From 26th of December to 1th of January our laboratory doctoral students Sandis Dejus and Brigita Dalecka participated in the 2×2 World Latvian Youth Seminar. The 2×2 seminar was created in the sixties of the last century, bringing together exiled Latvians to the United States, but since 2015 «2×2» is taking place in Latvia, bringing together young people for a week, and inviting them to think, discuss, and get together with creative, interesting lecturers. This year, in Latvia, the first 2×2 winter seminar was held in which Sandis and Brigita guide the direction «Science and Technology». At the same time as a lecturer, our laboratory leader, Talis Juhna, led the lecture on the nature of science and its role in engineering. Also, during the whole week, young people got acquainted with the basic work of research and learned more about the quality of drinking water in Latvia.

For more information on the next 2×2 workshops, visit:

http://2x2pasaule.lv/
https://www.facebook.com/2x2pasaule/

Photo: Jurgis Rikveilis

https://www.facebook.com/jurgis.rikveilis

On 5th of December the closing seminar of the State Research Program SOPHIS took place at the premises of the Institute of Electronics and Computer Science (EDI). During the seminar, four years of research and results from partners involved in the program were presented, such as traveling cars, smart clothing and melanoma diagnostic equipment. Researchers at the Water Research Laboratory, Sandis Dejus and Alina Neščerecka, presented the results of the project – the online monitoring system for drinking water quality.

More:

http://sophis.edi.lv/research/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzV9_F3BqW8&feature=youtu.be From: 2:15:00

https://www.facebook.com/edi.riga/

From 24th August to 2nd September Institute for Environmental Solutions (http://www.videsinstituts.lv) was hosting the first international summer school «Research and management of lake ecosystems» on lake ecology and management in Latvia (http://www.videsinstituts.lv/en/summer-school-on-lake-ecology/about-summer-school). Under the leadership of an international team of teachers, summer school participants had the opportunity to learn practical skills in lake surveys, and, in cooperation with business people, local people and local authorities, to develop recommendations for the management of the lake Ungurs. On August 30 our team’s leading researcher Kristīna Tihomirova, Linda Mežule and Vinda Ltd (http://www.vinda.lv/pak.php) representatives participated in summer school activities within WATERCHAIN project framework. During the day students had the opportunity to visit water and wastewater treatment plants and listened to a lecture on water and wastewater microbiology. Water Research Laboratory PhD student Aigars Lavrinovičs also take part in summer school. We thank Varis Ādamsons, Sandra Vasiļevska and Ivars Bērziņš for support, great technical work, active participation and opportunity to visit water and wastewater treatment utilities.

Our researchers Kristina Tihomirova, Linda Mezule, Kamila Gruskevica and Viktorija Denisova participated in Watercnain project partners meeting in Turku, Finland. They also visited pilot sites and Wastewater Treatment Plant Kakola. Great thanks to our Finnish partners for Turku University of Applied Sciences organizing the meeting.

From 30th August to 31st August project «Assessment of Biogas Production Risks in the Baltic Sea Region from the Perspective of Management of Nutrient Matter» meeting took place in Riga. The project is attended by 7 partners – Aalto University (Finland), Gdansk Technical University (Poland), Chalmers Technical University (Sweden), Estonian Biogas Association, The University of Aarhus (Denmark), the Riga Technical University and the John Nurminen Foundation. The project aim is to reduce the risk of leakage of nutrients from the biogas production process in the Baltic Sea Region and a number of discharges from existing biogas equipment. Riga Technical University Water Research Laboratory is project coordinator.