Competition for Latvian University Lecturers to Participate in Buffalo Programme Has Ended
On 29 August, eight Latvian higher education lecturers will travel to the USA and start their studies in the Buffalo Programme coordinated by Riga Business School as a unit of Riga Technical University (RTU) and funded by the European Union. After passing the competition, the lecturers will travel to the State University of New York at Buffalo (USA) to improve their digital skills and the quality of teaching information and communication technologies and learn the latest methods in preparing and delivering IT course content. 37 participants took part in the competition for the next two semesters.
This academic semester, Antra Ozola, Ramona Rupeika-Apoga, Raimonds Reščenko, and Gunta Kalvāne (University of Latvia), Kaspars Šteinbergs (EKA University of Applied Sciences), Marta Kontiņa (BA School of Business and Finance), Guna Semjonova (Rīga Stradiņš University, pictured on the right) and Inga Zeide (Liepāja University) will have the opportunity to choose subjects offered by several faculties of the University at Buffalo. The programme has a strong focus on integrating digital content across disciplines, providing lecturers with the opportunity to learn the latest methods in preparing and teaching IT course content, skills in managing and supervising student projects, as well as research and interdisciplinary academic experience.
‘This will be the fifth time that a Latvian lecturer travels to Buffalo to gain world-class experience in organising study processes. This is essential to promoting Latvian educational excellence. The first group of lecturers travelled to the USA as part of this project in 2019 to build their digital capabilities. So far, 58 lecturers from different Latvian universities have completed the programme. The Buffalo programme is one of two higher education innovation programmes coordinated by Riga Business School with the support of the Ministry of Education and Science,’ says Jānis Grēviņš, Head of Riga Business School.
‘This project is extremely important and necessary as it provides an opportunity to learn how to integrate digital content in different areas and improves students’ project management skills. By applying what they have learned, lecturers can not only work more efficiently and creatively, but also boost students’ motivation and interest in their chosen fields. The number of lecturers who have applied for the project also shows that the content is engaging. We would like to thank Riga Business School for coordinating the project,’ says Anita Muižniece, Minister of Education and Science of the Republic of Latvia.
The training will last one semester, or four months, from 29 August to 19 December. During the training, participants of the Buffalo programme will strengthen their capacity to teach digital subjects in order to improve their qualifications, skills in managing and supervising student projects, provide interdisciplinary experiences, broaden their academic research horizons, and enhance the competitiveness of higher education institutions.
‘Digitalisation is inevitable in both business and education, and we need to develop in this direction with purpose in order to be able to compete internationally. I see my participation in the Buffalo programme as a huge asset in this growth process, and I am convinced that this will be an extremely valuable experience,’ says Marta Kontiņa, Director of Study Programmes at the BA School of Business and Finance.
‘I would like to express my gratitude for the opportunity to take part in this programme. I am determined to get the most out of it,’ says Guna Semjonova, doctoral student and senior researcher at Rīga Stradiņš University (RSU).
‘I applied for the Buffalo programme to improve my digital skills and the quality of the courses I teach as this would benefit both my students and the university as a whole. Arriving at the university, students expect that digital technologies will be used in their studies to facilitate the learning process. Their world is digital, so they expect interactions with the university to be digital, for teaching and learning to be digital, and to have 24-hour access to digital resources and technology. Improving the study process requires the integration of digital methods, knowledge, and skills based on trends in how IT is developing and their future impact on business and society. My first impression of the programme is that there will be a lot to learn, and I very much hope that the work and the courses will be worth it,’ comments Ramona Rupeika-Apoga, Head of the Department of Finance and Accounting at the Faculty of Business, Management and Economics of the University of Latvia.
The Buffalo programme covers tuition fees, living and travel expenses, visa and other travel-related costs for lecturers from Latvia. Each participant receives a monthly scholarship of €2,500 for the duration of the training. After returning from their studies at the University at Buffalo, they must continue their teaching work at a Latvian higher education institution for at least two years.
Participants of the programme have the opportunity to study at the State University of New York at Buffalo to upgrade their qualification by taking the courses listed in the cooperation agreement between the University at Buffalo and Riga Technical University. The University at Buffalo has been selected for the project partnership because over 30 years of cooperation with Riga Business School both institutions have developed a common understanding of the importance of interdisciplinarity in higher education. Besides, the University at Buffalo is one of the most highly ranked universities in the field of technology education in the USA.
The programme is implemented within the framework of the agreement signed between Riga Technical University and the Central Finance and Contracting Agency on the implementation of the project Support for RTU International Cooperation Projects in Research and Innovation (1.1.1.5/18/I/008). The programme is coordinated and administered by Riga Business School as a structural unit of RTU.
