Goal of the project is to increase international mobility of students and staff as well as international cooperation within programme countries

Type of project: Erasmus+

Full title of the project: Erasmus+ programme KA1 “Higher education student and staff mobility within programme countries”

Project number: 2018-1-LV01-KA103-046772 (-LV) 

The target group: Students and staff at Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences and its partner institutions in programme countries

The leading partner: Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences

Project implementation period: 01.06.2018. – 31.05.2020.

Main activities: Student and staff exchange

Study directions: Business administration, information technologies, communication and journalism, political sciences, tourism

Total budget:  263 554,00 (218 253,00 EU; 45 301,00 Latvian national co-financing)

Project funding: EU funding, Latvian national co-financing

Erasmus+ Charter: https://ec.europa.eu/programmes/erasmus-plus/sites/erasmusplus/files/files/resources/he-charter_en.pdf

Student selection: The selection process of students takes place at SENDING university based on following criteria:

• Academic performance and achievements
• Adequacy of exchange study content to the study programme
• Already used abroad study and internship opportunities (preference is given to students who have not participated in Erasmus+ exchange)
• Study semester
• Motivation
• English or particular national language skills
• Involvement in various professional activities and projects
• Other criteria of the partner university

Student selection has to be documented (including criteria used), after the selection partner university nominates the selected students and they have to apply at ViA for studies (fill in the online application).

Staff selection: The selection process of staff takes place at HOST university: Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences

Contacts:

Project manager at Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences: Tatjana Mažāne

E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Phone: +371 22042022

Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences intends to implement the operational programme "Growth and Employment" from September 2017 until March 2020 8.1.1. Specific Aid Objective "To increase the modernised STEM, including the number of medical and creative industries, number of study programmes" project "Modernisation of the STEM study environment of Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences". The aim of the project is to modernise the STEM study programmes of Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences in accordance with the trends of external and internal factors in the world and in Latvia.

The main planned activities to achieve the purpose of the project:

1. purchase of equipment, hardware, furniture, computers, technology, software, materials and tools for:

1.1. modernisation and development of existing and new laboratories;

1.2. modernisation of computer classrooms and development of virtualisation;

1.3. professional STEM study program realisation;

2. the development of wireless internet;

3. replenishment of library funds;

4. project management and implementation;

5. information and publicity measures.

The project intends to invest in the development and modernisation of the material and technical base of Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences by contributing to the development of the Faculty of Engineering and the University as a whole, offering students the advanced STEM study environment and expanding the study opportunities in the field of STEM offered by the university. Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences implements six study programmes in the field of STEM. College level programmes "Information technologies", "Mechatronics" and "Wooden house and eco-building", bachelor study programmes "Information technologies" and Master's and doctoral study programmes "Sociotechnical systems modelling".

The project will result in the modernisation of seven laboratories (Virtual and augmented reality, Mechatronics, Electronics, Computer networking, Mobile technologies, Radio frequency identification and Energy efficiency laboratories) and the creation of two new laboratories (Data security and Construction laboratory), as well as substantial investments in virtualisation development and computer classroom modernisation will be made.

The planned activities of the project will improve the competitiveness of Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences and increase the number of students in the STEM study programmes that are in line with the demands of the labour market, thus contributing to the employment of graduates studying in STEM study programmes, as well as developing and applying new knowledge and skills to solve the challenges and problems of the today's knowledge society at a national and international level.

The total cost of the project is 563 345 EUR, of which  84 501.75 EUR is the state budget and 478 843.25 EUR is the European Regional Development Fund.

Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences implements an activity programme "Growth and Employment" from September 2017 to March 2020. 1.1.1. Specific Aid Objective: "To increase the research and innovation capacity of Latvian scientific institutions and the ability to attract external financing by investing in human resources and infrastructure" 1.1.1.4. Event "Development of P&A infrastructure in the field of smart specialisation and institutional strengthening of scientific institutions" project "Development of the scientific infrastructure of Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences for research and innovation capacity building". The aim of the project is to develop the scientific infrastructure of Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences in order to strengthen the research and innovation capacity at an international level by promoting the development and productivity of the sectors of the smart specialisation nationally and in the Vidzeme region, as well as the implementation of international research projects and services.

ViA's scientific activities and research direction "Digital Solutions for Social Challenges" and the planned activities of the project will contribute to three of the five supported areas of expertise identified in the Smart Specialisation Strategy in Latvia: knowledge-intensive bio-economy, intelligent materials, technologies and engineering systems, information and communication technologies.

The main planned activities to achieve the purpose of the project:

1. Renovation and adaptation of premises for installation of research equipment and hardware and research results communication

2. Purchase of scientific equipment, toolboxes, information and communication technologies, other tangible and intangible assets:

2.1. Virtual and augmented reality, Mobile technology, Data security, modernisation of Multimedia Laboratories and the creation of a new Spatial Research Laboratory;

2.2. Development of science infrastructure and research results communication

3. Creation and improvement of research workplaces;

4. Improvement of resource and result management system;

5. Project implementation and publicity measures;

6. Project management and implementation.

The planned activities of the project and investments in infrastructure and material technical resources will contribute to ViA’s consolidation process of the scientific institution started in 2016, as well as in general modernise and strengthen the research and innovation capacity of the ViA scientific institute at an international scale, which is one of the goals of the science development at ViA. As a result of the project activities, it is expected that ViA’s scientific capacity will be strengthened, thus increasing the amount of scientific activity (the number of implemented projects, attracted external financing, etc.) and the number of people employed in science in the full-time equivalent is expected to be 25 in 2020.

The total cost of the project is 567 164,21 EUR, of which 457 984.00 EUR is the European Regional Development Fund,  80 822 EUR is financed by the Latvian State budget and 28 358.21 EUR is co-financed by ViA.