Guest article by Jacob Fenner, student of the Bachelor's degree program in Ecology and Environmental Protection:
The Student Spring Conference of the Baltic University Program (BUP) took place again this year. For the first time in Latvia, it was a welcome opportunity to escape the usual student routine after an exhausting post-exam period for all of us. We started our excursion on a stressful cold Tuesday afternoon... quickly wrote the Bio WP and then off we went on the train, first stop was Berlin with accommodation with friends. The next morning we took the flight to Riga. We had 4 exhausting but also instructive and sociable days ahead of us.
[caption id="attachment_683" align="alignright" width="300"] Participants[/caption]
Around 68 students from 13 different nations met for a short briefing and information session in the newly built Faculty of Natural Sciences at Latvijas Universitate. Afterwards, we had the opportunity to explore Riga's historic old town on our own with local Latvian students.
The actual venue of the conference, Ratnieki, about 80 km from Riga, was reached by bus.
The next few days were to be filled with classes / courses on the topic of "Sustainable Development". Speakers included BUP Director Lars Rydén, Per Berg from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and student participants.
[caption id="attachment_678" align="alignright" width="300"] Presentations[/caption]
In addition to the presentations included in the supporting program, there were also lighter but equally interesting events for the mind. For example, we had the opportunity to visit the production facilities of a local brewery and taste the fresh barley juice.
In the evenings, we sang songs together, danced, exchanged ideas and made friends. A special highlight was an introduction to Latvian folk dances by a Riga dance and music group.
In addition to the countless side events, our task was to make the annual "LABA DABA" music festival in Ratnieki more sustainable and attractive.
[caption id="attachment_681" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Riga Blackheads' House[/caption][caption id="attachment_677" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Latvijas Universitate[/caption]
After four days, during which we worked on our workshop tasks in addition to countless other experiences, we had to say goodbye to our new friends with a heavy heart.
But with a bit of luck we might see each other again at the next BUP - Student Spring Conference or the BUP SAIL.
[caption id="attachment_684" align="aligncenter" width="800"] f.l.t.r. Felix Glaunsinger, Jacob Fenner, Prof. Bernd Delakowitz, Mirjam Weituschat, Levent Köksal, Eric Gutte[/caption]