Academic Centre
“The aim of the program is to support Ukraine in its efforts towards European integration, promote democratization processes, and prepare students for work in Ukrainian public administration institutions. During the program, students will gain knowledge about public administration reforms, democratization, europeanization, and the functioning principles and values of the European Union,” explains professor Iveta Reinholde from the UL FESS Political Science Department.
The New Professionals Training Program has been running at UL since 2014, offering international students the opportunity to receive an internationally recognized educational document—a UL lifelong learning certificate. The program consists of two integrated parts. In the foreign policy section, students take courses such as “Europeanization: From Partnership to Membership” and “The History of the European Union’s Foundations”. The internal policy section includes courses like “EU Governance and Management”, “Politics in Latvia”, “Strategic Communication and Public Diplomacy” and others.
The intensive training is designed for bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral-level students, allowing them to choose study modules according to their academic interests and needs. This year, 129 students have begun studies in the internal policy module, while 158 will study in the foreign policy module. The courses are conducted remotely.
“This initiative is a unique opportunity for students to not only acquire theoretical knowledge but also actively participate in the political changes in Ukraine and Moldova, as today’s students will be the future leaders playing a key role in rebuilding their countries and integrating into the European Union,” emphasized UL Project Manager Aleksandra Kjakste.
The training project “New Professionals Training Program for Ukrainian and Moldovan Students at the University of Latvia - EU Studies: Internal and Foreign Policy” is funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs through its 2024 development cooperation budget.
 on the European Union’s internal and foreign policies. The program is implemented by UL Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences (FESS) in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Latvia.){kind=link}