On 25 February 2025 at 14:00, the Change (k)now! project will host an online thematic seminar "Reusable Solutions for Large-Scale Events" (in English). Nina Laible, Sustainability Officer at bergmanngruppe (Germany) will share lessons learned from the UEFA EURO Fan Zone, including the strategies used to promote reusable solutions, the design and operation of the comprehensive reusable system, and the challenges faced during implementation.

More information and the registration link is available here.

 

On February 12, the first “Business Laboratory 2025” class took place, organized by Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences (ViA) in cooperation with the municipalities of Limbaži, Smiltene and Cēsis, as part of the international project “Accelerate Future HEI”. The class brought together almost 40 participants, who were selected from more than 70 applicants.

The “Business Laboratory” or B-Lab training cycle consists of 6 practical and educational classes with the aim of developing entrepreneurial skills and new business ideas with students and aspiring entrepreneurs or anyone who has their own business idea and wants to develop this idea, as well as establish cooperation with like-minded people.

In her opening speech, ViA graduate, Deputy Chairperson of the Cēsis County Council Inese Suija-Markova expressed her gratitude to ViA for providing such an opportunity to young entrepreneurs in Cēsis County: “B-Lab is an opportunity to develop entrepreneurial skills, refine business ideas and receive support from experienced mentors. This year, Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences continues to organize this valuable program, inviting both ViA students, as well as new entrepreneurs and business idea authors from our region to participate.”

In the first class, participants gained insight into starting a business together with Agita Šmitiņa, organizers of the "Business Laboratory" and director of ViA's Business Management studies, and also got to know each other, while Elīna Bušmane, design thinking expert and facilitator, co-founder of the design company Design Elevator and publisher Kano Editions, provided an introduction to entrepreneurship and design thinking.

The classes will take place every other Wednesday evening from 18:00 to 21:00. The training includes four face-to-face meetings and two remote classes, as well as a closing event at Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences.

B-Lab is attended by young entrepreneurs and business idea authors from Cēsis, Limbaži and Smiltene municipalities, as well as ViA students.

The training will include lectures, seminars, discussions, practical work, inspirational stories, mentor consultations, as well as several networking events with experts and lecturers from Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences on various topics. topics such as design thinking, business startup pitching, financial planning, business model canvas development, digital marketing and more.

Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences as partner of the Institute of Latvian History of the Faculty of Humanities of the University of Latvia will offers international summer school“Latvian Parliamentarism 105: Aspects of History, Culture and Media Literacy”. The summer school will take place from June 25 to July 4, 2025 in Riga and Valmiera.

In 2025, it will be 105 years since the first democratically elected parliament in the territory of Latvia - the Constitutional Assembly of Latvia convened for its first session on 1 May. The summer school will be organized to emphasize Latvia's difficult path to becoming an independent democratic state, strengthening itself in the European political and cultural space. The organisers of the school propose to consider Latvia’s path to a democratic state from the perspective of history, culture and media literacy:

a) Development of the idea of parliamentarism;

b) Parliamentarism and issues of national self-identification;

c) Subjects of parliamentarism from the Middle Ages to the present day;

d) Manifestations of parliamentarism in art and culture;

e) Intercultural communication and media literacy;

f) History, social media and media literacy;

g) Media literacy and educational innovations.

The opportunity to apply for and receive a Latvian state scholarship is open to foreign master's and doctoral students, as well as academic staff. The amount of the scholarship is 1000 EUR, it is intended to cover the costs of participating in the summer school (accommodation, meals, provision of study materials and cultural events). Travel expenses, including visa fees, are covered by the participant from his/her own funds.

The call for applications is open on 1 February 2025, the deadline is 1 April 2025.To apply for participation in the summer school and receive a scholarship, you must send an application, Curriculum Vitae and a letter of motivation to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

List of countries whose students and academic staff can apply for a scholarship:

1. Azerbaijan

2. Belgium (FederationWallonia - Brussels)

3. Bulgaria

4. Croatia

5. Cyprus

6. Egypt

7. Finland

8. France

9. Georgia

10. Israel

11. Italy

12. Kazakhstan

13. Kyrgyzstan

14. Mexico

15. Moldova

16. Mongolia

17. Peru

18. Poland

19. South Korea

20. Spain

21. Tajikistan

22. The People`s Republic of China

23. Turkey

24. Turkmenistan

25. Ukraine

26. Uzbekistan

27. Vietnam

28. Lithuania

29. Austria

30. Czech Republic

31. Estonia

32. Germany

33. Hungary

34. Iceland

35. Indonesia

36. Japan

37. Slovakia

38. Switzerland

39. The United States of America

40. Namibia;

41. Senegal;

42. Ethiopia;

43. Guinea-Bissau;

44. Fiji

45. Kenya

46. Liberi

On March 5, the Human Resources International workshop "From Scholars to Leaders: Strengthening Leadership and HR Management Skills in Academia" will take place at Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences in Valmiera (Latvia), as part of the Ent-r-e-novators project General Assembly.

The Human Resources International Workshop Plan:

14:00-15:15 – Panel discussion: "From Scholars to Leaders: Strengthening Leadership and HR Management Skills in Academia"

Speakers:

• Darja Aksjonova – Senior Expert, Latvian Science Council
• Giuliana Sabbatini – Head of Service and Competence Center for Higher Education Development and Quality Management, St.Pölten University of Applied Sciences
• Brigita Kukjalko – Senior Expert at the Ministry of Education and Science

15:30-16:30 – Parallel group discussions on academic careers and professional development

16:45-17:30 – Group presentation and summary

“To achieve excellence in science and academia, we need not only outstanding researchers and academic professionals but also inspiring academic leaders,” says Dr.psych., Mg.math. Vineta Silkāne, Associate Professor, HESPI Leading Researcher and project Ent-r-e-novators leader of Human Resources and R&I ecosystems work package.

V.Silkāne emphasizes that these leaders are crucial in guiding and supporting the next generation, fostering their growth, and helping them navigate their academic careers.

Key Features of the Event:

• Experts and researchers discussion on academic leadership and academic career development
• International collaboration
• Networking opportunities

📅 Date: March 5, 2025

📍 Venue: Cēsu street 4, C229, Vidzeme University of Applied Science, Valmiera (Latvia)

💻 Format: In person

Regitration

We encourage all stakeholders in the research and educational communities to join us for this enlightening workshop. Whether you are a researcher, educator or young researchers (PhD students), your participation will contribute to the broader discourse on human resources.

We look forward to welcoming you to an engaging and informative event that aims to shape the future of open science and education in Europe.