Project leader Alvis Skenders (Alvis Šķenders) points out that within the framework of the project over a period of 3 months 5 informative one-day seminars “Possibilities for Cooperation between Third-Country Nationals and the Local Community” were held in 5 municipalities: Stopini, Balvi, Aluksne, Olaine, and Ozolnieki as well as 1 three-day training seminar “Third-Country National – an Institutional Client”. Seminar lecturers included professionals from the society and experts working in the area of migration.
“At our seminars participants of training had the opportunity to learn more about Third-Country Nationals – their rights, obligations and opportunities for integration in Latvia as well as get some answers to practical issues. I must say that the majority agreed that there is no single integration system in Latvia and that integration should begin with learning Latvian”, tells A. Skenders about the activities organized so far. He is also happy to say that participants of the seminar are determined to engage in their municipalities as well and facilitate integration measures for Third-Country Nationals in Latvian society.
He adds that based on the seminars organized in the course of the project and the discussions held during the seminars according to the needs specified by participants, informative handouts are being prepared in the project to be handed out to the participants of the seminar and the local municipalities as aid in work with Third-Country Nationals.
In April and May various activities will be organized for university teaching staff and students as well as a post-training seminar to strengthen expert knowledge within the framework of the project.
Seminar for university and college representatives whose daily work involves students who are Third-Country Nationals “Improving Competence of Pedagogical and Administrative University and College Staff for Work with Third-Country Nationals” will take place on April 8-10. The training programme is mainly aimed at improving competence of academic and administrative university employees in the area of intercultural communication and knowledge about receiving and integrating Third-Country Nationals as well as encouraging shaping of professional identity and space for good practice analysis and reflection in order to ensure professional work with Third-Country Nationals at one`s work place.
For the purpose of shaping a dialogue among pedagogical and administrative staff at universities and colleges, Third-Country Nationals who are university students, experts (consultants) Discussion / Contact Exchange will be organized on April 15 at RTU 22 Azenes Street (conference hall on 11th floor) aimed at understanding opinion of each involved party about the current situation and work with Third-Country Nationals at universities and colleges as well as preparing suggestions for institutions of higher education for work with Third-Country Nationals-university students.
Practical post-training seminar aimed at facilitating development of social and professional competencies of experts working in public administration and at different levels of service supply in areas such as integration, intercultural communication, and cultural diversity as well as encouraging shaping of professional identity and space for good practice analysis and reflection in order to ensure professional work with Third-Country Nationals at one`s work place is to take place on May 25-26.
The target audience in the activities are the employees of various institutions from the regions – Aluksne, Balvi, Liepaja, Olaine, Stopini, Salaspils and Ozolnieki, as well as the society “Lifelong Learning Association of Latvian Institutions of Higher Education and Colleges”, in which 10 Latvian institutions of higher education are unified: Daugavpils University, Latvia University of Agriculture, Latvian Academy of Sport Education, University of Latvia, Liepaja University, Riga Teacher Training and Educational Management Academy, Riga Stradins University, Riga Technical University, Ventspils University College and Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences – academic and administrative staff of higher educational establishments and colleges who work with third-country nationals (students) on a daily basis and lack knowledge of intercultural communication.
*A third-country national is any person who is not a citizen of the member states of the European Union, the European Economic Area or the Swiss Confederation
The project is (co)funded by the European Union. Implementation of the project “Improvement of interinstitutional and intersectoral cooperation on working with third-country nationals” is co-funded by the European Fund for the Integration of Third-Country Nationals (75%) and from the state budget (25%). This publication has been prepared with the support of the European Fund for the Integration of Third-Country Nationals. Society “Shelter “Safe House”” is responsible for the content of this publication.
Additional information:
Rasa Saliņa, PR specialist
Cell phone number: (+371) 22026355
rasa.salina@gmail.com