Tallinn University SEMA Students Participate in The Green Shift Erasmus+ Programme in Latvia
From 20 to 24 April, Tallinn University Social Entrepreneurship MA students, together with social entrepreneurship lecturer Audronė Urmanavičienė, participated in the Erasmus+ Blended Intensive Programme “The Green Shift: Empowering Community and Nature-Based Potential” in Jelgava, Latvia.
he programme brought together students and academic staff from several partner institutions, including Tallinn University, Estonia, LBTU, Latvia, the University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Poland, and the Krakow University of Economics, Poland. Throughout the week, students explored sustainability, community engagement, social entrepreneurship, green innovation, and nature-based solutions through lectures, practical activities, mentoring, field visits, and group work.
The first day began with an introduction to the Erasmus+ Blended Intensive Programme, its assignments, and study field, led by Associate Professor Lāsma Līcīte-Ķurbe from LBTU. Students then delivered their presentations on the theme “Think Global, Act Local,” sharing ideas on how global sustainability challenges can be addressed through local action. These presentations were supported by lecturers from the partner universities.
During the programme, students participated in a wide range of thematic sessions. Associate Professor Lāsma Līcīte-Ķurbe led the session “The Green Shift: Turning Environmental Problems into Opportunities for Sustainable Innovation,” while Lecturer Linda Pērkone from LBTU introduced students to “Social Entrepreneurship as One of the Contributors of Environmental Sustainability.” These sessions encouraged students to reflect on how environmental challenges can be transformed into opportunities for sustainable and socially responsible innovation.
On the second day, students continued with a team-building exercise and received a “surprise box” challenge for their final group assignment. As one of the programme sessions, Audronė Urmanavičienė from Tallinn University delivered the lecture “From Activities to Outcomes: Designing Social Impact Measurement System with the Theory of Change.” During this session, students learned how to connect activities with goals, outcomes, and measurable social impact. The programme also included sessions on community engagement and urban sustainability, helping students better understand the role of communities and nature-based solutions in building a greener future.
A particularly valuable part of the programme was the field trip in Latvia. During the visit, students explored Abgunstes muiža and 4 vēji, gaining firsthand insight into how community initiative, creativity, social entrepreneurship, and sustainability can come together in practice. At Abgunstes muiža, students experienced a place where heritage, creativity, and community engagement meet. At 4 vēji, they learned more about inclusive employment and sustainable production through the work of a social enterprise creating opportunities for people from social risk groups.
On the fourth day, students participated in “The Green Shift in Action: A Design Thinking Lab,” led by Assistant Professor Madara Dobele from LBTU. The lab helped students further develop their group challenge ideas through creative and practical problem-solving. Later, Assistant Professor Natalia Świdyńska from the University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn delivered a session on evaluating the profitability of social and environmental investment projects using non-discount and discount methods, giving students additional tools for assessing sustainable initiatives.
On the final day, 24 April, students delivered their group presentations. The presentations were evaluated and supported by the academic staff involved in the programme. SEMA students presented the ideas and solutions they had developed during the week, highlighting how community-based and nature-based approaches can support sustainable innovation and contribute to the green shift.
Participation in The Green Shift offered Tallinn University SEMA students a valuable international learning experience. Through lectures, mentoring, field visits, teamwork, design thinking, and final presentations, students strengthened their understanding of sustainability, social entrepreneurship, social impact measurement, community engagement, and nature-based innovation.
We are proud of our students’ active participation and contribution to the programme together with lecturer Audronė Urmanavičienė. Their engagement demonstrated how future social entrepreneurs can contribute to a greener, more inclusive, and more responsible future through learning, collaboration, and action.
#ErasmusPlus #TheGreenShift #SEMAStudents #TallinnUniversity #SocialEntrepreneurship #Sustainability #SocialImpact #CommunityEngagement #NatureBasedSolutions #GreenInnovation
