Academic Centre
“As the assistant professor in the University of Latvia I teach study courses related to environmental economics and entrepreneurship, therefore my fellowship entry research „The Teaching of Environmental Economics from the Perspective of Sustainable Development” mainly focused on the Environmental economics, but at the same time I also gained many practical examples for other study courses.
Hamlin University is a relatively small university which was established in 1854 and its Business school offers study programs in Business Administration, Public Management, and currently the aim is to establish a new program which focuses on the concept of sustainable development, therefore it was our mutual interest with my colleagues from Hamlin University to share our experiences in this area.
This program gave me the opportunity to feel as a student again by taking the course “Corporate social responsibly and sustainability” – the main conclusion after having taken the class was that the quality of study courses in the USA, as well as in the rest of the world, really depends on the lecturer. The American students, comparing to Latvian, are more active during the classes – they participate in discussions, share their practical experiences. I was also pleasantly surprised how actively people participated in the open lectures and seminars on the issues of sustainability and many universities in the US are trying to implement and promote green lifestyle for their students by organizing practical projects – recycling, promotion of more effective energy consumption among others – nevertheless these projects become real and reach their target audience. It is rather difficult for me to imagine Latvian students doing something similar, but I think it is a good incentive in the future.
Fulbright program also offers different opportunities to accept invitations from other universities to give lectures and the Occasional Lecturer Fund helps to cover the travel costs. I visited the University of Washington in Seattle and gave a lecture on the Situation of Sustainable Development of Environment in Latvia. Another amazing experience was the enrichment seminar which is also offered for Fulbright scholars, which was held in Chicago, Illinois and covered such topics as diversity in education and working places and in society in general. Along with other 65 scholars from more than 40 countries we visited the University of Chicago and the community of people with development disabilities Misericordia campus. I was inspired that all these people regardless the extents of their disabilities are involved in different activities or small jobs like gardening, art workshops among others. I believe that various institutions in Latvia should learn from this experience in this area.
I recommend all my colleagues in the University of Latvia to participate in the Fulbright program to do their research or read lectures. It is a great opportunity to gain new impressions and experiences by improving both professional and personal skills and also to gain contacts from all over the world and represent Latvia. As a Fulbright scholar my mission was to enhance the understanding among different nations and the USA and I hope and believe that during my time of visit I have roused interest about Latvia, its culture and people.”
