From 5 - 8 April 2022, members from all E³UDRES² institutions had the chance to visit E³UDRES² partner Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences during their annual International Week. After the first personal meeting of the E³UDRES² partners in Autumn 2021 at St. Pölten University of Applied Sciences, the excitement to meet in person again was beyond compare. The 4-day programme kicked off in Latvia's capital city Riga, where all partners from Austria, Portugal, Hungary, Belgium, Romania and of course Latvia met at the Latvian National Library and had the chance to network in person.
The highlight of this day was a guided tour through the impressive 13-story tall library building, which opened to the public in 2014. Following the tour, the team gathered in the building's bright 11th floor to learn more about Latvia's history through project member Gatis Krūmiņš, who impressed with his historical knowledge. The day ended with some more time for personal exchange, enjoying the view over Riga and eventually the joint trip to the city of Valmiera, where Vidzeme UAS is located.
Reviewing achievements & discussing the next steps
The second day of the visit was all about meetings: While the E³UDRES² Research Networks, the E³UDRES² Board of Coordinators and the E³UDRES² Board of Student Representatives met in the morning to discuss and review past E³UDRES² achievements and the way to go on, the afternoon offered the possibility to get together in the E³UDRES² Work Packages and plan further steps.
The programme thoughtfully prepared by Vidzeme UAS also offered time to get acquainted with Latvian culture during a workshop that introduced the group to the basics of latvian language and traditions. One of the culturally most ineresting visits were trips to Lielstraupe castle with its fascinating history and its beautiful park, and Ungurmuiža Manor, which was built in the 18th century already. During this afternoon, also the kick-off to the EINS Open-Innovation Hub “Smart and Sustainable Cities, Regions and Villages” took place, as well as the third E³UDRES² Future Casting Workshop.
Vidzeme UAS' conference titled "Society. Technology. Solutions." marked the last day of the visit on Friday with a keynote speech by E³UDRES² project lead Hannes Raffaseder, and a panel discussion featuring further high-ranking E³UDRES² members like Iveta Putnina, Michal Karpisek and Marc Vandewalle.
Links
➞ Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences
