Description
In the educational field there is a need for organizing regular student and academic staff (AcS) experience exchanges between the beneficiary and donor countries, represented by the two project universities. Academic exchanges strengthens the capacity of higher education learners and staff, develops scientific and study competences, and improves staff's knowledge and experience in the sphere of education and research. These benefits are all very important to Daugavpils University (DU). The aim of the project is to promote a bilateral cooperation and mobility between DU and Buskerud and Vestfold University College (BVUC) in language and culture studies, thus strengthening the scientific and study capacity of both universities.
Summary of project results
The overall aim of the project: in the framework of the project, Daugavpils University (Latvia) and Buskerud and Vestfold University College (Norway) contributed to promote students’ and academic staff mobility between Latvia and the European Free Trade Association states of the European Economic Area. All together within the project all planned mobilities (11 student and 12 academic staff) were implemented. Project strengthened the academic partnership and research cooperation by involving into exchange students of bachelor, master and doctoral study programmes, teaching staff and the researchers from both partner institutions. By obtaining new study experience, applying innovative methodological approaches and carrying out research on the monuments to famous people in the cultural environment of the project partner states, which were researched and prepared in the format of publication according to the methodology developed and approbated in the framework of the project, students and academic staff involved in the mobility ensured the innovative character, interdisciplinarity and sustainability of the project. The transfer of the project results to a wider public was ensured by the publication of the results of students and academic staff research on the monuments to famous people in Latvia and Norway.
Summary of bilateral results
During the Norwegian staff's visits to Latvia, the staff mobility participants of both project partners from Latvia and Norway developed methodological recommendations for the description of monuments as cultural phenomena. The recommendations were issued to all 11 students participating in the mobility. On the basis of the recommendations, 10 students of DU and one student of University College of Southeast Norway have developed their own individual studies on various monuments in Norway and Latvia.That was a compulsory research component within their study mobility. During the staff mobility meeting at the University College of Southeast Norway, there was a seminar where each staff mobility participant introduced their on-going studies on monument of famous persons. The researchers selected as the research object for the comparative studies the Latvian and Norwegian writers collaborators' monuments (Knut Hamsun, Vilis Lācis, Anna Sakse), monument dedicated to the leaders of municipalities, monuments to writers - national literary icons or well-known public workers (Henrik Ibsen, Henrik Wergeland, Andrejs Pumpurs, Rainis), the monuments dedicated to a literary character of a popular writer, which promotes socially important problems (ecology, human equality, care for children, whale protection). Staff mobility concluded with the field study of monuments of famous persons.