ResearchLatvia , a science communication platform created by the Ministry of Education and Science, talks to the researcher whose scientific activity is dedicated to translation studies, namely the post-editing of machine-translated texts, trying to develop a methodological model specifically for the Latvian language.

The Kurzeme regional branch of the Latvian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), in collaboration with the European Business Support Network, the Latvian Digital Accelerator, the Ventspils City Municipality Council, Ventspils University of Applied Sciences, the Kurzeme Planning Region, Ventspils High Technology Park, and SIA “EnterDigital,” is organizing a Business Club event titled “Digitalization and Funding Opportunities” on February 26, from 12:30 PM to 5:30 PM in Ventspils. Kristiāna Balode will present information about Ventspils University of Applied Sciences and the COLOURS European University Alliance. She will deliver a presentation titled "Opportunities Provided by European Universities for the Business Environment in Kurzeme." Nowadays, digitalization is not just a technological trend—it is a necessity for businesses aiming to be competitive, efficient, and innovative. In response to the interest expressed by entrepreneurs, the LCCI Kurzeme regional branch is organizing the Business Club event focusing on the development of digitalization and the available funding opportunities for businesses. At the LTRK Kurzeme Business Club event, experts will discuss the importance of digital transformation in business, its impact on competitiveness, and the available support mechanisms for companies. There will also be a discussion on the significance of digitalization for business development, highlighting both opportunities and challenges related to digital transformation. Participants will share their experiences, provide practical advice and recommendations on how businesses can successfully leverage available support mechanisms and solutions to overcome digital transformation challenges and enhance their operations. As part of the Business Club event, participants will also have the opportunity to join a study visit organized by the European Business Support Network to the company SIA “Bio-Venta”. They will learn about the company's operations and experience in international markets, including its export and development strategies. Additionally, participants will explore the digital solutions implemented by the company to improve efficiency and competitiveness. Special attention will be given to innovative solutions and technologies used in daily operations, as well as sustainable development principles and initiatives that help reduce environmental impact and promote efficient resource utilization. Participation in the Business Club event is free of charge with prior registration by February 24, 2025. Registration and the event program are available here: https://ej.uz/KurzemesBiznesaKlubs_februaris This event is co-financed by the European Union project "Latvian Digital Accelerator" DAoL, ID No. 101083718, and the European Union Recovery and Resilience Facility ID No. 2.2.1.1.i.0/1/23/I/CFLA/002. Funded by the European Union and the European Union - NextGenerationEU. However, the views and opinions expressed are solely those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the European Union or the European Commission. Neither the European Union nor the European Commission is responsible for them.

With the last day of 2024, the scientific research project “Desorption of icy molecules in the interstellar medium (DIMD)” ended. It was implemented at the Ventspils University College of Engineering “Ventspils International Radio Astronomy Centre” and was funded by the Latvian Science Council in its Fundamental and Applied Research Projects programme (project No. lzp-2021/1-0076). In the mid-term project report (2023), we already described the participation of the project participants at several conferences in Latvia and abroad, participation in the international cooperation project LILAC, a popular science article, and, most importantly, the scientific research conducted, which was submitted to the high-level astronomy journal Astronomy & Astrophysics (A&A). “This turn of events left the participants in a poor situation. Before the last year of the project, none of the four planned major studies had been completed or at least submitted to an A&A-level journal.” Several assumptions had to be used in the submitted study, in particular, about the collision speed at which ice chunks break off in collisions between interstellar dust grains. The results of such collisions had been studied in recent calculations by a group of scientists at the University of Kaiserslautern, Germany. From their published works, we concluded that our assumptions were wrong because at the moment of collision the ice mantle behaves like a liquid that deforms, rather than breaking into fragments like a crystal. Consequently, our submitted publication did not contain scientifically valid results and was eventually withdrawn. This turn of events left the participants in a poor situation. Before the last year of the project, none of the four planned major studies had been completed or at least submitted to an A&A-level journal. On the other hand, the work carried out was not without result – we had a highly developed astrochemical model at our disposal. Practically any investigation (except for those based on incorrect assumptions) could provide new, publishable scientific results with this program. At the end of 2023, the model was further improved and the race against time until the end of the project could begin! In the first [1] of the four major research studies conduced during 2024, we examined the general results of the model – the calculated amount of various solid (ice) and gas molecules in an interstellar nebula. This included organic matter, which was a special focus in the project. In the second publication [2], we explained the evaporation of organic matter from frosted dust near a newborn star. Perhaps the most interesting was the third paper, which examined the path of dust from a cold stellar envelope to the planet-forming disk around the young star. Research showed that two types of dust end up in the disk – cold and icy, and slightly warmer, but completely bare grains. The coagulation of such dust into sand, grain, pebble, and increasingly larger-sized clumps started of the formation of planets, including those in our own Solar System. The fourth article was completed with the final bell of the project and studied the origins of interstellar cosmic clouds. All articles were submitted to A&A. The first two have already been published, the third is in press, while the fourth still has the long road of scientific review ahead of it. Other planned works have also been successfully completed. Two smaller articles have been submitted for publication. The first considers the temperature of dust in circumstellar space, while the second addresses the conditions in a cosmic nebula that gravitationally collapses, until forming a newborn star at its centre. The work was explained to Latvian astronomers, interested people, and the public in the scientific conference of the University of Latvia, an article for the popular science magazine Zvaigžņotā debess (Starry Sky), as well as in an interview published in the magazine “Ir” [3]. The work on the project is not over yet – the submitted articles must be brought to publication, and reports are planned for the next (83rd) University of Latvia scientific conference, as well as the Latvian Astronomical Society. This research has been funded by the Latvian Council of Science, project “Desorption of icy molecules in the interstellar medium (DIMD)" No. lzp-2021/1-0076. [1] https://www.aanda.org/articles/aa/full_html/2024/07/aa50015-24/aa50015-24.html [2] https://www.aanda.org/articles/aa/full_html/2024/12/aa51858-24/aa51858-24.html [3] https://ir.lv/2024/10/16/zvaigznu-putekli/ Photo: Icy interstellar dust with the James Webb Space Telescope Chamaeleon I in the dark cosmic nebula. NASA, ESA, CSA, and M. Zamani (ESA). Science: M. K. McClure (Leiden Observatory), F. Sun (Steward Observatory), Z. Smith (Open University), and the Ice Age ERS Team

As part of the COLOURS project, an IMAGINE/IDEATE workshop was organized at Ventspils University of Applied Sciences, where students applied design thinking principles to address equality, diversity, and inclusion issues within the university environment. This two-day workshop provided an opportunity for participants to analyze existing challenges and develop practical solutions they could implement themselves. During the workshop, students worked in groups, first identifying the challenges they face in their daily lives. They then focused on creating solutions using creative methods. Importantly, the proposed solutions had to be realistically implementable by the students themselves, fostering their responsibility for shaping the environment and driving positive changes. At the end of the workshop, students presented their ideas, and the best proposals were recognized. The winning group, composed of first-year students from the professional bachelor’s program in Intercultural Communication, proposed organizing events to help students integrate into their new environment and find like-minded peers. These events aim to provide practical support to young people facing challenges in adapting to a new social and academic setting. The authors emphasized that such events would foster a positive and inclusive experience, promoting mutual support among students. The workshop’s outcomes demonstrate that by encouraging active student participation and creative approaches, sustainable changes can be achieved in their daily lives. This workshop is part of the COLOURS project, which aims to promote the principles of equality, diversity, and inclusion in educational institutions.