The event was opened by Turid Kristin Lilleng, First Secretary of the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Riga, Lauma Sīka, deputy State secretary and director of the Department of Structural and International Financial Instruments at the Ministry of Education and Science, Diāna Rancāne, director of EU Funds Monitoring Department at the Ministry of Finance, and Dita Traidās, director of State Education Development Agency.
Participants also had the opportunity to learn about the experience of the participants of the previous programme period (2004-2009). For instance, Baiba Rosicka went for studies in Iceland. She said that she had gained valuable experience and a broader view on things and that the experience is now also useful in her work. Žanna Martinsone went to Norway to research the quality of interior air and its impact on employees.
The event continued with Gunta Arāja, deputy finance director of the Department of Structural and International Financial Instruments at the Ministry of Education and Science, who gave more detailed information about the regulations of implementation of the LV05 programme. The programme aims at enhancing human capital and knowledge base in the beneficiary countries (development of education and research based knowledge, promoting mobility of students and staff of higher education institution and fostering bilateral research cooperation and partnership between Latvia and the donor countries). The total financing (including the 10% co-financing from the Latvian National Budget) for the scholarship activity amounted to EUR 1,045,037 EUR, for research activity – EUR 4,435,556, the bilateral cooperation fund is EUR 122,449. The programme is managed by the Ministry of Education and Science, while agency functions are performed by State Education Development Agency.
At the end of the conference, participants had an opportunity to listen to presentations by representatives from the donor countries. Aleksandra Witczak Haugstad, representative of the Research Council of Norway, spoke about the research environment in Norway. Veena Gill, representative of the Norwegian Centre for International Cooperation in Education spoke about the synergy between research and scholarships. Marion Kindle-Kühnis, representative from Liechtenstein, informed us about study opportunities in that country, and Višar Helgason, representative of the Icelandic Centre for Research, told us about study opportunities in Iceland.
More information about the programme is available on the websites of the Ministry of Education and Science and the State Education Development Agency.
Seminar materials are available here. Photos from the seminar.