Introduction

Student mobility has become an essential element of co-operation between universities within modern Europe. Studying abroad praides practical experience for further academic and professional career, encourages intercultural communication by helping to acquire languages, culture, traditions and contemporary life-style of the host country. In different countries, however, are also education systems, study evaluation criteria and organisation of study process are also different.

ECTS (European Credit Transfer System) –

• helps to parallel national systems of higher education,
• ensures education transparency,
• facilitates recognition of academic attainment,

ECTS system is based on:

• information on study programmes and progress of the student achievement,
• bilateral agreement between the partner institutions and the student,
• ECTS credit points on evaluation of the student workload.

Ventspils College, owing to its participation in the EU educational programme SOCRATES/ERASMUS, has developed the catalogue, which contains information on:

• Ventspils and Ventspils College,
• study courses,
• study and housing facilities.
  

Institution

Ventspils College, Inženieru ielā 101, LV 3600, Ventspils, Latvijas Republika

Academic calendar: years 2000. – 2001.

The Autumn Semester: from September 1, 2000 – January 27, 2001.

• September 1 – December 22 - studies
• December 23 – January 1 – Christmas Holidays
• January 2 – January 27 – winter examination session
• January 28 – February 4 – winter holidays

The Spring Semester: February 5, 2001 – June 30, 2001

• February 5 – April 6 – study
• April 7 – April 16 – Easter Holidays
• April 17 – June 1 – studies
• June 4 – June 30 – summer esamination session
• July 1 – August 31 – summer holidays

ECTS co-ordinator: Dr. Juris Žagars, Vice-rector.

According to Ministry of Education of the Republic of Latvia Ordinance Nr. 206 “On Unitary Credit Point Follow-Up System” from April 8, 1998, the Senate of Ventspils College on September 22, 1999 approved a regulation document on study process follow-up in credit points, that 1 credit point corresponds to at least 40 hour study workload of one student, but the workload during one semester corresponds to 20 credit points or 30 points in ECTS system.

The duration of study programmes in Ventspils College is 8 semesters with the study workload represented by 160 credit points or 240 ECTS points.

Ventspils College

Ventspils College is a institution of higher education with the status of the state educational establishment, wich is being financed by Ventspils municipality and local business people. The idea of establishing a college emerged in 1992, with the purpose to train a sufficient number of skilled specialists in Ventspils and its region. The College was established in July 23, 1997 (by the Ordinance Nr 384 of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Latvia), but the opening day of the College was on September 1, 1997, which in the College has become an annual festive occasion. The goal of Ventspils College is to offer a high level education in specialisations required in the region of North Kurzeme, as well as in other cities and regions of Latvia. The specific nature of study programmes at Ventspils College is their close coherence with practice, which is possible owing to the co-operation of the College with Ventspils municipality and the leading companies such as “Ventspils Nafta”, “Ventamonjaks”, “Ventspils Free Port Authority” and others. Languages studies in all study programmes guarantee for the students of the College participation in various exchange programmes and upon graduation also in European labour market.

Ventspils College offers academic and professional higher education in two study programmes:

Economics and Management Studies with the following specialities:

• Management Accountancy,
• Financial Management,
• Marketing Management,
• Logistics.

Translation Studies with specialisation in:

• English - Russian - Latvian,
• German - Russian – Latvian.

Duration of studies: 4 academic years or 8 academic semesters.

After 4-year studies in Management Sciences and defending the Bachelor’s thesis, students obtain academic degree of Bachelor of Social Sciences.

After 4-years translation studies and defending qualification paper, students obtain professional diploma of a translator/interpreter.

On December 10, 1999, Latvian Board of Higher Education accredited Ventspils College for an unlimited term without any provisions. Previously The Latvian universities’ Accreditation Commission had accredited all 3 study programmes – the academic study programme for the Bachelor of Social Sciences degree in Management, as well as the professional study programmes “Translation/interpreting from/into English-Russian-Latvian” and “Translation/interpreting from/into German-Russian-Latvian”.

General information

A Entrance examinations for applicants from Latvia.

In Management studies programme:

• Examination in mathematics.
• The points received are totalled (using a coefficient) with the mark in a foreign language as on the ISEC certificate.

In Translation studies programmes:

• examination in the foreign language (or ISEC certificate mark ),
• examination in translation/interpreting (written and oral part),
• test in Latvian,
• Test in Russian.

B Getting to Ventspils College

From Rīga:

Airport “Rīga” – downtown Rīga (Bus Station or Train Terminal): bus fare without luggage: 0.25 LVL (appr. 0.40 EUR).

Bus – fare 2.70 LVL (appr.4.6 EUR)

Train – fare 2.17 LVL(appr.3.7 EUR)

From other towns in Latvia:

Bus or train (route Rīga – Ventspils).

C Accommodation costs

Student hostel: single room – 25.00 LVL per month (appr.43 EUR)

double room – 12.00 LVL per month (appr.22 EUR)

Lunch in student canteen – approx. 1.00 LVL (appr.2 EUR)

Breakfast and supper can be prepared in the hostel kitchens.

D Health and insurance

Health care is provided by Ventspils health care centres, in cases of acute sickness – the hospital.

Health insurance is available in any insurance company in the city.

For students with special needs, starting from year 2001 – special entrances to the ground floor auditoriums, providing also access to the library and computer rooms.

F Study facilities in the host institution:

Ventspils College offers good IT facilities – 85 computers are available to students 12 hours every day, every student has free access to Internet and own e-mail address.

The Library of Ventspils College comprises 3350 book titles totalling 11000 volumes, of which 356 in Latvian, 314 - in Russian, 1825 - in English, 1408 – in German and 126 in French.

The Reading room comprises 100 seats and 10 additional seats in the multimedia computer room.

Sports facilities:

Ventspils College Sports Club in co-operation with Ventspils Olympic Sports Centre organises:

• basketball training
• swimming-pool activities
• aerobics activities

When the weather permits the open basketball field is available for training and competition events in the College Park.

Social life

• the College students’ Choir
• folk dance ensemble “Liedags”
• rock group “Hugo Bazz”

Leisure activities

• bridge club,
• modern art workshop,
• amateur theatre studio,
• exhibitions,
• the cinema.

In the academic year 1997/98 Ventspils College enrolled first 105 full-time students, in the academic year 2000/2001 there are already 450 students and 36 lecturers. Applicant proportion: 66% from Kurzeme region, the majority of which – 19% - come from Ventspils. Applicants from Rīga account for 17%.

Ventspils City Board has discussed and approved the College conception, which projects gradual increase of the number of students reaching approximately 600 studying at Bachelor degree, professional studies and Master degree level.

The study programmes have received positive reviews from the University of Latvia, Agder College Translation Studies Centre (Norway), and Joensuu University Savonlinna School of Translation (Finland). Guest lecturers from other cities of Latvia, as well as from foreign higher educational establishments visit regulary to read lectures at the College.

Studies at Ventspils College are tuition free. Students receive grants set by the State. Successful students are eligible for the state louns. Most of the students can live in the hostel. The College facilities are being expanded and developed. Since autumn 2000 a new second building is opened, where one can find a spacious library, an amphitheatre-type auditorium with approx. 200 seats, computer rooms, lecture rooms on the ground floor, and comfortable hostel rooms on the upper floors.