The Christmas Conference of Ventspils University of Applied Sciences has been held
December 20, 2021
The annual Christmas Scientific Conference of Ventspils University of Applied Sciences (VUAS) has been held remotely, gathering VUAS researchers and partners from Russia and Ukraine, as well as a foreign guest lecturer who presented their research and findings of 2021.
The conference was opened by the VUAS rector Kārlis Krēsliņš who congratulated the participants on a successful year in research, expressed his delight about VUAS young researchers participating in the conference this year, and congratulated the scientist Manfrēds Leontijs Šneps-Šneppe on receiving the emeritus scientist title this year. At the conference, a total of 11 reports were presented in the fields of astronomy, economics, humanities, and information technology.
This year, at the conference the future vision of Latvia’s economic development, digital opportunities, and innovations in the study process, challenges in technology implementation, as well as research in radio astronomy were discussed. Additionally, a report in humanities “Etruscans: in Search of Baltic Roots” (Etruski: Baltu saknes meklējot) was also presented. Particularly interesting research, whose co-authors are researchers from Ukraine and Russia, was presented by the representative of Ventspils International Radio Astronomy Centre who informed the audience about radio astronomical findings and scientific projects of 2021, and various experimental research and observations in space that were made using the Irbene Radio Telescope Complex.
The aim of the Christmas conference is to introduce colleagues, students, and the public to the achievements and both theoretical and practical research results of Ventspils University of Applied Sciences.
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With support from the Baltic-American Freedom Foundation (BAFF), from the 21st of September to the 1st of October 2026, two leading scientists from the U.S. National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) – Dr. Todd R. Hunter and Dr. Crystal L. Brogan – visited the Engineering Research Institute “Ventspils International Radio Astronomy Centre” (VIRAC) at Ventspils University of Applied Sciences (VUAS). During their visit to Ventspils, the guests familiarized themselves with the Irbene radio astronomy complex and the receiver technologies developed in-house by VIRAC, and held seminars on mitigating radio-frequency interference and improving radio astronomy data processing. Together with VIRAC specialists, the researchers identified complementary research directions in the study of massive star formation, in which observations from the Irbene radio telescopes can provide substantial support for data obtained with leading U.S. radio astronomy instruments (ALMA, VLA/ngVLA). The visit served as an important step toward establishing a long-term partnership between Latvian and U.S. radio astronomy institutions. The foundations were laid for joint international research projects and scientific publications. Alongside the strategic discussions, the U.S. experts provided individual consultations for VIRAC researchers, delivered a public lecture for a wider audience in Ventspils, and offered valuable feedback and introduced international career opportunities to students in the exact sciences, both in Ventspils and subsequently in Riga at the University of Latvia (UL).
From 26 to 30 October, Assistant Professor Egita Proveja, Associate Professor Jānis Veckrācis and Lecturer Aiga Bādere of the Faculty of Translation Studies (FoTS) at Ventspils University of Applied Sciences (VUAS) visited the Faculty of Humanities of Jan Długosz University in Częstochowa ( Uniwersytet Jana Długosza w Częstochowie , JDU, Poland). The visit took place within the framework of both the COLOURS European University Alliance and Erasmus+ cooperation. The main aim of the visit was to launch a joint practice-oriented project for translation students of VUAS FoTS and JDU. Latvian and Polish students are expected to work with professional texts and specialised vocabulary in various formats of cooperation. Working meetings were held with the management and staff of the Faculty of Humanities. The VUAS representatives Jānis Veckrācis and Aiga Bādere discussed specific plans for cooperation with the Dean of the JDU Faculty of Humanities, Aiga Bādere met the Polish students involved in the project, and Egita Proveja observed German-language classes. The VUAS representatives also met the JDU Vice-Rector. The visit provided an opportunity to discuss the cooperation in detail, including a joint challenge-based project, its implementation timeline, the allocation of tasks and the expected results. Plans for a summer school were also discussed. The programme also included a study visit to the Jasna Góra Monastery, where a JDU graduate, now a professional guide, showed how education in the humanities and professional competence help to preserve and promote the region’s cultural heritage. The visit strengthened cooperation between the two universities and opened up opportunities to involve students at all levels of study in future joint projects.
How to Monitor a 32-Metre Radio Telescope – VIRAC Experience at the International Zabbix Summit 2026
From 7 to 9 October, the international Zabbix Summit 2026 conference took place in Riga, bringing together representatives from various countries to share experience on the capabilities of the Zabbix monitoring platform and its use across different industries. Kristaps Blumbergs, a Research Assistant at the Ventspils International Radio Astronomy Centre (VIRAC), also attended the conference.
On 16 October, Ventspils University of Applied Sciences hosted a Career Day for Early-Career Researchers, during which doctoral students and early-career researchers explored various professional development opportunities both within and beyond academia. The event highlighted the importance of international cooperation in research, featured personal experiences of scientific career development, and fostered collaboration among representatives of different scientific disciplines. The Career Day was organised as part of the international NextTechTalents project, introducing participants to opportunities to advance their research careers, develop professional skills, and engage in international initiatives. Special attention was also given to the opportunities offered to doctoral students and early-career researchers by the COLOURS European University Alliance. Gvido Grīnbergs from Ventspils High Technology Park shared his professional experience, describing his journey from research to entrepreneurship. He emphasised that the knowledge and skills acquired through research can be successfully applied beyond academia, including in entrepreneurship and technology development. Drawing on his personal experience, Gvido Grīnbergs highlighted the need to strengthen collaboration between researchers, entrepreneurs, and technology developers to transform scientific expertise into practical and innovative solutions. Oskars Teikmanis, Chairman of the Board of the Latvian Association of Young Researchers (LJZA), presented the diverse career paths and opportunities available to early-career researchers. He emphasised that a career in science is not limited to conducting research but can also develop in areas such as scientific publishing, research integrity, science policy, research funding, administration, innovation, and science communication. A doctoral degree demonstrates not only scientific qualifications but also a broad range of competencies that can be applied across various professional fields. The Career Day also featured a networking session, providing participants with an opportunity to engage in discussions, exchange ideas, and establish collaborations with fellow early-career researchers, doctoral students, doctoral supervisors, project representatives, and industry professionals. In addition to presentations and discussions, participants explored the research infrastructure of Ventspils University of Applied Sciences by visiting the laboratories of the Faculty of Information Technologies. The event concluded with a visit to Irbene, where participants took a guided tour of the Ventspils International Radio Astronomy Centre, learning about its research infrastructure and how it is used in scientific research.
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.
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.
