Journals of Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences
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A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF FAMILY SUPPORT POLICIES IN THE CONTEXT OF NORWAY, ESTONIA, IRELAND, POLAND, AND THE NETHERLANDS
Get PDFDemographic and migration factors have had a profound impact on the Latvian economy since the country regained its independence, creating both challenges and opportunities that require in-depth analysis. This research examines these factors, emphasizing their importance for the development of the Latvian economy. To better understand the experiences of other European countries in shaping family support policies, five very different countries were selected: Norway, Estonia, Ireland, Poland, and the Netherlands. These case studies aim to provide information and recommendations for improving the Latvian policy framework, including factors related to prosperous family support systems observed in these comparable countries.
In a situation of prolonged depopulation, Latvia faces the greatest challenges, increasing population ageing and low birth rates, which contribute to population decline, negatively affecting the labour market and economic productivity (Klotmiņš and Krišjāne, 2016). The study aims to analyze how these demographic changes, combined with migration patterns, affect the Latvian economy in terms of labour participation and economic growth. In addition, the study aims to examine how family support policies in other European countries can serve as a model for Latvia to promote higher birth rates and improve job retention
VEGETATION DEPICTION MODES AND PERFORMANCE TESTING ON VARIOUS VIRTUAL REALITY HEADSETS
Get PDFAs virtual reality technology keeps being utilized in various fields, the demand for immersive environments keeps growing. Still, it is particularly challenging to provide high-fidelity solutions for standalone headsets due to hardware limitations, especially if it is necessary to visualize different types of vegetation. While there are improvements in next generation headsets regarding computational power, still it is a challenge to render intricate virtual environments. Previous studies that compare virtual reality headsets rarely focus on standalone headsets and prefer to use simpler geometries for testing purposes.
The aim of this study is to evaluate performance of multiple vegetation types with differing depiction modes, such as high-polygon 3D models, use of level of detail (LOD) and billboards, on standalone VR headsets – Meta Quest 2 and Meta Quest 3
TRANSITION TOWARDS A CIRCULAR ECONOMY IN SMALL AND MEDIUM - SIZED ENTERPRISES: METHODOLOGICAL APPROACH
Get PDFSmall and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) play a crucial role in Europe\u27s transition to sustainability, accounting for more than 50% of EU GDP and more than 63% of business are responsible for CO² and broader GHG emissions (European Commission, 2025).This study focuses on a synthesis of existing methodological approaches used to study the transition to a circular economy in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The aim is to analyze and summarize different research strategies, highlighting the most effective methods for the transition to a circular economy in these enterprises. The study uses a meta-analytic approach, reviewing qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods research designs used to investigate best practices. The main methodological frameworks include case studies, surveys, life cycle assessments and comparative analysis of regulatory compliance. By examining these approaches, the study identifies their strengths, limitations and applicability in assessing the circular economy performance of SMEs. A key aspect of this methodological synthesis involves the categorization of research approaches, such as resource efficiency, waste management, carbon footprint and regulatory compliance. It allows identifying best practices and gaps in current methodologies, contributing to a more comprehensive understanding of how SMEs can effectively implement the transition to a circular economy
THE DRIVE TOWARDS THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY: MITIGATING THE CHALLENGES FACED BY ALBANIA
Get PDFAchieving a circular economy is a must for attaining sustainable development and Albania has recognized its importance since 2015 when adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Furthermore, being a European Union candidate country, Albania is locked into the membership process which bears some clear requirement in regard to the circular economy, too. Such requirements for a transition towards a circular economy are especially set out in the Sofia Declaration on the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans 2018.
However, Albania is facing challenges in achieving this objective, and this paper intends to discuss these challenges, explore the reasons why they arise and refer to the experience of other countries in the region as the possible way ahead.
Albania is faced with some particular challenges in relation to the drive towards achieving a circular economy. The research undertaken here as part of this study, as well as various other studies conducted in the past, indicate that these changes appear in the form of inadequate regulatory framework, low resource productivity, improper waste management, limited awareness of the circular economy, etc
ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE COMMUNICATION IN LATVIA: MANAGEMENT PRACTICES AND PRACTICAL CHALLENGES
Get PDFIn recent years, alongside the rapid development of artificial intelligence tools and the demand for digitalization processes at the national policy level, as well as challenges in the external political and economic environment, organizations in Latvia have been implementing changes at various levels. As a result, the practice of change management and communication has become increasingly relevant, either facilitating the successful implementation of change or undermining it.
The research aimed to examine change management and communication practices, as well as the main issues in strategic change communication. To achieve this objective, a survey was conducted. Data collection took place between November 20 and December 20, 2024, through the distribution of an online questionnaire via social media platforms. A total of 191 respondents completed the survey. Of these, 55% held managerial positions and 45% were employees. Regarding organizational size, 68% represented large companies, while 32% were from small and medium-sized enterprises. In terms of ownership, 81% were employed in state-owned enterprises and 19% in privately owned companies. The gender distribution was 71% women and 29% men
AFFORDABILITY AND ACCESSIBILITY AS DIMENSIONS OF TRANSPORT POVERTY: SURVEY-BASED EVIDENCE TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE MOBILITY
Get PDFTransport has been recognised as one of the essential services in the Action Plan for the European Pillar of Social Rights by European Commission, highlighting its critical role in ensuring social inclusion and equal opportunities. There is an EU target of reducing the number of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion by at least 15 million by 2030. However, despite this policy recognition, challenges remain in tackling transport poverty, in particular in terms of affordability and accessibility.
This study builds on the findings of Grīnberga-Šilaua and Zemīte (2025), who studied transport poverty and its related indicators in Latvia. Taking these findings into account, the current study examines in depth the dimensions of affordability and accessibility as components of transport poverty. In 2023, the European Union established its first definition of transport poverty in Regulation 2023/955 on the Social Climate Fund. According to this regulation, transport poverty is defined as the inability or difficulty of individuals and households to afford private or public transport or their limited access to transport services necessary to achieve essential socio-economic activities. This definition highlights the importance of national and spatial context in addressing mobility disparities
GAMIFIED NARRATIVES IN FILM EDUCATION: EXPERIENCE FROM CINEGAME UKRAINE
Get PDFIn recent years, gamification has emerged as a powerful pedagogical strategy for increasing student engagement, particularly in creative disciplines where motivation, imagination, and narrative construction are essential. This paper presents the conceptual framework, design methodology, and preliminary outcomes of CineGame Ukraine – a research-based educational virtual game to enhance storytelling and storyboarding skills among emerging filmmakers in Ukraine.
The CineGame Ukraine project was developed within the framework of a Marie Skłodowska- Curie postdoctoral fellowship and is hosted by Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences. The project addresses a growing need in film and media education for learner-centered, interactive, and modular environments that combine traditional narrative theory with hands- on, experiential learning. It also responds to the challenges imposed by the war in Ukraine, which has disrupted traditional educational infrastructures and limited access to creative resources
ECOMIND: ASPECTS OF ECOLOGY IN NEW MEDIA ART OF THE 21ST CENTURY
Get PDFThe interdisciplinary project EcoMind covers the fields of research into contemporary art, communication of ecosystemic knowledge in new media art, and a technological capacity building in A-Frame. The particular focus is on European new media artworks classified under the theoretical umbrella of social ecology, media ecology, and eco-aesthetics. Born from biology, referring to the interrelationship of organisms and their environments, the term has acquired a range of applied meanings in other contexts. In his work The Three Ecologies (1989), Félix Guattari expanded the concept of ecology, introducing the concepts of social, environmental, and mental ecology. It led to a new dimension of understanding the simultaneous crises confronting the environment, society, and the human psyche.
The VR environment EcoMind (2025-2028) is being designed as a contemporary art gallery cooperatively by three research institutions (RISEBA, Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences in Latvia, and École Supérieure d’Art et de Design d’Orléans in France). It aims to revise societal values regarding ecology, as well as demonstrate new media arts’ reflections on our experience of beauty and the sublime
PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AND STRATEGIC DECISION-MAKING SUPPORT BASED ON ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: CONSTRAINING FACTORS
Get PDFThe importance of artificial intelligence is growing. The adoption of it in public administration has the potential to enhance transparency, efficiency, and responsiveness, ultimately creating greater public value (Babšek et al. 2025). Using artificial intelligence technologies in government improves policy-making processes, public service delivery, and the internal management of public administrations (van Noordt and Misuraca 2022). This study aims to analyse constraining factors that influence the strategic decision-making support within public administration based on artificial intelligence
AUDZĒT & APSĒSTIES: LĪDZDALĪBAS VEICINĀŠANAS MEHĀNISMI URBĀNAJOS DĀRZOS UN LUCAVSALAS KOPIENAS DĀRZA PROJEKTĀ “KOPIENAS DIZAINS”
Get PDFCaur topošā Lucavsalas kopienas dārza, kā arī citu lokāla un starptautiska mēroga urbāno dārzu un kopienas iesaistes iniciatīvu piemēru salīdzinājumu raksts apskata radošas līdzdalības prakses - ne vien noteiktas vietas iedzīvotāju, bet arī cilvēka un vides kopībā - kā urbānā ķermeņa revitalizācijas formas. Īpaši izceļot Lucavsalas kopienas dārza projektu “Kopienas dizains” (2024) un tajā lietoto dizaina domāšanu kā kopienu veidošanas un/vai stiprināšanas instrumentu, tas izgaismo pilsētas zaļās zonas kā demokrātiju veicinošu telpu potenciālu, kā arī radoši starpdisciplināru pieeju nozīmi pilsētas iedzīvotāju balss uzklausīšanā un izcelšanā