University of Latvia Welcomes Vietnam National University Professor for Open Guest Lectures

On Monday, 5th of October, at 10:30 a.m., at Lauvas Street 4, 210 auditorium, Prof. Nguyen Thuy Chi will deliver a guest lecture entitled “Small State, Global Stage: Vietnam’s National Image in the Age of Globalization.” The lecture will take place as part of the Bachelor’s degree course in Communication Science, “International Communication and Globalization,” where students explore global communication processes, national image, the influence of media and platforms, as well as the interaction between global and local communication.

On Tuesday, 6th of October, at 6:15 p.m., at Lauvas Street 4, 406 suditorium, the professor will deliver a lecture entitled “Adapting at Home, Hedging Abroad: Institutional Learning and Strategic Autonomy in Vietnam since Đổi Mới.” The lecture will be held for Master’s students of Political Science as part of the new course “Politics and Society in Southeast Asia,” which focuses on the region’s political development, international relations, societal transformations, and the role of Southeast Asian countries in the changing world order.

Both guest lectures are open to everyone interested.

The professor’s visit continues the cooperation between the University of Latvia and VNU–USSH within the Erasmus+ programme. In 2025, Assoc. prof. Visvaldis Valtenbergs visited VNU in Hanoi as part of an Erasmus+ mobility programme and delivered lectures on the European approach to artificial intelligence regulation in a global context. In May 2026, he also participated in the international conference “Emerging Trends in International Relations since the Early 21st Century and Their Implications for Vietnam,” organized by VNU–USSH. The professor’s visit further strengthens academic cooperation between Latvia and Vietnam and provides UL students with an opportunity to explore Southeast Asian politics and communication from the perspective of a researcher from the region itself.