Teaching for Sustainable Development and University- Municipality Partnerships.

1. Teaching for Sustainable Development and University- Municipality Partnerships. Project “Inversed Brain Drain” Arnolds Ūbelis Institute of Atomic Physics and Spectroscopy, University of Latvia, Raina blvd.19, Riga, Latvia, arnolds@latnet.lv

2. “When planning for a year, plant corn. When planning for a decade, plant tree. When planning for life, train and educate people”Chinese proverbe: Guanzi 9c. 645BC)“ Rūpējoties par tuvāko gadu - iesēj labību! Rūpējoties par par tuvāko desmitgadi – iestādi koku! Rūpējoties par dzīvi - māci iemaņas un izglīto cilvēkus. Ķīniešu sakāmvārds: Guanzi 9c. 645BC) COM (200) 678 final Making a European Area of Lifelong Learning Reality

3. Teaching for Sustainable Development and University- Municipality Partnerships. Project “Inversed Brain Drain” Education for sustainable development is one of the challenges of this century demanding innovative approaches, relevant instruments and fast solutions. It is evident, that traditional education systems are slow to react to the challenge, but alternatively there is little chance to find a better solution in the short-term perspective.

4. Teaching for Sustainable Development and University- Municipality Partnerships. Project “Inversed Brain Drain” Therefore, successful and easily repeatable examples inside the system are very valuable?!!! Municipalities and universities are the mainactors when it comes to the identification, research and development of solutions for sustainable development related problems

5. Teaching for Sustainable Development and University- Municipality Partnerships. Project “Inversed Brain Drain” Problems of Universities: • To keep appropriate level of research training of graduatestudents on MSc and PhD level; • Lack of experience in research on actual local and regional socio-economic as well as industry related problems especially crucial for transition state economies. Problems of Municipalities: • Shortage of human resources (capacity) for promoting social economic development ideas, projects, and ensuring effective functioning of public administration; • Brain-drain to capital city, large cities and their urbanized surroundings from the rest of the territory of the country; • Entrepreneurs and project managers face problems to find qualified personnel to fill high-ranking crucial positions in their staff hierarchy

6. Teaching for Sustainable Development and University- Municipality Partnerships. Project “Inversed Brain Drain” Specific problems at Universities and Municipalities in Latvia: • 2000/2001.m.g. Universities in Latvia had about 4000 graduates on MSc level and only 40 on PhD level. Evidently we face problems with research training on MSC level. • Due to historical reasons the quality and profiles of university education is not coresponding to the demands for human resources from the point of view of competitivness capacity of new EU member state. • Public administration on local and regional level face lack of qualified well trained profesionals able to promote inovations towards sustainable development • Municipalities face crutial “brain-drain” to the capital city RIGA and abroad.

7. Teaching for Sustainable Development and University- Municipality Partnerships. Project “Inversed Brain Drain” Without a doubt there is already much project expertise in place, but our ideas were developed in following projects: • INTERREG II Cproject SUPERBS 1999-2001 (Sustainable Urban Patterns Around the Baltic Sea, coordinator BUP at Uppsala University) university municipality partnership of 11 municipalities and 11 universities from 7 countries including University of Latvia and Līvāni municipality in Latvia; • INTERREG IIIB project BUUP (Baltic University Urban ForumImplementing Sustainable Strategies in City Dev. 2003-06)university municipality partnership of 20 cities/towns and 14 universities from 14 countries including University of Latvia and Līvāni municipality in Latvia; • PHARE-2001, Co-operationProgramme in the Baltic Sea Region Project. LE01.07/SPF/0023 (LU 2000-2033). Human Resources for the Economic Development of Livani District and Surrounding Territoties Basing on University Municipality Partnership (2004) “Inversed Brain-Drain”. One municipality and three universities – Uni. of Latvia, Uppsala University, Agriculture University in Uppsala

8. Teaching for Sustainable Development and University- Municipality Partnerships. Project “Inversed Brain Drain” General objectives: • effective transfer of knowledge from academic society to public administration and private business and advancement of knowledge based economy in Līvāni as well as in whole Latgale; • emergence of an attractive intellectual environment in the regions which among other benefits should stop or even reverse the “brain drain” of most talented students from the region to capital city Rīga and abroad consequently increasing welfare and competitiveness.

9. Teaching for Sustainable Development and University- Municipality Partnerships. Project “Inversed Brain Drain” Municipa- lities and their problems Method and target groups Municipality born student Universities and their problems

10. Teaching for Sustainable Development and University- Municipality Partnerships. Project “Inversed Brain Drain” Target groups more specified: • Līvāni born students at the universities • Teachers at the universities • Local self government structures • Local schools and teachers • Local business community • Colleagues in partner universities in Sweden

11. University&Municipality partnership“Inversed Brain-Drain” The method – research training - more specified . Smal project team: 2 students + supervisor (UL) + advisors&experts from Swedish partner universities Financial support National University supervisor PhD/MSc/BSc students Municipal & Industry Involvement Expert from Uppsala universities

12. “Inversed Brain-Drain” High-tech sector: • Optoelectronics, • Renewable Energy • Usage space born data and research on agriculture, forestryresources, Research on options to support innovation and development of high-tech industry sector in Līvāni. Creation of relevant human potential • Light guides in optoelectronics, health care, environmental protection. • Development of new methods of production, processing and usage of wood pellets transformed to fuel cells. • Problems of development and usage of solar panels. • IT methods of procession of space born or air born data on agriculture and forestry resources and their sustainable usage.

13. “Inversed Brain-Drain” • Business environment: Processingof wood and agriculturalproducts of SMEs:Sustainable development andRegional planning • A.     Development of business environment for diversification of small and middle-size entrepreneurship in counties and towns • B.      Sustainable usage of nature resources and preserving biodiversity at the municipalities • C.     Project perspectives for usage of EU agriculture support schemes and EU structural funds at the municipalities • E.     Perspectives in the development of new enterprises and modernisation of existing ones for the processing of wood and agricultural products with higher value added products. • F.     Business and society – joint social responsibility: what can be done on municipality level • G.    Sustainable development and regional planning with bottom up approach on municipality level Mobilization of resources and attractive social and intellectual environment • Local community development approach, intellectual capacity andbrain-drain problems.. • I.        Rich natural and cultural environment as a basis for a good and healthy social life in the municipality. • J.       Family Training for New Employment Generation, Promotion of Ethnic Participation and Integration

14. University&Municipality partnership“Inversed Brain-Drain” Some Students Project Research teams : Proj. Res. Team Nr.1. Energy and Renewable Energy Resources (3 stud.) Supervisors: Dr. Arturs Vīksna, artvik@yahoo.com and Dr. Jānis Āboliņš: jclover@latnet.lv Advisors in Sweden:Prof. Krister Sjostrom , Lic.Eng. Claes Brage; Project Research Team Nr.2. SOLAR ENERGY ( 3 students) Dr. Arnolds Ūbelis, Arnolds@latnet.lv, Advisors in Sweden: Prof.Per Berg, architect Varis Bokalders Project Research Team Nr.3. Optoelectronics and Biomedicine (2 stud. Supervisor: Prof. Jānis Spīgulis janispi@latnet.lv, Advisors in Sweden:Prof. Ake Oberg, Dr.Alexander Englund, Per-Erik Aslund , Project Research Team Nr.5 Bicycle-friendly Līvāni and cycling routes in Neighbourhood (3 students) Supervisors: Lecturer:PhD student Andis Zīlāns aab.kristine@apollo.lv, Advisor in Sweden: Architect of the Municipality of Orebro, Mr. Gunnar Persson, Mr. Erik Poignant, Ms. Ann-Britt Lundback, Tourism Planner Project Research Team Nr.6. Social Risks in the municipality, 5 students Supervisor: Dr.Ilze Trapenciere trapenci@latnet.lv, Ritma Rungule, ritma@lza.lv

15. “Inversed Brain-Drain” Metode (Pagasts, pilsēta un to pašvaldība) 20 local students dealing with municipality problems 5 Swedish and more than 10 national experts to analize problems Livani municipality and other municipalities Local experts trained and computer work places for students MSc thesis and transfer of knowledge

16. Teaching for Sustainable Development and University- Municipality Partnerships. Project “Inversed Brain Drain” Parnership to get “win win” sollution • Universities + • Municipalities and their students at the universities + • Business community Resources: • Access to EU advanced knowledge and research infrastructure through broad partnership of accademic community within emerging European Research Area • EU support to enlargement process and comming Structural fonds Win-win outcome For Universities: • Excellent opportunity to train students and teachers in socio-economic research as well as in technpology development and innovation transfer For Municipalities and Business community: • Well trained teams of university graduates from local students

17. Teaching for Sustainable Development and University- Municipality Partnerships. Project “Inversed Brain Drain” Main outcomes and achievements: • 40 Līvāni born students were involved in 8 project research teams fro research training. In total about 160 students contacted in various ways. • 14 Līvāni born students get research training in Sweden for duration from 0,5 to 1,5 months; • Firsts steps made to create Virtual Regional sustainable development and innovation relay centre; • Project phylosophy publicisized in other municipalities.

18. Teaching for Sustainable Development and University- Municipality Partnerships The European Research Area and Enlargement • Brussels, June 27-28, 2001 Opening address, by R.Prodi, President of the European Commission • Human potential a key issue to reach the strategic goal of EU declared in Lisbon CouncilIt is impossible to create knowledge society withoutnew knowledge • We need to create environment where researchers will be free to move where they are needed and where they will be able to create more effectively. Now there are too many barriers formal and psychological. It is time for us to work together and get the second European Renaissances driven by science E.Landaburu, EU Commission, expert from DG ENLARGEMENT •  PHARE programme could be used for Social-economic cohesion needs and we discuss this with DG RESEARCH how to use it for the strengthening of Higher educationand University research infrastructure

19. Teaching for Sustainable Development and University- Municipality Partnerships At the EU level the Commission document COM (2001) 549 final “The Regional Dimension of the European Research Area” emphasizes the importance of regions as a bridge between the European and local level, in research and innovation efforts, including strengthening of cooperation by mobilizing the potential of local universities together with regional and local authorities.

20. National Development PlanLatvia • All abovementioned problems within education system result in weak and inflexible adaptation to the needs of the labour market and create lack of qualified specialists, which has a negative impact on the general development of Latvia.” • The education and unemployment problems are especially pronounced in regions of the Latvia The majority of industry is concentrated in Riga and Riga region. Weak infrastructure, lack of qualified work force, and insufficient range of services in the other regions of Latvia is an obstacle for attracting capital. • In Latvia, the share of knowledge-based and science-intensive manufacturing sectors in the export structure does not exceed 6% (in comparison to 30-50% in developed countries.)