entspils University of Applied Sciences conference University of Tomorrow and Christmas Conference has concluded

December 17, 2020

On 10 December, in Ventspils University of Applied Sciences (VUAS) an international conference University of Tomorrow took place. Concurrently, the Modernisation Conference, which VUAS organised for the first time, and the Christmas Conference which is an annual scientific activity event at the university, took place. Considering the restrictions set by the government, University of Tomorrow took place remotely, thus giving opportunity for everyone to follow the course of the conference.


University of Tomorrow was opened with the introductory words of VUAS rector Professor Kārlis Krēsliņš, marking the growth of VUAS in the direction of study process modernisation and scientific activity. The scholarship of Professor Andris Klauss was also presented at the beginning of the conference. The patron of the scholarship Mārtiņš Lauva admitted that it was difficult to choose the scholarship receiver this year because all the candidates were worthy of the scholarship. Upon making the decision, a student of the Faculty of Translation Studies, Agate Freiberga, received the scholarship.


The first part of the conference focused on the quality of studies, its supervision and management in higher education institutions, teaching methods and the growth of the academic staff. Also, the audience was acquainted with the project Improvement of the Quality of the Content of the Ventspils University of Applied Sciences Study Programme, Improving the Efficiency of the Use of Resources, and Ensuring Better Governance. The conference University of Tomorrow was organised within the framework of this project. Maija Cēbere, Deputy Head of the Science and Development Department of VUAS, spoke more about the news of this project. Vice-rector of the Business University Turība associated professor Daina Vasiļevska shared Turība`s experience in ensuring good governance and study quality. It is worthwhile for all lecturers to get acquainted with the associate director of the RSU Centre for Educational Growth Prof. Nora Jansone-Ratinika`s presentation which reviewed various teaching methods and application possibilities in the study process, with emphasis on distance learning. The first part of the conference was concluded by Brigita Kukjalko, a senior expert of the Structural Funds Department of the Ministry of Education and Science who presented the upcoming changes in the academic career. These changes promise to organise the positions of the academic staff and their distribution.


As the conference continued, viewers could choose to continue following the Modernisation Conference or join the VUAS scientific event – the Christmas Conference. Those who chose the first option heard nine different presentations about the distance learning experience, opportunities for improvement and challenges faced by both lecturers and students. Along with these topics, the Rector of VUAS outlined the implementation of the new doctoral model in VUAS. Experts of the Study Department of VUAS Gints Dreifogels, Toms Urdze and Ivo Čapiņš presented the currently available distance learning tools at VUAS. The new Chairperson of the VUAS Student Council Lāsma Lubāne analysed the results of the student survey on the technical provision of the distance learning process, concluding that VUAS students are satisfied with the technic equipment of the university, however, some improvements are still to be made. Guntis Čoders, Deputy Director of the study programme Start-Up Management, also participated in the conference, talking about the importance of coaching and competence education. Competence-based education is one of the theses that has been said a lot on a national scale, so it was interesting to hear the implementation of this model in the programme Start-Up Management. Thanks to the remote format of the conference, without any long trips, Professor Martin Waiguny, Director of International study programmes at the University of Applied Sciences Krems, was also able to participate. The professor shared his experience of implementing distance learning at VUAS cooperation university in Krems and suggested specific things that could be implemented by VUAS. Two guest lecturers from the Faculty of Translation Studies (FTS), Goksel Ozturk and Murat Bayrak, from the Bursa Technical University, Turkey, compared the traditional full-time study process with the current situation, as well as highlighted the challenges of distance studies in linguistics. Continuing in the field of linguistics, the Dean of FTS Artūrs Viļums presented two digital research tools in linguistics which are used more and more often by students at the beginning of the new study format. VUAS IT faculty was also represented at the conference. Its dean, Vairis Caune, gave an insight into the daily life of the faculty and how the studies are currently organised, which online tools help lectures to happen and how to move forward so that the study process does not lose the quality during distance learning. The closing speech of the conference was from the lecturer of the Faculty of IT Jesus Cazares, who spoke with the personal motivation, inviting students and lecturers to adapt to the new format and to find better solutions to improve the quality of teaching.


The Christmas Conference brought together researchers and scientists from VUAS to look back at the achievements at the end of the year. Introducing colleagues, students and others to the results of their research – both theoretical and practical – ten researchers from Ventspils University of Applied Sciences participated in the conference. The fields represented in the reports were various – engineering, natural sciences, linguistics and translation science, as well as economics and business. The main motive of the conference was the development and vision for the future. The director of Ventspils International Radio Astronomy Centre (VIRAC) Aleksejs Klokovs in his report Space Centre in Latvia and Space Industry Development provided a vision for further development of VIRAC. The leading researcher of VIRAC Manfrēds Šneps-Šneppe further analysed the development perspective. Researcher Vladislavs Bezrukovs gave two presentations – one on current events in the VIRAC radio observations and the other Friendyno - small power generator with the rotor linear motion – on his practical research. Two young VIRAC researchers in electronic engineering Andrejs Dzelme and Emīls Vēveris presented the results of practical research in a report Mobile Device Charger for a Bicycle Generator. The young researchers proved the ability to perform and present their research independently. Jesus Cazares, a lecturer at the Faculty of IT, also spoke in this part of the conference presenting his report A Method for the Composition of Piecewise Defined Functions. Representatives of all three faculties of VUAS also presented interesting and topical research. Valentīna Semakina, a visiting lecturer at the Faculty of Economics and Management (FEM), presented a report Dynamic Stochastic Models of General Equilibrium prepared with the co-author professor Sergejs Hiļķevičs, the lead researcher at VIRAC. FTS representatives Baiba Egle and Ralfs Raitis Vecmanis presented a report Latvian Scientific Language Database – Development and Content. The final report of the conference given by the Faculty of Translation Studies guest lecturer Elizabete Kadakovska Interaction of Medical and Translation Sciences was relevant in the context of the current situation. The conference provided an optimistic view of VUAS research and a chance for experienced and young VUAS researchers to meet. 

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Translation Students Visit the European Parliament in Brussels

By Rota Rulle • October 6, 2025
At 7 AM on the 24th September an airplane took off to fly to Brussels. It was a quiet morning, the air was charged with excitement and sleep deprivation, when seven 4TLT students, along with lecturer Zane France arrived at their destination, where they were welcomed by European Parliament’s vice-presidents’ assistant Guna Zaķe-Baltā. VUAS students had the opportunity to get lost in the ‘labyrinth’ of the European Parliament, attend a lecture about the work of both the European Parliament and its members, as well as get a glimpse into the history of the establishment. The students could learn about how actively (or not) Latvia participates in voting, how much ‘pocket money’ do members get, what is the monthly schedule and how often do the meetings happen in Brussels and Strasbourg. After the lecture the excursion continued, and the students saw a part of the enormous building of the Parliament (one can wonder, do the new hires get a compass and a map?), the famous conference room, gifts of the countries of the European Union (including artworks gifted by Latvia), and even the cabinet of Roberts Zīle (where the guests were greeted by sandwiches, apples, and chocolate :) ). The cherry on top was the opportunity to meet with the European Parliament’s interpreters Dace Rubene and Ilze Lauva, and the Head of the Latvian unit of Directorate-General of the European Commission Uldis Sproģis and talk about how many languages interpreters usually know, how does interpreting differ in the European Commission and European Parliament, what is retour, and what should one do if the speaker’s tempo is too fast, as well as if voice matters in interpreting. At the end, the students had the opportunity to try interpreting in the Conference Interpretation Booths (with the microphone, hopefully, turned off!) and interpret the conference about the safety of minors on the internet. It was a wonderful experience that allowed the students to learn about the professionalism of the interpreters and working in the Parliament, as well as internship opportunities and how difficult it is to become an interpreter in the European Parliament. In the evening and on the next day, the students were given free rein to taste Belgian chocolate, see the Peeing boy statue and ponder on whether to come back and work in the Parliament. Impressions of the participants: “Although I have never thought that conference interpreting is easy, this tour highlighted how difficult and challenging it actually is and what enormous wealth of background knowledge interpreters need to have.” “I really enjoyed the trip! At first, I wasn't too sure whether to participate, but I’m happy that I mustered up my courage and decided to go. I can definitely say that visiting the European Parliament is a wonderful opportunity, and that it was very interesting to learn about the work and experiences of the interpreters.” “I will definitely remember the visit to the European Parliament for an eternity, but the meeting with the interpreters that work there is what left the most significant impression. For a while I thought that they’re some kind of superheroes – which they definitely are – but after the meeting I realised that they are people just like us. Thanks to them, work in the European Parliament has turned from something intangible into a real possibility you can achieve by investing a lot of hard work.”

Researchers’ Night 2025: Star Formation, Small Bodies of the Solar System, and Language Games

By Rota Rulle • October 3, 2025
On September 26, the European Researchers’ Night events took place throughout Latvia, where colleges, universities, and scientific institutes opened their doors to visitors, offering a variety of free activities. At the VIZIUM Science Center, activities organized by Ventspils University of Applied Sciences and the Ventspils International Radio Astronomy Center (VIRAC) introduced visitors to the processes of star formation, comets, and other small bodies of the Solar System. Throughout the evening, visitors played language games, observed stars and planets through a telescope, and tried their hand at solving a mathematical puzzle – the Tower of Hanoi. Guests also had the opportunity to test their knowledge in various quizzes related to space and languages, gaining new insights along the way.

Language Cafe – exchange of cultures and languages

By Rota Rulle • September 29, 2025
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!

COLOURS alliance’s greeting on the European Day of Languages

By Rota Rulle • September 26, 2025
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).

Visit of the University of Latvia Faculty of Exact Sciences and Technology to Ventspils University of Applied Sciences

By Rota Rulle • September 25, 2025
On 24 September 2025, a delegation from the University of Latvia Faculty of Science and Technology (UL FST) visited Ventspils University of Applied Sciences (VUAS). The UL delegation included FST Dean Aigars Ekers, Acting Vice-Dean for Science Sandris Lācis, Vice-Dean for Studies Aiga Švede, Vice-Dean for Development Diāna Šmite, and Head of the Department of Physics Tija Sīle. VUAS and the Ventspils International Radio Astronomy Centre (VIRAC) were represented by Rector Andris Vaivads, Dean of the Faculty of Information Technology Vairis Caune, Head of the Doctoral School Lilita Sproģe, Chairman of the VUAS Senate and, at the same time, Chairman of the VIRAC Scientific Council Juris Freimanis, along with other researchers and teaching staff. The visit began with a trip to the VIRAC radio telescope complex in Irbene, where senior researcher Artis Aberfelds introduced the guests to the telescopes, associated equipment, and laboratories, and their use in astronomical observations. After a joint lunch at VUAS café Panorāma, Jānis Šate showed the guests the university's electronics teaching laboratories and their equipment. The event reached a productive apogee in a joint discussion lasting around two hours in the VUAS Rectorate conference hall. At its opening, Rector Andris Vaivads gave a presentation about VUAS, followed by a presentation by, Juris Kalvāns, Head of the VIRAC Astronomy and Astrophysics Department, about the main research directions in VIRAC astronomy, while researcher Vladislavs Bezrukovs outlined VIRAC's extensive international cooperation, particularly its participation in European Research Infrastructure Consortia (ERIC). “The event reached a productive apogee in a joint discussion lasting around two hours in the VUAS Rectorate conference hall, where Rector Andris Vaivads gave a presentation about VUAS.” The discussion covered a range of topics related to science and studies. Both sides expressed interest in officially involving VUAS in the UL Master’s programme in Physics, alongside Daugavpils University. VIRAC researchers already teach several astronomy courses within this programme. The potential involvement of the VIRAC high-performance computing cluster in a new computing consortium, where UL is expected to take the leading role, was also discussed. Looking further ahead, UL is also interested in gaining access to VIRAC satellite communication abilities. Finally, the UL–VUAS cooperation agreement is to be renewed, including matters of collaboration in doctoral studies and research, as well as Latvia’s participation in the International Astronomical Union. The meeting took place in a frendly atmosphere, giving confidence in the successful continuation of cooperation between UL and VUAS.

Ventspils University of Applied Sciences launches project to modernize study environment

By Rota Rulle • September 9, 2025
On September 1 of this year, Ventspils University of Applied Sciences launched a new European Union (EU) co-funded project “Modernization of the Study Environment of Ventspils University of Applied Sciences”, No. 4.2.1.8/2/25/I/007. The project implementation period is 24 months, until August 31, 2027. The project aims to ensure the modernization of the study environment of Ventspils University of Applied Sciences, which includes the improvement and development of the infrastructure of the bachelor's study program "Computer Science" and the professional bachelor's study program "Electronics Engineering". To ensure high-quality and competitive education, targeted measures will be implemented within the project framework, focusing on the technological modernization of study spaces, enhancing the material and technical base, and introducing information and communication technologies (ICT). These engineering and IT programs are strategically important for the sustainable economic growth of the Ventspils region and the entire country of Latvia, preparing highly qualified specialists to promote digital transformation and technological development. During the project, the infrastructure of laboratories and classrooms will be enhanced to ensure that study rooms are equipped with the latest technologies and meet the standards of modern higher education. The latest technologies and equipment will be purchased and introduced, significantly expanding students' opportunities to work with current industry tools and software, thereby preparing them to work with technologies widely used in the industry. In addition, it is planned to continue adapting the digital infrastructure to modern requirements, allowing for the implementation of the hybrid and distance learning process in accordance with current educational trends. The modernization carried out will significantly improve the quality of studies and compliance with labour market requirements, providing students with the opportunity to acquire practical skills and adapt to the growing requirements of the industry. This project will not only improve the study environment and promote the integration of innovations into the learning process, but will also contribute to the development of Ventspils University of Applied Sciences as a higher education and research center in Latvia and beyond, attracting students from the region and the country, as well as from abroad. The total cost of the project “Modernization of the study environment of Ventspils University of Applied Sciences”, No. 4.2.1.8/2/25/I/007, is 215,083.00 EUR, of which the planned amount of the European Regional Development Fund is 85% of the eligible expenses – 182,820.55 EUR, and the amount of state funding is 15% of the eligible costs – 32,262.45 EUR.
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