What problem are you solving?:

Liepaja is the third biggest town in Latvia with the second highest unemployment. In this economic situation people search different possibilities. One of it – to establish their own business. But the problem is that they haven’t practical skills to start small business.
Liepaja University has all intellectual capacity to offer different courses to citizens of Liepaja. LiepU also wants to be more open to local community offering different activities.
Idea will solve the problems:
1) Advance practical skills of local community to start their own small business;
2) Provide LiepU as open higher education institution;
3) Advance initiative of citizens to start small business, what is very important to develop healthy economics.

Describe your idea:

LiepU are planning open lections in entrepreneurship. Idea is – that theese lections are free in different subjects (Organizational Management, Finances, Quality Management, Communication sciences etc.). Passing the exams – students will get certificate with credit points (ECTS) and also consultations to establish company.
Second part of idea is going to open portal where everyone could watch open lections, get materials, and get presentations for free. But if he/she would like to get certificate after this self-learning, he/she should pass exam as other students.

What country will this operate in?: Latvia

Who are you?:

Today the LiepU is a state financed higher education, science and culture institution with a student body of 3000 and 300 staff members, split over the 3 faculties (Faculty of Educational Science, Humanities Faculty and Faculty of Natural Sciences and Social Sciences. The faculties include 12 sub-departments, 9 science sub-fields that are managed by professors/ associated professors. The University has the following study profiles: Humanitarian sciences and Art, Social welfare, Teacher education and Education sciences, Social sciences and Entrepreneurship, Natural sciences, Mathematics and Infomation technologies, Services. The University is an active member of national and international collaboration networks between institutions of higher education and is a member of several international educational mobility programmes.