Guest professor at Liepaja University Petras Saulėnas, who is working in the ESF funding project “Perfection of the Academic Staff of Liepaja University in the Areas of Strategic Specialization – Natural Sciences, Mathematics and Information Technologies, Art, Social Sciences, Commerce and Law” (No 8.2.2.0/18/A/021), was participating in the International New Media Art Week festival (IWeek) UPDATE: Human. Nature with the workshop “Shaping of light” at LiepU MPLab.

The workshop was focusing on an experimental approach to the analysis of light with the main goal to revive the essence of image-making, which may even get rid of the use of any apparatus in order to shape light.

During the workshop, participants were encouraged to play with different means to shape light. Light is a primary source of all images, and the physics behind this phenomenon is part of the lesson plan. During the workshop, they had been traveling to a time where chemicals still haven’t been replaced by algorithms.

The guest lecturer  is an artist, specializing in the field of photography, a member of the Board of the Lithuanian Photographers’ Association and the Lithuanian Analog Photography Association, a graduate of MA degree in Media Art (Vilnius Academy of Arts). Saulėnas is the founder of one of the photography study programs in Lithuania, an associate professor, the founder and the curator of Bright & Showy gallery. His field of artistic research involves the analysis of photography phenomenon in the era of constant value shift, with an emphasis on the re-evaluation of contemporary art context.

Photos from the workshop made by MPLab

Last week Liepaja University hosted a guest lecturer and Chief Assistant of Information Technologies Radka Nacheva from Varna University of Economics, Bulgaria. Within the Erasmus+ teaching mobility, the lecturer was giving lectures to Bachelor and Master students of IT programme in Business process modelling about topics such as Importance of Mental Models in HCI, Object-Oriented Modelling with UML: Tools and Applications and Web Usability and Human Emotions.
Starting from 1st February of the academic year 2020, Radka Nacheva will be also working as a foreign lecturer in Liepaja University strategic specialization area – “Information Technologies and Computer Science” under the ESF funding project “Perfection of the Academic Staff of Liepaja University in the Areas of Strategic Specialization – Natural Sciences, Mathematics and Information Technologies, Art, Social Sciences, Commerce and Law” (No 8.2.2.0/18/A/021).
Therefore on 7th November Radka Nacheva had a meeting with the dean Anita Jansone, study programme director Dzintars Tomsons and administration of LiepU faculty of Engineering and Science, in which discussed the duties and activities for the implementation of the tasks that are planned in the project.

Welcome in Liepaja University!

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Photos from the meeting with LiepU Faculty of Science and Engineering

Foreign lecturers are working in various EU social fund projects in Liepaja University (LiepU) – for example, Vakaris Bernotas from Vilnius Academy of Arts and Remigijus Kinderis from Klaipeda State University of Applied Sciences (Lithuania), Rakesh Dubey from Rajasthan Technical University (India), Antonio Cicchella from Bologna University (Italy), John William Mc Neil from the US and Wu Shuyi from China. In the networking meeting also participated teaching staff and staff from Liepaja University, who are working with foreign lecturers everyday.

LiepU Chief specialist of Foreign Affairs Department Ērika Lauberga speaking to the lecturers, noted: “We want that it is not that you just come and leave, we want to give you a chance to talk to each another, to share an impression on study work and life in Liepaja. Possibly these discussions may lead to new ideas and new opportunities.”

Teachers from foreign universities had chosen to introduce themselves through presentation and their stories. They found out from where does the word Vakaris come from and what does it mean, in which countries Rakesh Dubey had worked, that John William McNeil had spent a long time in Eastern European countries, the University of Bologna, of which Antonio Chichello comes from, was founded in 1088 and it had a very old history, while the friends of Chinese lecturer Wu Shuyi, looking at her photos made in Liepaja, said she lives in Liepaja as in a fairy-tale.

Sintija Leigute, the International coordinator of Foreign Affairs, says: “Foreign lecturers at LiepU are working on the perfection of the study process, improving its quality, developing new study courses and study programmes. It is undeniable that students also gain international experience and practical knowledge. We’re glad that we can work together.”

Foreign lecturer activities in LiepU are assured in the frame of the European Social Fund project No. 8.2.2.0/18/I/003 “The perfection of academic staff of Liepaja University in the areas of strategic specialization – speech therapy, preschool education and primary education” and project No 8.2.2.0/18/A/021 “Perfection of the Academic Staff of Liepaja University in the Areas of Strategic Specialization – Natural Sciences, Mathematics and Information Technologies, Art, Social Sciences, Commerce and Law”.

Three guest professors from Klaipeda University in Lithuania – Olga Anne, professor in the faculty of Marine technology and Natural science, senior researcher in Environmental management, Economic activity’s environmental impact assessment and Green innovations, Tatjana Paulauskiene, associate professor in Engineering, researcher in Environmental and Chemical engineering,  deputy dean for studies in the faculty of Marine technology and Natural science, and Rasa Viederyte, senior specialist in the Business management department, lecturer and entrepreneur, working in the ESF project “Perfection of the Academic Staff of Liepaja University in the Areas of Strategic Specialization – Natural Sciences, Mathematics and Information Technologies, Art, Social Sciences, Commerce and Law” (No 8.2.2.0/18/A/021), within four months have already carried out a number of important teaching and research activities in the study direction of “Environmental Protection” at Liepaja University.

In close cooperation with LiepU director of the professional master study programme “Ecotechnologies” Lilita Ābele, the guest professors have developed content of new study courses for a joint international Master study programme “Ecotechnologies” in English, attracting and surveying environmental experts and specialists on their current suggestions and vision in the implementation of this study programme. The new study programme aims to improve its study courses, make them more international, contemporary and more interesting for students.

Taking into account that the guest professors are also engaged in scientific research, they have already participated in scientific conferences, namely from 6 June to 8 June in the 3rd International Multidisciplinary Conference “Innovations and Creativity” organized by Liepaja University in Liepaja, which also included a tour from Liepaja to Nida and Šventoji. The scientific articles have been applied for International Multidisciplinary Scientific Conference SGEM 2019, which will take place in Bulgaria from 28 June to 7 July. The scientific results obtained will be published in several collected articles of scientific conferences.

Currently the guest lecturers are working on the work plan of the next study year, as well as on the new study courses (“Industrial symbiosis and Clustering”, “Economic activity’s environmental impact assessment” and “Environmental Technology”), so that they could be given in autumn semester 2019/2020 to students of the present professional master study programme “Ecotechnologies” , but the developed joint international study programme could be opened after a year and a half.

Wishing them good luck!

In the framework of international science conference “Innovation and Creativity” in Liepaja University 1st year students of the Bachelor study programme “Design” had an opening of a self-portrait exhibition.

The guest lecturer Vakaris Bernotas from Vilnius Academy of Art, who is currently working within the project “Development of the academic staff of the University of Liepājas in areas of strategic specialisation – science, mathematics and information technologies, art, social sciences, commercial and rights” No 8.2.2.0/18/A/021, says: “Each student’s work is different and unique, and each student has gradually worked on his or her own self-portrait. Each of them have succeeded in making very good self-portraits and here are displayed the best ones.”

Students reflected very positively about the exhibition. As one of the students, Liga Ekshtein (Līga Ekšteina) says: “The idea of finding your story is exciting, the teacher gives you to look in yourself and understand, who we are in the art world. We are excited to see our works already in the 1st course. We have also learned technical skills of how to create an exhibition and for all that we are very grateful to the guest lecturer. “

Photos from the exhibition:

In the project “Perfection of the Academic Staff of Liepaja University in the Areas of Strategic Specialization – Natural Sciences, Mathematics and Information Technologies, Art, Social Sciences, Commerce and Law” (No 8.2.2.0/18/A/021), the professor Vakaris Bernotas from Vilnius Academy of Arts (Lithuania) is giving lectures in Liepaja University (LiepU) and already a half year working as a guest professor and researcher in Art study programmes “Design” and “New Media Art”.

The guest professor is giving lectures to 1st year students from LiepU study programme “Design” in the study course “Self-branding” and together with three students from this study programme (Una Kalniņa, Vjačeslavs Malahovs un Līga Ekšteina) participated in the panel discussion “Practice-led research: Data collection and visualization” in  LiepU conference Science and Creativity days, where the guest professor presented the report “Five basic principles of successful design studies”, whereas students presented their digital portfolio made during the study course. The guest professor V. Bernotas admitted that he is proud of their student results and skills to present their own works in the public.

During this semester students have made different assignments and there will follow an opening of student exhibition in the end of this academic year, where design students will present their created self-portraits and a composition of selected works, which in the professor’s view, fully reveal students’ talents.

The guest professor says: “I am grateful for the fate of being able to work and study together with talented, to the knowledge oriented students in Liepaja University. Application of five principals – cooperation, open mind by sharing your creativity, tolerance, positive attitude and staying truthful, bring great results and surprisingly efficient personal growth for each student.”

Photo from the study process:

Currently three guest lecturers from Klaipeda University, Lithuania, – Tatjana Paulauskiene, Olga Anne un Rasa Viederyte in the framework of the project “Perfection of the Academic Staff of Liepaja University in the Areas of Strategic Specialization – Natural Sciences, Mathematics and Information Technologies, Art, Social Sciences, Commerce and Law” (No 8.2.2.0/18/A/021) are working as academic staff in Liepaja University (LiepU) and intensively working on content of the study courses for a new joint international Master study programme “Ecotechnologies” (in English), involving specialists from environmental field.

It is planned that from September 2019 the guest lecturers will give new study courses – “Industrial symbiosis and Clustering”, “Economic activity’s environmental impact assessment” and “Environmental Technology” to students of LiepU Master study programme “Ecotechnologies”, but the new study programme could be open afterone and a half year.

It is foreseen that during the project each guest lecturer will participate in two international conferences with their scientific research on current problems in Environment  – “19th International Multidisciplinary Scientific Geo Conference SGEM 2019”, which will be held in Bulgaria (28th June – 7th July) and International Conference “Innovations and Creativity” (6th-8th June) in Liepaja, Latvia.

The guest lecturers will publish their scientific research results in several collected articles of scientific conferences.

The director of LiepU Master study programme Lilita Abele explains: “The guest lecturers with  education of Engineering is immeasurable support for improvement of this study programme. We have had fruitful discussions, diversity of opinions, though the result is reached – study courses of the programme are becoming more interesting and contemporary.”

During the spring semester, the guest professor Remigijus Kinderis from Klaipeda State University of Applied Sciences (Lithuania) has taught the subject “Tourism Management” for the 2nd year students of LiepU Bachelor study programme “Tourism and Recreation Management”.

R. Kinderis is very satisfied about the student work during this semester by saying: “The group of students was small, but they were highly motivated and creative. They had questions and were interested in professional future during each meeting. The time spent together has been beneficial for everyone: experience different learning and teaching practices, knowledge of cultural differences, foreign language skills and other.”
The guest professor will be teaching the next academic semester 2019/2020 and also doing the research work in LiepU.

LiepU is thanking to the guest professor for teaching work with LiepU till now and sharing the positive experiences! We wish him good luck for the next study semester with our students.

n total, there are 6 different guest lecturers from Lithuania, who are teaching at LiepU in different fields of strategic speacialization.
The activities of the guest professor are supported by the European Social Fund project “Perfection of the Academic Staff of Liepaja University in the Areas of Strategic Specialization – Natural Sciences, Mathematics and Information Technologies, Art, Social Sciences, Commerce and Law” (No 8.2.2.0/18/A/021).

On Thursday, 21st March, the guest lecturers and doctoral students of the project “Perfection of the Academic Staff of Liepaja University in the Areas of Strategic Specialization – Natural Sciences, Mathematics and Information Technologies, Art, Social Sciences, Commerce and Law” (project No 8.2.2.0/18/A/021) participated in the panel discussion “Practice-led research: Data collection and visualization”.

Art field lecturer, photographer Mg. art. Petras Saulenas presented the gallery “Bright&Showy” as a positive example on how to approximate artists from different generations. During 3 years world-widely recognized foreign and Lithuanian contemporary art photographers have visited the produced gallery managed by P. Saulenas and they introduced students with their art practice and strategies of making an exhibition. To document this imperceptible process, the made photo series of P. Saulenas, in which every exhibition and work process is memorialized, allows to look back on this experience. The documentation of this process has become a traditional first exhibition in the beginning of each season. At present the exhibition “Bright&Showy” can be seen at the lobby of LiepU building, 2nd floor (Lielā street 14).

The Design lecturer Mg. art. Vakaris Bernotas presented his principles of work action with students from the Bachelor study programme “Design”, accenting the openness towards yourself and others, authenticity, positive attitude and skills to express a constructive criticism. After introduction with lecturer’s own work practice, three students of V. Bernotas from the Bachelor study programme “Design” – Vjacheslav Malahov (Vjačeslavs Malahovs), Una Kalnina (Una Kalniņa), Liga Ekshtein (Līga Ekšteina) – presented their portfolio,which was made in cooperation with the guest lecturer.

The doctoral student of practice-led art research Mg. art. Maija Demitere introduced with one of the aspects of her promotion thesis “Data visualizations as Stand-alone Art Projects”. M. Demitere in her research analyses how to reach a maximum self-sustainability in such life areas as food and decreasing the quantity of everyday waste. The art practice of M. Demitere is prototypes and making installations that everyone can include in their everyday life, in order to make their everyday more sustainable.

Mg. oec. Uldis Zupa presented his research in the framework of his Phd studies, especially paying attitude to the importance of in-depth interviews, investigating the position of society. U. Zupa introduced the audience with how to correctly make these kind of interviews and shared his experience on which aspects are especially important for the development of a successful research – compliance of respondents to the research, qualitative data collection and analysis. In his research U. Zupa described the perception of Liepaja inhabitants about country’s safety and safety issues. Mg. sc. ing. Linda Alksne introduced listeners with her study topic of Phd thesis “Optimization of e-training, using the principles of entropy”. By analyzing the Latvian language, its predictability and perceptibility, is possible to predict, what would be the most successful video format of e-training. L.Alksne is investigating the Latvian language from the standpoint of the language code.

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From 1st March three guest lecturers from Lithuania has started to work in Liepaja University (LiepU) – Tatjana Paulauskiene, Olga Anne and Rasa Viederyte from Klaipeda University. The guest lecturers will be giving lectures to LiepU master students in the strategic specialization area – Natural sciences, in the study programme “Ecotechnologies” and will carry out the scientific research.

Their stay is assured under the activities of the project “Perfection of the Academic Staff of Liepaja University in the Areas of Strategic Specialization – Natural Sciences, Mathematics and Information Technologies, Art, Social Sciences, Commerce and Law” (No 8.2.2.0/18/A/021).

Yesterday the guest lecturers were meeting the director of LiepU professional Master study programme “Ecotechnologies” Lilita Abele, Head of the project Irina Strazdina and Coordinator of Foreign Affairs of the project Sintija Leigute to rediscuss the process of the project activities. 

Currently the guest lecturers together with Lilita Abele are developing the study courses “Industrial symbiosis and Clustering” (3 ECTS), “Economic activity’s environmental impact assessment” (3 ECTS) and “Environmental Technology” (3 ECTS), in order to make a common international study programme “Ecotechnologies” and so that the guest lecturers starting from September could give lectures in these new study courses to LiepU master students in “Ecotechnologies”.

The guest lecturers will do the research, as well will participate in conferences and publish scientific publications.

Tatjana Paulauskiene – associate professor in Engineering at Klaipeda University,  researcher in Environmental and Chemical engineering,  deputy dean for studies in the faculty of Marine technology and Natural science, knowledge and technology transfer specialist, innovative business development consultant, obtained a doctoral degree in Environmental engineering.

Olga Anne – professor in the faculty of Marine technology and Natural science of Klaipeda University, senior researcher in environmental management, economic activity’s environmental impact assessment, green innovation, has been an engineer and head of department of Air Emissions, obtained a doctoral degree in Technical sciences.

Rasa Viederyte – senior specialist in the Business management department of Klaipeda University, lecturer, owner and manager of an enterprise “Jurinis klasteris”, has obtained a doctoral degree in Economics.