Valmiera (Latvia), August 14, 2008. – This Friday, August 15, Vidzeme University College’s Baltic International Summer School will conclude with presentation of student works devoted to the theme of the event – “Communication. Integration. Technology.” Summer school participants were attending lectures in Valmiera and exmined the situation of social integration in Daugavpils and Narva. Special Assignment Minister for Social Integration of Latvia Oskars Kastēns will present Certificates to 32 participants from 15 countries during the closing ceremony.

At the ceremony participants will present their multimedia projects about multicultural issues in Latvia and Estonia, which were made under the guidance of video producer Kristaps Pētersons and multimedia artist Jānis Garančs. During the summer school participants, mainly communication and journalism students, were collecting and editing material for presentation in contemporary appearance both in terms of content and technical solutions.

Participants have visited different cities – Valmiera, Rīga, Daugavpils, Preiļi, Zarasai, Tartu and Narva, thus acquiring comprehensive understanding about the Baltic states. Students from United States, Mexico, Japan, China, Palestinian National Authority, Georgia, Portugal, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Moldova, Russia, Belarus, Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia participated at the summer school. Lecturers represented United States, United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, Finland, Poland, Estonia and Latvia.

Baltic International Summer School already for the 10th year is organized by Vidzeme University College but this year it is joined by two more co-organizers – Daugavpils University and Tartu University’s Narva College. Summer school’s friends and supporters this year are Latvian Ministry of Education and Science, Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, U.S. Embassy in Latvia, Valmiera City Council as well as private companies LETA Video, Diena, Latvian Mobile Telephone, Cēsu Alus, Valmieras Piens, Triāls, Multiklubs and Hansabanka. In Daugavpils our partners are newspapers Latgales Laiks, Ekspress Nedelja and Seycas, in Narva – Narvsjkaja gazeta, Viru Prospekt and Narvskaja Nedelja.