ERASMUS POLICY STATEMENT
17.12.2014.
Riga Technical University Liepaja Maritime College (hereinafter – RTU LMC) is located in the coastal town of Liepaja in Southern Latvia near the Baltic sea. It provides the short-cycle professional higher education and the third level secondary vocational education through accredited full-time and part-time study programmes that prepare maritime specialists (ship navigators and ship engineers) and logistics specialists according to the Education Law, the Law on Higher Education Institutions and the Vocational Education Law of the Republic of Latvia, as well as the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and STCW (International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers) requirements. The institution attracts a yearly average of 1 000 students and VET learners across all of its full-time and part time programmes and has approximately 75 employees.
VISION
The vision of Riga Technical University Liepaja Maritime College is to become the best higher maritime educational institution in Latvia offering up-to-date education and availability to mariners training with the use of most advanced training methods and modern technology. The institution’s mission is to prepare competitive specialists for the specific area of labor market, as well as to improve and maintain professional competences of working professionals through high-quality study programmes and student life. The vision and mission align with the European Education Area initiative aiming at benefiting young people across Europe to gain the best possible education and training that will eventually give them the opportunity to find employment across Europe.
RTU LMC STRATEGY AND OBJECTIVES – THE ROLE OF ERAMSUS+
Riga Technical University Liepaja Maritime College proposes institution’s internationalization and modernization goals. Active participation in Erasmus+ programme corresponds and makes great contribution to implementation of several Directions of Action of the strategy, such as “Development and maintenance of international cooperation”, “Collaboration with companies and other educational institutions”, “RTU LMC personnel development”, “Development of traineeship organization”, “Communication, public relations and formation of maritime traditions”. The institution’s Quality Policy is based on the strategic goals and focuses on the improvement of governance, personnel development, raising the quality of the implementation of educational programs, improvement of infrastructure, maintenance and development of international relations. Robust partnerships with industry, alumni, and educational institutions are vital to achieving RTU LMC strategic goals and vision. With the help of Erasmus+ programme, RTU LMC shall expand and deepen relationships locally, regionally, and globally. This will increase greatly the knowledge, expertise, and opportunities available to students, faculty and staff. Erasmus+ programme plays crucial role as a tool to be used for achieving the organization’s strategy and vision, as well as the defined quality goals. Therefore, taking into account the institutional strategy and vision, there are several Erasmus+ Policy objectives RTU LMC intends to achieve:
1. Deepening and enriching relationship with industry and educational partners
The maritime industry comprises an international work environment. Relationships with the industry are key to ensuring that RTU LMC academic programs are strong and relevant, that faculty and students are able to take quality traineeships that prepare them to enter the workforce successfully. LMC aims to ensure connection between industry partners, students and faculty. The Erasmus+ programme enables the institution to establish new long-term partnerships with different educational institutions and industry organizations from other countries that can become the institution’s partners in different projects. Through Erasmus+ programme projects, LMC can partner with international institutions of higher education to expand academic, research and co-curricular opportunities for faculty and students, as well as partner with companies to expand student traineeship opportunities. Erasmus+ enables LMC to increase the number of joint projects and collaborations.
2. Improving the quality of higher education and expand co-curricular opportunities
Most maritime education institutions are bound by globally set requirements – Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW). It is a worldwide convention that ensures a lateral standard of training is achieved across all countries in the world. The Erasmus+ programme activities allow RTU LMC to observe the practices of other institutions and to exchange approaches which later can be put in practice at RTU LMC. Participants can gain various benefits as they can witness different approaches, methods and content. Apart from that, Erasmus+ allows the institution to offer more attractive study and work environment, to expand co-curricular opportunities for faculty and students, enhance the quality, variety and effectiveness of the activities the students and staff are involved in, thus enriching their study and work life.
3. Facilitating professional and personal growth of students and staff
Erasmus+ undoubtedly comes along with numerous professional and personal growth opportunities for students and staff. Among the things acquired by students during international exchanges are:
(1) the acquisition of cultural knowledge and skills (how to communicate and work within an intercultural environment, how to survive in a foreign country, learning things about the host country, acquiring an open mind, tolerance, etc.);
(2) maturity and personal development (determination in problem-solving, self-confidence, etc.);
(3) social development, friendship creation, development of communication skills with persons from different backgrounds;
(4) academic enrichment (adaptation to a different academic system, career planning);
(5) discovering and exploiting of new opportunities (opening towards new opportunities);
(6) taking part in civic engagement and active citizenship.
Among the things acquired by RTU LMC personnel during international exchanges are:
(1) encouragement to broaden and enrich the range and content of courses they offer, as well as to diversify approaches to teaching;
(2) broadening their horizons, expanding cultural awareness, developing communication skills etc.;
(3) exchange of professional expertise and experience, which will lead to creation of links between higher education institutions and with enterprises;
(4) increased involvement in research activities.
The participating staff members will also motivate students and other staff members to become mobile and to assist them in preparing for their mobility period. Apart from the above mentioned, international mobilities increase foreign language skills of the participants, as they get the chance to apply their knowledge in real life situations
4. Addressing the challenges of the global maritime industry and education
Close cooperation and coordination with national and international counterparts enhance and provide mutual benefits for all concerned parties. European Union projects have become an essential tool in providing a catalyst and the cohesiveness of efforts that focus towards a common goal, providing mutual benefits to all participants. Research projects and common studies play a significant role in improving new methodologies, procedures and techniques. International cooperation enables project partners to get benefits from the experiences of other colleagues and institutions which are key elements in improving the current standards in maritime education and training. The partners uniting their forces in common projects have the opportunity to identify a wide range of similarities, synergies, challenges and concerns of the industry and education, and cooperate on overcoming these.
5. Enhancing recognition, visibility and attractiveness
Participation in Erasmus+ activities shapes the overall attractiveness of the institution when considering it as a future choice for higher education or work. Dissemination of results and publicity activities allow to increase the institution’s visibility and recognizability among target audiences nationally and internationally. RTU LMC aims to outreach secondary schools and youth organizations that increase awareness of RTU LMC and career opportunities in the maritime industry. Attractive HEIs are strategically important for the city of Liepaja and Kurzeme region as they provide opportunities for citizens to acquire higher education in the region, not only the capital city of Riga. This comes along with many politically and economically positive impacts at national, regional and EU level.