WELCOME TO THE COLOURS ALLIANCE!

On October 22, Ventspils University of Applied Sciences (VUAS) joined the international celebration of “Erasmus Days”, bringing students and staff together for an afternoon filled with creativity, teamwork, and cultural exchange. The event was organized by two students of VUAS with the help of international office and “COLOURS”, featuring engaging activities and friendly competition across a series of interactive stations. Each station offered a unique challenge inspired by the theme of cultural diversity, encouraging participants to test their knowledge, communication skills, and creativity while earning points for their teams. Guided by enthusiastic station leaders and coordinated by the two main event organizers, the atmosphere was both energetic and welcoming. Students from different study programs and cultural backgrounds had the opportunity to connect, work together, and learn from one another in a relaxed and engaging environment. Throughout the event, participants enjoyed refreshments and snacks, as well as a live performance from the band “Sweet Sixteen.” The music, laughter, and friendly competition made for a memorable afternoon celebrating the spirit of “Erasmus +” openness, inclusion, and intercultural understanding. At the end of the activities, all teams received prizes in recognition of their efforts, with the winning team taking home exclusive VUAS merchandise. “Erasmus Days” once again highlighted the value of collaboration and student mobility, reminding everyone that learning extends far beyond the classroom, it thrives through shared experiences and cultural exchange and making new connections. Photos: Endijs Eihlers

After a fantastic first edition, our Language Café is back and better than ever! If you missed it the first time, this is your chance to join the friendliest crew of language lovers on the Ventspils University of Applied Sciences campus. Expect good vibes, new words, and plenty of laughter as we meet again at D0 (Lounge Room) on 29th October 2025 at 16:30. Whether you’re a returning participant or a first-timer, everyone is welcome! So dust off your sense of humour, clear your schedule, and widen your comfort zone. Bring a friend, roommate, coursemate, and of course, your favourite snack – and let’s make language learning fun again!

In September, Lilita Sproģe, Head of the Doctoral School at Ventspils University of Applied Sciences, went on a business trip to Le Mans University in France to discuss opportunities for creating a joint internship project for doctoral students and developing cooperation in providing doctoral study courses, research, and student mobility. The meeting was organized by COLOURS project partners at the Le Mans University. The day's program included several meetings with representatives of Le Mans University, including Christine Gonzalez, Deputy Director of the EDGE Doctoral School and Lecturer and Researcher at the Faculty of Management and Economics, Geoffroy Martin, Administrative Director of the Doctoral School, Selin Duhan, Head of the International Relations Office, Xavier Lachazette, Vice President of International Relations, and Miloš Borozan, former COLOURS WP3 Manager. During her visit, L. Sproģe familiarized herself with the language faculty and doctoral student workspaces, as well as the research infrastructure on the university campus. Le Mans University is closely integrated into the city structure and easily accessible by public transport from Paris and Le Mans itself. The talks covered key differences between Latvian and French doctoral school models and regulatory frameworks, credit point accounting principles, promotion procedures, and deadlines for completing doctoral theses. The meeting resulted in a strengthened mutual interest in further cooperation in the development of joint doctoral activities and research in the fields of linguistics and economics.

On September 30, 2025, the first Language Café organized by the COLOURS Project was held at Ventspils University of Applied Sciences. The event gathered international and local students in a relaxed and informal environment to practice languages (Mainly Latvian Language for now), exchange cultures, and foster connections across study programs. The event took place at student lounge, bringing together students from more than 6 different nationalities and speakers of a wide variety of languages, including English, Latvian, French, German, and Russian. The Language Cafe was designed to support student integration and intercultural communication, two key focus areas of COLOURS. During the event, participants engaged in small-group conversations guided by Lasma Asme, the EDI coordinator. The atmosphere was lively and inclusive, with background music by Liva Slesare, allowing students to gain confidence in speaking while enjoying snacks and refreshments prepared by the EDI coordinator. “The participation from both Latvian and international students exceeded our expectations,” commented Janvier Dylan, COLOURS representative and International student “It was inspiring to see how open and engaged everyone was, especially how many Latvian students were eager to communicate and connect across cultures. The energy and motivation to continue this kind of event were remarkable.” The event concluded with students dividing into small groups, where Latvian participants taught international students common words and phrases useful for everyday communication. This interactive exchange created a lively and friendly atmosphere that encouraged mutual learning. The session ended with an open discussion about future activities, during which students shared creative ideas for how upcoming café meetings could look. Many also expressed interest in volunteering and helping to organise the next events, highlighting their motivation to make the Language Cafe a regular and sustainable part of campus life the organisers noted that the success of the first Language Café demonstrates the importance of creating spaces that encourage communication, collaboration, and cultural exchange beyond the classroom. The next Language Café is planned for 29th October 2025, and all VeA students, international and local, are welcome to join.

On October 9 and 10, at Ventspils University of Applied Sciences, in cooperation with Jan Dlugosz University in Poland, CoLab “More Than Words: (Inter)Linguistic Aspects in a Practical Context” took place. During the forum, participants discussed topics such as the interaction between language and technology, the impact of artificial intelligence on translation, cultural and identity aspects, current issues in language policy, and the challenges of communication in a multilingual society. Keynote lectures were delivered by speakers from several countries - Ramunė Kasperė from Lithuania, who outlined the future prospects of the translator’s profession in the age of artificial intelligence; Andrejs Veisbergs from the University of Latvia, who addressed issues of censorship in Latvian literary translations; and Olga Słabońska from Poland, who analyzed the grammatical structures of Polish and English from a cognitive perspective. Forum participants were eager to explore current topics from the perspectives of different lecturers and to gain valuable insights, which encouraged a broader understanding of the role of language, culture, and communication in contemporary society. At the end of the first day, all interested participants had the opportunity to visit the Ventspils Open-Air Museum to explore Latvia’s national cultural heritage – the Livonian language – together with Dženeta Marinska, a speaker of Livonian. The lecture concluded with a crossword activity, where participants searched for Livonian names of everyday objects around the museum grounds, followed by a tasting of traditional sklandrauši and smoked flounder from Kolka.  “The Livonian language lecture was truly inspiring – Dženeta spoke about both the history of the Livonian language and her personal journey of learning it. During the lecture, we also listened to Livonian folk songs and experienced the unique sound of the language. This experience made me reflect on the value and fragility of our own language – how easily it could disappear if we do not protect and use it in our daily lives,” shared participant Lelde Bērziņa. As part of the forum, COLOURS Alliance student workshops were also held, where students worked on practical tasks related to digital translation tools, intercultural communication, and foreign language learning. The forum concluded with a panel discussion titled “The Humanities: New Trends, Changes, and the Future.” More photos are available here: https://zviedrans.lv/klientiem/ Beyond Words: (Inter)Lingual Reflections in Practice October 9-10 | Ventspils, Latvia Password: beyondwordsventspils

Ventspils University of Applied Sciences, in cooperation with Jan Dlugosz University (Poland), will host the international forum “Beyond Words: (Inter)lingual Aspects in Practical Contexts” on October 9 and 10. The forum will bring together representatives from the Ministry of Education and Science, Ventspils City Council, Jan Dlugosz University, the European Commission, and other stakeholders. The event will explore the challenges of translation, multilingualism, and intercultural communication. More information: https://en.venta.lv/colab-beyond-words

If you want to feel at home faster in our city of Ventspils and like to build your confidence in everyday conversations, and looking to make friends and integrate into the Latvian community, then join the first Language Café meeting – organized by COLOURS WP5 (EDI)! It’s a relaxed and welcoming meet-up where international and local students come together to: Practice different languages Make new friends Enjoy light snacks and friendly conversations No grammar tests, no pressure – just real conversations in small, friendly groups. Come as you are and enjoy the exchange of cultures and languages! Register HERE Tuesday, 30th September at D0, 16.30!

Approximately 700 million Europeans are constantly encouraged throughout their lives to learn as many languages as possible – whether in educational institutions, through self-study, for professional purposes, or out of personal interest. The Council of Europe states that multilingualism is a means to foster better intercultural understanding and is a key component of our continent’s cultural heritage. Representatives from the language centres of the COLOURS European Universities Alliance* joined forces in a collaborative project, creating a video greeting in honour of the European Day of Languages, celebrated annually on September 26. Ventspils University of Applied Sciences is represented in this team by Rūta Maltisova, lecturer at the Faculty of Translation Studies, who also took part in the creation of the video greeting. Rūta is currently working together with colleagues from all COLOURS partner universities on a virtual language and culture guide – a glossary and language learning materials – which are planned to be developed and made available to all partner universities by the European Day of Languages in 2026. This initiative aims to support students and lecturers in learning and teaching nine European languages and cultures: Swedish, Spanish, French, Italian, German, Latvian, Polish, Croatian, and Macedonian. At the end of the video, greetings can be heard in each of the COLOURS alliance member languages, all translating into English as “Happy European Day of Languages!” or in Latvian, “Priecīgu Eiropas valodu dienu!” On the European Day of Languages, Rūta Maltisova encourages everyone to remember that languages are like bridges connecting different cultures. Without them, we would only be able to observe each other from a safe distance, separated by a potential barrier of prejudice that prevents us from understanding the essence and values of another culture. By learning a language, we also learn about the culture – and, in doing so, we learn about one another. Thanks to the COLOURS Universities Alliance, we learn something new every day about each other’s cultures, values, and, undoubtedly, languages. *Le Mans University (France), University of Castilla-La Mancha (Spain), University of Ferrara (Italy), Paderborn University (Germany), Jan Dlugosz University (Poland), Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek (Croatia), University St Kliment Ohridski Bitola (North Macedonia), Kristianstad University (Sweden), and Ventspils University of Applied Sciences (Latvia).

Ventspils University of Applied Sciences Faculty of Translation Studies Bachelor’s degree student of “Translation and Language Technology” Matīss Jansons and Bachelor’s degree student of “Intercultural Communication” Līva Slesare participated in an exciting summer school “Responsible Digitalization: AI, Social Media and their Contribution to a Sustainable Society”, which took place from 21st to 25th of July in Paderborn, Germany. The aim of the summer school was to provide a learning experience about sustainable use of artificial intelligence and digital technologies for the benefit of society, while promoting collaboration, practical innovation and cultural exchange. The summer school program was intense and dynamic – lectures, workshops and discussions led by lecturers and guest lecturers took place throughout the day, covering the practical application of artificial intelligence, its ethical and social aspects, issues of power, prejudice and everyday life. Each day provided new insights and encouraged students to think about the role of technology in the future society. Outside of lectures, students from Latvia, as well as from various other countries, had the opportunity to go on guided tours and get to know the city of Paderborn in Germany and its ancient history, see the world's largest computer museum "Heinz Nixdorf MuseumsForum", as well as have informal conversations and make new contacts. Students admit that the opportunity to work in international teams with participants from several COLOURS alliance universities was very valuable. This diversity promoted the exchange of experience and allowed for different approaches to solving problems related to artificial intelligence. Dr. François Vignale's (Le Mans University) lecture on the identification of AI-generated and biased content also aroused special interest, providing practical knowledge and sparking a discussion about these problems in society. This experience gives students the opportunity to gain new knowledge, opening a broader view of the everyday life of students at other European universities, exchanging opinions and creating contacts and future friendships. Read more about the summer school on the COLOURS website: https://colours-alliance.eu/event/international-summer-school-on-responsible-digitalization-ai-social-media-and-their-contribution-to-a-sustainable-society/