From February 1 this year, the group of guest lecturers of Liepaja University has expanded, as a new lecturer from Vilnius Academy of Arts (Lithuania), Vakaris Bernotas, has joined the project, and will be working with students from “Design” and “New Media Art” bachelor study programs.
V. Bernota’s activities at Liepaja University will be financed from the project “Improvement of the academic staff of Liepaja University in the fields of strategic specialization – natural sciences, mathematics and information technologies, art, social sciences, business and law” (No. 8.2.2.0/18/A/021).
Currently, the guest lecturer works as a director at the Klaipeda Design Center and a professor at the Vilnius Academy of Arts.
Professor V. Bernota already met with the 1st year students of the bachelor’s study program “Design” in the autumn when he read the course “Self-marketing”. Even then, he admitted that he was excited about the students of this program:
A very talented and open-minded group of students. In a short time we have achieved excellent results, following a few simple principles: to collaborate, to learn from each other’s mistakes, to share and discuss creative ideas, to be tolerant, to listen and help each other, and to approach work with joy and smile.
The professor admits that this semester students will get acquainted with a more difficult study course “Self-brand”. The first task that the students coped with very well was to create a theatrical introduction about themselves as designers, but this will be visualized in the next lecture. The professor admits he cant wait to see what students will create:
It is not easy to get to know yourself, but it is a very good path, which is worth the effort and very important for every designer.
Within the project it is planned that V. Bernotas will develop and teach new study courses “Design, Design Methods and Visualization” in the study program “New Media Art”, “Art and Design History and Theory”, “Visual Design” and “Contemporary Design Theory” in the study program “Design”, as well as do research in the field of strategic specialization “Art”.
In total, two guest lecturers from Lithuania will be employed in the field of art at the Liepaja University within the framework of this project.
From 1st February, 2019, LiepU academic staff is being continiously expanded, especially in Art field, since a new guest professor Vakaris Bernotas from Vilnius Academy of Arts (Lithuania) has arrived to work in Liepaja University as a foreign staff. The guest professor will give lectures in LiepU study programmes “Design” and “New Media Art”.
His 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).
The guest professsor currently works as an Art director in Klaipeda Design Centre and as a professor at Vilnius Academy of Arts.
This week the guest professor has given lectures to 1st year students from the Bachelor study programme “Design” admitting that “this semester we will be going step by step towards a more complicated study course “Self branding”. The first exercise this year was a theatricalized introduction of each designer, which the whole course successfully realized. At the next lecture we will be continuing to visualize these introductions and I can honestly say that I am sincerely looking forward to that”. The professor’s point is: “Getting to know yourself is not easy, but it is a really important journey worth your effort, which is also extremely important to every designer.”
Prof. Vakaris Bernotas had also met these students last year in Autumn, when he had given a short course on “Self-marketing” and already then he was extremely pleased with all these students. He says that “from my perspective this is a really talented and open-minded course. Throughout a quiet of a short time we reached results which were simply excellent by obeying to only a few basic and simple academic level principals: cooperation and learning all together from each other’s mistakes, always sharing our creations by discussing our work with the whole auditory, showing toleration to each other and to openly taking up any ideas. Not critique, but a wish to help and the dedication to listen. The last principal was to do everything with happiness, fully armed with big bright smiles and only good vibes”.
During the project the guest professor will develop new study course “Design, design methods and visualization” (2 ECTS) of the study programme “New Media Art” and the study courses “Art and design history and theory” (2 ECTS), “Visual design” (1 ECTS) and “Contemporary design theories” (1 ECTS) of the study programme “Design”, as well as carry out the research.
In total there are 2 guest professors from Lithuania, who will be working as foreign guest professsors in LiepU Art field under this project.
Guest lecturer Remigijus Kinderis from Klaipeda State University of Applied Sciences has started working at Liepaja University from November 1, 2018, giving lectures in the bachelor’s study program “Tourism and Recreation Management” within the framework of the project “Improvement of Liepaja University academic staff in strategic specialties – natural sciences , Mathematics and Information Technology, Arts, Social Sciences, Business and Law ”Nr. 8.2.2.0/18/A/021.
The aim of the project is to promote the involvement of foreign lecturers in academic work and scientific research in the fields of strategic specialization in order to ensure high-quality, internationally competitive and research-based higher education and improve cooperation with industry by promoting knowledge commercialization.
Dr. Remigijus Kinderis is a lecturer and deputy director of strategic development at Klaipeda State University of Applied Sciences, as well as a deputy quality expert in higher and vocational education in Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and a business consultant. The guest lecturer has a doctorate in social sciences and management from Kaunas University of Technology.
The guest lecturer today finished giving lecture courses to the 1st year students of the Liepaja University bachelor study program “Tourism and Recreation Management” in the study module “International Tourism and Globalization” and “Basics of Tourism”, but already in the spring the guest lecturer will continue to give lectures “Tourism Management”. It should be mentioned that successful cooperation with the lecturer has also taken place before, when lectures were given at the Liepaja University Faculty of Management and Social Sciences.
It is expected that by June 2020, Liepaja University will have 7 guest lecturers from Lithuania and Bulgaria, who will give lectures and engage in scientific research in these strategic areas of specialization.
From February 1, 2019, the second guest lecturer from Lithuania Petras Saulėnas will start working at LiepU. The guest lecturer will give lectures in the field of Arts to 1st and 3rd year students in the bachelor study programs “New Media Art” and “Design” in the framework of the project “Improvement of the academic staff of Liepaja University in the fields of strategic specialization – natural sciences, mathematics and information technologies, art” (No. 8.2.2.0/18/A/021).
On January 14, Petras Saulėnas paid a preparatory visit to LiepU and met with lecturers of the Faculty of Humanities and Arts, director of the bachelor’s program “Design”, lecturer Inta Klasone, lecturer of the program “New Media Art”, project manager Maija Demitere, as well as the Foreign Relations Department. During the meeting, both parties discussed and agreed on the future study work plan at LiepU, as the cooperation will last a year and a half. The visit continued to the Art Research Laboratory.
The guest lecturer will lead classes in the bachelor’s program “New Media Art” in the study course “Photography” (2 CRP), in the bachelor’s program “Design” in the study courses “Photo Technologies” (2 CRP) and “Bachelor’s study work and final work management” (1 CRP).
The Faculty of Humanities and Arts has been actively cooperating with Saulenas, when exhibitions of Kaunas students’ works of art were opened at LiepU, and it is a real pleasure that students will have the opportunity to acquire new, unprecedented knowledge and skills in photography. The guest lecturer worked as an associate professor and head of the Photography Department at the Faculty of Arts of Kaunas University of Applied Sciences Justinas Vienožinskis (founder of the “Photography” program at his university) and has a master’s degree in Photography and Media Art from the Vilnius Academy of Arts. The guest teacher is currently creating his own photo solo exhibitions.
Starting from 1st February 2019 Petras Saulėnas from Kaunas will be the second guest professor from Lithuania, who will start to work in Liepaja University (LiepU). The guest professor will give lectures in Art to 1st and 3nd year students of the Bachelor study programme “New Media Art” and “Design” in the frame 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 professor arrived on a work preparation visit and met lecturers and colleagues from LiepU Faculty of Humanities and Art – the lecturer and director of the Bachelor study programme “Design” Inta Klasone and lecturer of the Bachelor study programme “New Media Art”, project manager of LiepU Art Research Laboratory (MPLab) Maija Demitere, as well as LiepU International Office, in order to discuss and agree on further study work plan in Liepaja University, as the lecturer will be giving lectures for one year and a half. The guest professor visited also MPLab.
The guest lecturer will be conducting lectures in the study course “Photography” (in the amount of 2 ECTS) in “New Media Art” and in study courses “Photo technologies” (in the amount of 2 ECTS) and “Supervision of the study work/Bachelor work” (in the amount of 1 ECTS) in “Design” programme.
The Faculty of Humanities and Art is actively cooperating with Petras Saulėnas already before, when art programme students from Kauno Kolegija/University of Applied Sciences displayed art exhibitions in LiepU, therefore Liepaja University is happy that our students will have a chance to obtain new and unprecedented knowledge and skills in photography art. The guest lecturer was working as an associate professor and head of department of Photography at Justinas Vienožinskis faculty of arts in Kauno Kolegija/University of Applied Sciences (founder of “Photograpy” study programme) and has obtained the Master degree in Photography and Media Art at Vilnius Art Academy. Now he makes his own personal exhibitions.
On 19th December 2018 Central Finance and Contracting Agency of the Republic of Latvia and Liepaja University signed the Agreement on the implementation of 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).
The aim of the project is to perfect and strengthen the professional competence of Liepaja University academic staff, to promote the renewal and involvement of doctoral students and foreign academic staff in academic work and scientific research in the areas of strategic specialization – natural sciences, mathematics and information technologies, art, social sciences, commerce and law, in order to ensure qualitative, internationally competitive and research based higher education improving the cooperation with entrepreneurs of the industry, promoting commercialization of knowledge.
Within the project’s framework the following tasks are set for reaching the objective of the project:
To ensure the involvement and employment of senior-year doctoral students as lecturers in LiepU;
To provide the doctoral students, who received the support, with the possibility to be elected in academic posts after obtaining the doctoral degree and thus continue employment relations with LiepU;
To provide foreign lecturers with work at LiepU as academic staff or foreign guest lecturers for at least 12 months, as well as to provide the foreign lecturers who have received the support, with opportunity to continue their academic work at LiepU as academic staff or foreign guest lecturers within 6 months after the end of the support;
To improve the professional qualification of LiepU academic staff in cooperation with the entrepreneurs in Latvia;
To improve the English language skills of the academic staff;
To provide specialized training, which develops the academic staff’s leadership skills and the cooperation competence with the industry;
To ensure the informing of cooperation partners and the public about the activities performed during the implementation of the LiepU project.
The tasks and the following activities of the project areplanned in four study directions:
1. “Information Technology, Computer Technology, Electronics, Telecommunications, Computer Control and Computer Science” (implemented by the Faculty of Natural and Engineering Sciences),
2. “Arts” (implemented by the Faculty of Humanities and Arts),
3. “Entrepreneurship, Administration and Real Estate Management” (implemented by Faculty of Management and Social Sciences),
4. “Environmental Protection” (implemented by the Faculty of Natural and Engineering Sciences).
The implementation of the project and the sustainability of the activities and results carried out within the framework of the project after the completion of the project will hold institutional sustainability and will impact the quality of the content of LiepU study programmes, ensuring the attraction of new specialists (doctoral students, elected new doctors of sciences) to academic work and research-based studies, ensuring the academic staff’s renewal and succession, increasing the competence level of the academic staff (ensuring the content of the studies related to the labour market, corresponding to the needs of society and development trends), as well as the strengthening of international contacts, raising the academic staff’ s level of professional English, intensifying the international academic cooperation at LiepU as a whole and in study directions “Information Technology, Computer Technology, Electronics, Telecommunications, Computer Control and Computer Science”, “Arts”, “Entrepreneurship, Administration and Real Estate Management”, “Environmental protection”.
The total cost of 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) is 591 642,96 EUR, 85% – 502 896,52 EUR of which comes from the European Social Fund and 15% – 88746,44 EUR from the state budget in:
study direction “Information Technologies, Computer Technology, Electronics, Telecommunications, Computer Control and Computer Science” – 91232,40 EUR;
study direction “Arts“ – 126206,96 EUR;
study direction “Entrepreneurship, Administration and Real Estate Management“ – 76341,60 EUR;
study direction “Environmental protection” – 135370,80 EUR.
The project implementation period is 48 months – from 1st November 2018 until 31st October 2022.
The guest professor Dr, Remigijus Kinderis from Klaipeda University of Applied Sciences has started to work in Liepaja University from 1st November 2018 and is giving lectures to students of LiepU Bachelor study programme “Tourism and recreation management” in the frame 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).
The project aims to promote the involvement and employment of foreign academic staff in academic work and scientific research in the areas of strategic specialization, in order to ensure qualitative, internationally competitive and research based higher education improving the cooperation with entrepreneurs of the industry, promoting commercialization of knowledge.
Dr. Remigijus Kinder is a lecturer and Director deputy for Strategic development of Klaipeda University of Applied Sciences, higher education and vocational education expert in Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, business consultant and volunteering work in scientific journals in Lithuania and abroad. The guest professor has obtained a doctor degree in management from Kaunas Technology University.
The guest professor finished to give lectures on the first course of the study module “International Tourism and Globalization” and Basics of Tourism (4 ECTS) to 1st year students of the Bachelor programme “Tourism and recreation management” and gave exam tests to students. The guest professor will come in spring to give his last lectures in the study course – Management of Tourism (3 ECTS). LiepU has got a successful cooperation with this guest professor also before, when Mr Kinderis has read lectures in the faculty of Management and Social Sciences. Therefore in this way the cooperation with a guest professor will be more strengthened.
Until June 2020, in total seven guest professors from Lithuania and Bulgaria will come to Liepaja University to give lectures and to do the scientific research in these areas of strategic specializations.
