Deputy Rector for International Academic Cooperation and Studies Presents The Internationalisation Strategy of RTU

On October 22, Deputy Rector for International Academic Cooperation and Studies of Riga Technical University (RTU), Prof. Igors Tipāns presented “RTU Internationalisation Strategy for 2021-2025” for further debates in a meeting with the management and staff representatives of the university.

The Internationalisation Strategy is created upon a broad concept of internationalisation that goes further than simply promoting student mobility and signing international agreements. It also takes into account aspects such as the internationalisation of university curricula, the internationalisation of research, international joint study programs, quality assurance, competition to attract the best students and university rankings.

In order to create the internationalisation strategy, the current challenges and the main factors of internationalisation have been analysed, and a system was proposed with objectives and initiatives related to five main points:

1) Improvement of RTU international image and recognition;

2) Selection, classification of international partners and determination of directions for cooperation;

3) Improvement of attraction foreign students and study process;

4) Implementation of the European University of Technology (EUt+) initiative;

5) More active involvement of RTU staff in international scientific and academic cooperation (including promotion of international mobility).

Meet RTU at RTU Open Day

International Cooperation and Foreign Students Department of Riga Technical University is pleased to invite prospective international students to A Virtual RTU Open Day 2021, which will take place on Thursday, October 28, at 2:00 PM (Helsinki GTM +3), aiming to take you to a journey through a whole study experience taking place at RTU Ķīpsala Campus – the most modern engineering study center in the Baltic States.

Register in advance for this webinar:

REGISTER

Participants of RTU Open day will have opportunity to meet our international admission team members, who will introduce you to RTU study offer and explain admission requirements. 

RTU International Cooperation and Foreign Students Department is the university’s structural unit, which has been working with international students coming from all around the world for more than 25 years. Our international community gathers 4009 foreign students (full-time and exchange) representing 104 countries. International students can choose from a wide range of courses taught in English within 58 study programs – international.rtu.lv.

What better way to stay connected with us than through the images and stories we are sharing on Instagram and Facebook

Ambassador of Mongolia Gets Acquainted With RTU Study and Research Activities

On 15 October, His Excellency Ambassador of Mongolia to Latvia Mr Barkhas Dorj paid a working visit to Riga Technical University’s (RTU) Ķīpsala Campus to acquire a deeper insight into the development of its infrastructure, technical supply, as well as to discuss the current cooperation with higher education institutions in Mongolia and outline future development of this cooperation.

During the meeting, the Head of Foreign Students Foundation and Short-Term Courses Unit of the International Cooperation and Foreign Students Department Ms Nataļja Muračova briefed the Ambassador on RTU’s implemented activities in studies, science and innovation, as well as provided an insight into existing cooperation with higher education institutions in Mongolia. She emphasized the successful cooperation with National University of Mongolia and Mongolian University of Science and Technology in the implementation of the international project «Innovative Approach Towards a Master Program on Smart Cities Technologies».

Consul of the Embassy of Mongolia Mr Arslan Tuvshin, Second Secretary of the Asia-Oceania Division at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia Ms Evija Rimšāne and Researcher of RTU Communication Technologies Research Center Mr Toms Salgals also participated in these talks.

Mongolijas vēstnieka vizīte RTU

Apply for an Erasmus+ scholarship now and enjoy a mobility period in EUt+ – European University of Technology!

EUt+ is an alliance of 8 technological universities across Europe that have joined forces to share their knowledge, laboratories and campuses to become the European leader in technological education. For the first time we especially invite RTU students to apply for a mobility in one of EUt+ partner campuses in:

Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences in Germany 

Technical University of Cluj-Napoca in Romania

Technical University of Sofia in Bulgaria

Cyprus University of Technology

Technical University of Cartagena, Spain

University of Technology of Troyes in France 

Technological University Dublin in Ireland

Please make sure the course offer at the institution you have chosen matches the content of your study program at RTU. RTU Erasmus+ coordinator will provide individual support with mobility arrangements and Erasmus+ coordinators at the host institutions will help find corresponding courses ​​at the specific university. Information about the courses offered to exchange students at each EUt+ institution can be found here:

By choosing EUt+ as your mobility destination you will also have the opportunity to get involved in student ambassador program and join EUt+ student community to influence the development of the joint European University of Technology. Learn more about first EUt+ students’ experience here: https://www.univ-tech.eu/experience   

You can apply for Erasmus+ scholarship, in case you are at least 3rd semester student at Bachelor level or 2nd semester student at Master level, your weighted average grade is at least 6.25 (in total for all semesters at RTU), you have no academic or financial debts towards RTU, you have good knowledge of English, German or another language of the EUt+ partner countries.

The amount of scholarship is 790 EUR to 850 EUR per month, depending on the target country.

To get more information about Erasmus+ programme and to know tips and tricks for successful application and Erasmus mobility, check information online at rtu.lv/en/erasmusstudies and rtu.lv/en/erasmustraineeship or contact Erasmus+ program coordinator Ms Inga Riharda via inga.riharda@rtu.lv, +37167089067, +37125739079.

The deadline for submitting an online application for Spring 2022 within the OutgoingExchange.rtu.lv online application system is 15 November.

Annual Steering Group Meeting and Training for the project SMARTI took place in Goris State University

On October 5-8, a hybrid combined Annual Steering Group Meeting and Training for the project “Support for Innovative Methodology, Approaches and Tools for Teaching through the Medium of English in order to improve Educational Yield, Sustainability and Internationalization” (SMARTI) project took place in Goris State University, Armenia.

The event was attended in a face-to-face mode by project representatives from the Dresden University of Technology, Riga Technical University, Ogarev Mordovia State University, Petrozavodsk State University, Certification Association Russian Register, Public Administration Academy of the Republic of Armenia, Vanadzor State University after H. Toumanyan, Armenian National Agrarian University, Nalbandyan State University of Shirak, Goris State University (Armenia), National Centre for Professional Education Quality Assurance, and other program members from Catholic University of Portugal, Liverpool John Moores University, Irkutsk National Research Technical University and Kazan Federal University were present in a distant way.

The week started with a meeting of members of the SMARTI Internal evaluation working group under WP3 of the Project, for which RTU is particulary responsible. The meeting took place at the National center for professional education quality assurance in Yerevan, Armenia and the purpose of the meeting was to present the quality assurance (QA) strategy for the whole duration of the project and to discuss and agree on a joint approach for evaluation of the first milestones in the project. The QA Strategy will ensure the monitoring of the project progress, the evaluation of implemented activities and outcomes as well increase the overall impact of the project. After the QA meeting, project partners traveled to Goris State University, where the trest of the meetings were held.

During the week partner institutions presented the activities carried out within the framework of the program, shared their experience in setting up EMI centers so far, got acquainted with the EU partner experience of teaching in English and planned the next steps for implementing ESP/ECTS training and other upcoming activities. The last day of the combined meeting and training was dedicated to Dissemination WP with a special emphasis on the training of SMARTI dissemination officers.

The participating organizations and universities emphasized once again, that rather than just teaching English, teaching professional subjects in English language, thus developing new skills and achieving better results towards internationalisation through it, is the main goal of the program.

The SMARTI project is implemented with the support of the European Union under the Erasmus+ Higher Education Capacity Building Program. The aim of the program is to promote the innovative methodology of teaching educational programs in English at the national and international levels through the development of the capacity of consortium members.

Lecture “European Identities”

The lecture “European Identities” at Hochschule Darmstadt is a course with contributions from numerous colleagues from the EUt partners. The course is open for all students. It will start at Wednesday, Oct. 20 at 17:45 (CET). Interested students should contact:  bernd.steffensen@h-da.de

Europe is unique. The history of the continent is made of numerous conflicts, shifting borders, and longstanding hostilities. Regional differences, different languages, economic systems, religions, as well as climate zones shaped a heterogeneous family of nations. Nevertheless, the European Union offers the idea and vision of a territory, which on the one hand becomes more and more unified (socially, politically) and on the other hand keeps its regional individualities. Looking at political developments of the past five to ten years we see a growing nationalism (BREXIT, Hungary and Poland are two examples) and the increasing popularity of right wing politicians in various member states.

Week 1: Introduction and general information (Oct. 20) B. Steffensen (h_da)
Week 2: Culture of Remembrance (Oct. 27) B. Steffensen (h_da)

Week 3: The History of Europe + the European Union 1950-1989 – from a culture of Remembrance Perspective (Nov. 03) B. Steffensen (h_da)

Week 4: The History of Europe + the European Union 1990-2021– from a culture of Remembrance Perspective (Nov. 10) B. Steffensen (h_da)

Week 5: Economy and Peace (Nov. 17) B. Steffensen (h_da)

Week 6: We and the other – what is National Identity? (Nov. 24) B. Steffensen (h_da)

Week 7: Ireland: We have always been European: designing an Identity for Ireland in Europe (Dec. 01) Mary Ann Bolger (TU Dublin)

Week 8: Powerful Emotions and Forming Identity (Dec 08) B. Steffensen (h_da)
Week 9: (Dec. 15) – Romania or Germany *
Week 10: France: The strength and weaknesses of the French Republic (Jan. 12) – Thibault Vigier (UT Troyes)
Week 11: Latvian Identity: Perseverance Under Foreign Flags – (Jan 19) – Anete Beinarovica (Riga TU)
Week 12: Images of Bulgarian Identity (Jan 26) – Irina Georgieva (TU Sofia)
Week 13: (Feb 02) – Romania or Germany *
Week 14: Spain: The Influence of The European Identity on Spanish Society (Feb 09) – Marcos Ros Sempere (UPCT Cartagena, Member of the European Parliament)
Week 15: Resume (Feb. 16) – Exam

*Title of the Romanian Lecture: “Romania and Europe: Landmarks on a Long Road Together” (Petru Dunca, UT Cluj-Napoca)
*Title of the German lecture: “How to Tame the Big Country in the Middle of Europe? B. Steffensen (h_da)