On May 21, students and staff members gathered at Ventspils University of Applied Sciences (VUAS) to celebrate the culture day with the topic “Cultural Iceberg”". The event offered an exciting opportunity to engage with representatives from different countries on campus, allowing participants to glimpse different facets of culture, both the visible surface and the deeper layers. Ventspils University of Applied Sciences lecturer Rūta Maltisova opened the event with an introductory speech in which she invited all students present to enjoy this event and get acquainted with the culture. International students and lecturers from 7 different countries presented their cultural backgrounds on the specificities of Latvian, French, Chinese, Turkish, Indian, Spanish and Italian cultures. During the event, students and lecturers presented their country's culture, traditions and stereotypes, entertained the audience and gave the opportunity to taste traditional food and drinks. At the end of the Cultural Day, the participants gathered in an informal atmosphere to share their impressions and enjoy a meal together. The organizers of the event, 1st and 2nd year students of the study program “Intercultural Communication”, Līva and Karīna admit that the event was a great success, as it was widely attended. Both participants and visitors provided good feedback, insights and emphasized that the event allowed them to better discover the hidden layers of each culture that they often do not even think about. The event once again confirmed the active role of Ventspils University College in the cultural life of the city and the creative potential of students. The involvement of students and teaching staff in the annually organized event encourages and develops the multicultural environment at Ventspils University of Applied Sciences, allowing everyone to express themselves and be included. More pictures from the event are available here: https://failiem.lv/u/ts2jrykn7t (In the situation of publishing these photos, please give credit to the author of photos – Endijs Eihlers.) Photos: Endijs Eihlers Author: 2nd year student of the bachelor's study program "Intercultural Communication" Karīna Ganiņa

BLU 2025 - workshop of the Bulgaria – Latvia – Ukraine Initiative for Space Weather Investigations June 2-6, 2025 Primorsko, Bulgaria

Last week, a delegation from the Norwegian space industry visited Ventspils University of Applied Sciences (and the Ventspils International Radio Astronomy Centre. The delegation included representatives from nine Norwegian companies and organizations. The visit was organized by Austris Keišs, Director of Export Promotion in Norway at the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia (LIAA). Among the visitors was Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace, Norway’s largest defense manufacturing company, which produces advanced defense, aviation, and space systems, including combat management solutions and remote weapon stations, as well as developing air defense systems and missile technologies for various military applications. The company also offers maritime systems such as autonomous and remote-controlled solutions for naval forces. Also visiting Ventspils was Space Norway, one of Norway's leading satellite and space infrastructure companies; PaleBlue, a company that offers spaceflight simulations; Spectrum Blue, which uses quantum technologies to develop and produce next-generation materials used in healthcare and sustainability sectors, as well as digital decision-support systems for building management. Other visitors included Inventas, a leading Norwegian design and innovation company; Rocket Grace Group, which organizes Spaceport Norway, one of the largest space conferences in the Nordic countries; and startup Nava Space, which plans to manufacture next-generation space suits designed for extreme environmental conditions by combining artificial intelligence solutions with smart materials. The visit also included representatives from the University of Oslo, the engineering research foundation Norwegian Geotechnical Institute, and the Norwegian Industrial Forum for Space Activities (NIFRO). During the visit, the delegation toured the VIRAC and VUAS electronics laboratories. VUAS Rector Andris Vaivads gave a presentation introducing the activities of both VUAS and VIRAC. According to Austris Keišs, Head of the LIAA representative office in Norway, the goal of the visit was “to promote cooperation in the space industry between Latvia and Norway and to integrate Latvian companies into international projects and supply chains, positioning Latvia as an attractive investment destination for Norwegian companies.” VSRC Director Mārcis Donerblics assessed the visit as productive: “We were pleased that the Norwegian Ambassador to Latvia, Ine Måreng, who is a strong supporter of the space sector, also joined the visit. The visit was doubly effective because both the political and industrial sectors were represented,” said Donerblics. “Of course, we took the opportunity to exchange contacts with representatives from various institutions, and with several, we agreed to continue the dialogue in one-on-one meetings. It’s too early to mention specific examples, but we are interested in topics like telecommunications, satellite communication antenna systems, and student exchange opportunities.” Donerblics also reminded that VIRAC already has a strategic partnership with the Swedish Space Corporation and that there is a solid basis to hope for broader partnerships among the Nordic and Baltic countries.

On 15th of May, students of the Faculty of Translation Studies had the opportunity to attend a guest lecture about German-Latvian cooperation, embassy work and diplomatic protocol. The guest lecture was given by Christopher Grounau, Head of the Cultural and Press Section of the German Embassy, and Nataļja Buinicka, graduate of VUAS’ bachelor and master study programme in translation. At the beginning of the day, the visitors were welcomed by the 3rd year students of the translation bachelor study programme; the students gave them a short tour of the University and told them about the daily life of students and about the VUAS in general. During the guest lecture, the Embassy representatives told the students of the Faculty of Translation Studies about the work of the Embassy, its structure and responsibilties of specific units, shared some aspects of their daily duties, and answered questions asked by students. Matīss Jansons and Elēna Šatrovska, 3rd year students of the bachelor study programme Translation, Interpreting and Language Technology shared their impressions of the tour and the guest lecture: Matīss said: "Until now, I had no idea how close and diverse the cooperation between Latvia and Germany actually is. It was interesting to hear how much attention and support they give to cultural projects that really bring our countries closer together. I used to think that diplomacy was all about fine suits, empty speeches and champagne at events, but today I realised that there is much more to it. It's a lively, dynamic environment where every day is different, and behind it all, there's people who do exciting and important work.” Elena also shared: “It was a wonderful opportunity not only to learn how the Embassy works from the point of view of insiders, how diplomatic meetings are organised, where so many details need attention, but also to meet the people who make the Embassy run smoothly. Moreover, meeting them in person allowed me to see the human perspective of their work making it more understandable, not as something idealised, complicated and unachievable.” Event organized by the lecturer of the VUAS Egita Proveja. Information prepared by the students of the bachelor study programme Translation, Interpreting and Language Technology.

Through collaboration between Latvian technology company Nanocraft SIA, Ventspils University of Applied Sciences, and the Tartu Observatory, the photo-realistic modelling project “CI3D” has been successfully delivered to the European Space Agency (ESA). The project activities have produced computer-generated images used for testing the cameras of ESA’s “Comet Interceptor” mission. Since the mission, scheduled for the early 2030s, will approach a still-unknown target comet—its trajectory from the Oort cloud towards the Sun currently too distant to observe with telescopes—photo-realistic images are needed to validate the mission’s cameras.