The Baltic International Summer School (BISS)

Already 12 Years

The Baltic International Summer School (BISS) has been a traditional two-week summer programme at Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences since 1999. Besides lectures and workshops on the summer school topic, students also have an opportunity to learn the Latvian language, explore and discover the Baltic states and also make new friends from all over the world. The program also features a number of exciting field trips and social events. For many participants the summer school experience has grown into a profound interest in the Baltic States and Latvia.

During the first seven years, BISS focused on introducing foreign students with issues concerning the Baltics - economics, history, culture, politics, languages and other aspects, thus serving as an ambassador for our country and informing the foreigners about the Baltic States. 

In 2006 the summer school for the first time became more specialised on specific themes, and hot business issues were explored like Triple Helix Model in Modern Business Education Development, thus Latvian students had a possibility to participate as well. From 2007 to 2009, summer school focused on various issues of communication - new media, communication technologies and intercultural communication. In 2010 summer programme aims at combining
two disciplines to offer interdisciplinary approach in studying. 

Summer School 2010 - Erasmus IP

The main topic of the summer school of 2010 - Erasmus intensive programme „Environment Awareness. Communication. Interpretation" (August 4 - 18, 2010) is sustainable relationship between nature and people, tools and options, experiences and challenges in this relationship. The main focus is on management and communication systems in protected natural, cultural etc. areas with public usage. The main goal is to discover opportunities of sustainability through environmental communication and management.The involved partnerinstitutions are from Finland, The Netherlands, Turkey and Latvia.