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VIRAC researchers attend conference in Japan and visit Japanese Observatories

April 5, 2023

From 18 March to 1 April 2023, Ivars Šmelds, Senior Researcher of VIRAC, and Artis Aberfelds, Researcher of VIRAC, were on a mission to Japan to participate in the International Astronomical Union (IAUS) 380. "Cosmic Masers: Proper Motion toward the Next-Generation Large Projects" and to visit several Japanese radio astronomy observatories.


As previously reported, such thematic conferences on cosmic masers, bringing together the world's leading cosmic maser researchers, are held at intervals of about five years, with the previous thematic conference in this field taking place in Sardinia in 2017. These conferences report on current research results, discuss visions for the future of the field, and establish and develop collaborative links between individual researchers and the research institutes that represent them through personal contacts.


This year's conference took place in Kagoshima, southern Japan, from 20 to 24 March, and was organised by Kagoshima University in collaboration with the Astronomical Society of Japan and the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan. The list of participants includes 178 scientists from all over the world, and around 80 scientific papers were presented, not including poster presentations (a poster on an A0-size sheet) brought to the symposium by almost every participant who did not give an oral presentation. The conference programme was divided into sections, each section devoted to a different topic, some of which concerned the research on space knots themselves, and others on the

research areas to which they make an important contribution. This time, the topics were:

1.      Cosmic Distance Scale and the Hubble Constant,

2.      Black Hole Masses and the M-sigma Relation,

3.      Structure of the Milky Way,

4.      Dynamics of Formation of Massive Stars,

5.      Pulsation and Outflows in Evolved Stars,

6.      Theory of Masers and Maser Sources,

7.      New Projects and Future Telescopes.


VIRAC scientists, Artis Aberfeld and Ivars Šmelds, presented two posters at the symposium: "Possibly New OH Excited Rotatonal State Masers" and "New insights of 6.7 GHz methanol maser variability in IRAS 20126+4104".


More information about the conference is available here: https://iaus-maser2023.jp/.


The mission also included a visit to the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan to agree on a collaboration using a single baseline interferometer. This technique is expected to be used for the scientific results of two projects carried out at the VIRAC, and an agreement was reached to use the expertise of Japanese colleagues to verify and improve the results of observations carried out with the radio telescopes of the VIRAC.


In addition to the above, Ivars Šmelds and Artis Aberfelds also visited the Ibaraki University Observatory with two 32 m radio telescopes (one of them see Fig.3). Reports on the methanol observing programmes were exchanged and closer cooperation was agreed between the methanol monitoring organisations of which the scientists of the two observatories are members. Insights were also gained into the challenges of publishing an archive of observations of cosmic knots.


The above mentioned activities took place within the framework of the project " Support for Preparation of Ventspils University of Applied Sciences International Cooperation Projects in Research and Innovations (ATVASE) ", Nr. 1.1.1.5/18/I/009 and will be financed from the project funds.

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VUAS and VIRAC representatives will participate in the largest physics festival in the Baltics

By Rota Rulle • April 3, 2025
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VIDEO –Ventspils International Combat Robotics Hackathon and Ventspils Robotics Championship

By Rota Rulle • March 31, 2025
From March 21 to March 23, Ventspils University was the venue for the European University Alliance Colours hackathon "Combat Robotics" and the Ventspils Robotics Championship – one of the stages of the Latvian Championship. The event brought together technology and robotics enthusiasts from Latvia, Lithuania, Spain, Croatia and Egypt.

The Kurzeme Business Forum on the impact of artificial Intelligence on Education and Business will be held in Ventspils

By Rota Rulle • March 31, 2025
On Wednesday, May 28, everyone is invited to the Kurzeme Business Forum “Artificial Intelligence – The 4th Industrial Revolution”, which will take place at the Latvija concert hall. The forum will bring together entrepreneurs, municipal representatives, university staff and students, as well as technology experts to discuss the significance of education and the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on business. The first part of the forum will focus on the role of higher education in the AI era. The development of Ventspils University of Applied Sciences will be examined in this context, addressing key questions: How will the education system adapt to new requirements? Which professions will remain relevant, and which will change? The discussion will also explore the synergy between AI and cybersecurity in academic studies. The second part of the forum will address the question—do businesses need AI? The legal framework and state support mechanisms for such innovations will be introduced. Entrepreneurs will share their experiences, and participants will gain insights into common myths and the real situation regarding AI in Latvia’s economy. The discussion will conclude with an exploration of the opportunities for port development in the AI era. Participants will have the chance to engage in valuable discussions and networking sessions. Although the forum will be held in Latvian, the company SIA Tilde will provide real-time translation into any language using AI technology. Register for the forum now: https://www.kurzemesbiznesaforums.lv/ The forum is organized by Ventspils University of Applied Sciences within the European University Alliance COLOURS, in collaboration with the Ventspils State City Municipality, the Freeport of Ventspils Authority, and the Green and Smart Technology Cluster.

VUAS Hosted First COLOURS Hackathon « Combat Robotics »

By Rota Rulle • March 24, 2025
From March 21 to March 23, Ventspils University was the venue for the European University Alliance Colours hackathon "Combat Robotics" and the Ventspils Robotics Championship – one of the stages of the Latvian Championship. The event brought together technology and robotics enthusiasts from Latvia, Lithuania, Spain, Croatia and Egypt. On Friday, March 21, 13 teams from various regions of Latvia, as well as partner universities in Croatia and Spain, began a three-day hackathon. During the event, teams were tasked with designing and building a combat robot to compete in a specially designed arena. After several intense battles, the grand prize of €1,500 was claimed by a team from Riga, Latvia with their combat robot "The Shredinator." Second place went to VUAS students with their robot "Bob," earning a €600 cash prize. Meanwhile, third place and a €400 prize were awarded to a team from Latgale with their robot "Zeimuļs vs PRK." The Ventspils City Special Award went to the team "Labākais tiiims ever" for their exceptionally creative combat robot design. Hackathon winner Patriks Ezerins shares: “I think this is a really cool way for people to come together – engineers, future engineers, and robotics enthusiasts – to build something amazing within a set time limit and then battle it out for victory. It’s a unique opportunity! I definitely recommend giving it a try, especially with the kits we provide. Even someone with zero coding knowledge can come, take a basic chassis (which is a pre-assigned part), print it, install the motors and controller, and start driving. That’s it – you’re ready to fight! I encourage everyone to participate, because the more participants we have in the future, the more hackathons like this will continue!” On Saturday, robotics and technology enthusiasts from Latvia, Lithuania and Croatia gathered at VUAS to participate in the Ventspils Robotics Championship. Throughout the championship, more than 50 robots competed in nine different disciplines, like Folkrace, Antweight, Mini Sumo, Line following and iRobot Sumo, and showcasing the participants' outstanding skills and innovative solutions. Team from Croatia placed 2 nd in Mini Sumo PRO category. The Ventspils City Special Award in the Robotics Championship was not given to an individual but to a team from Sigulda in recognition of their enthusiasm and extensive participation, demonstrating their contribution to the development of robotics. Photos: Day 1: https://zviedrans.lv/galleries/ventspils-starptautiskais-cinas-robotu-hakatons-1-diena-21-03-2025/ Day 2: https://zviedrans.lv/galleries/ventspils-starptautiskais-cinas-robotu-hakatons-2-diena-22-03-2025/ Day 3: https://zviedrans.lv/galleries/ventspils-starptautiskais-cinas-robotu-hakatons-3-diena-23-03-2025/

VUAS Launches COLOURS Student Entrepreneurship Center

By Rota Rulle • March 6, 2025
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.

Students are welcomed to participate in International Combat Robotics Hackathon

By Rota Rulle • March 5, 2025
As part of the European University Alliance “COLOURS”, the students of the Alliance universities are offered a great opportunity to participate in a rapid and collaborative engineering hackathon – the International Ventspils Combat Robotics Hackathon “Combat Robotics”, March 21- 23, 2025 . If any international hackathon participants wish, there is a unique opportunity to participate in an additional activity – the Latvian Robotics Championship 2025, which will also take place in Ventspils, on March 22. , welcoming robotics enthusiasts and curious spectators. Students can participate in this championship with existing robots that they bring with them. Dream it! Make it! Test it! Share it! Problem/ challenge to be solved in the hackathon: Make a robot for the relevant section that proves to be the best combo of performance, innovation, design and technical solutions during the hackathon. Background to the Hackathon problem/ challenge: The CoLab event “Higher education and workforce in the Region” a very topical trend emerged from the business community and stakeholders who participated in the event – that regions need not just engineers, but engineers with creativity and initiative. Research and Development departments need innovative ideas and technological solutions to make the production process more efficient and innovative through the use of robotic technologies. Hackathon Objective: to allow students to apply the theoretical knowledge acquired in their studies in practical projects, to promote engineering and robotics technology development, and to encourage student collaboration within the COLOURS Alliance. Skills which will be improved: design and critical thinking, prototyping, testing, problem-solving, engineering skills, team management and communication skills. The theme of the hackathon matches the area of regional specialization: Advanced industries, manufacturing and smart technologies, electro-mechanical industry, mechatronics and automotive, and Industry 4.0. Over three exciting days, teams will: Develop their combat robots; Present their robots to a jury; Compete in a specially designed arena with eligible robots. Based on the “COLOURS” agreement, the prize fund for the Hackathon is up to 2500 EUR. It’s possible to receive valuable prizes from event sponsors. Registration for the hackathon: Open until March 18, 2025 , by filling out the application form: https://forms.gle/kDraaQ157YyMdA619 The construction will take place on-site with the given materials. To successfully implement the project, you must definitely have some basic technical skills, i.e., electrical connections will be given, you must know simple soldering, the design and implementation of the case requires the ability to draw 2D or 3D simple objects for printing, laser cutting. We will try to help within our abilities, but that is why there are 3-4 people in the team (preferably with different skills) in order to successfully implement the intended project, design.
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