EKA- listening, relating and learning

My Latvian business seminars began with an introduction at Ekonomikas un kultūras augstskolas (EKA) in Riga, Latvia.The EKA visit and interactions throughout the week demonstrated how important interpersonal communications are to sustainability, particularly in terms of using language as a source of competitive advantage.

10 EKA students participated in the partnership with Walsh College, and several observations stood out during the week. Most noticeably, all the students were fluent in at least 3 languages (Latvian, Russian, and English), oftentimes more (including Spanish and German). They also had a willingness to learn, observe, and actively participate, which was especially impressive since the college was on break and this was a voluntary program at EKA. Furthermore, they were collaborative, whether it involved organizing and redesigning activities based on changing conditions or translating difficult questions. They also facilitated an enhanced learning experience through their interactions, especially as they were direct on issues. Finally, their abilities to listen first, then respond, demonstrated an important link to EQ, as that built trust and engagement.

My findings on EKA as an institution included:
1) the education programs emphasized application as well as theory;
2) the faculty and school itself not only engaged students, but encouraged them to share experiences (including through social media);
3) the curriculum and experiences highlighted developing competencies in multiple languages;
4) EKA's programs, through fairly recent, were accredited for the maximum 6 years instead of 2 years, demonstrating strengths comparable to a larger university and well-established programs.

There are several points I see as a take-aways from this experience:
1) it is important to continue developing active listening skills, as that builds trust and relationships;
2) sharing and collaboration is crucial, both locally and on a global level, as reducing barriers- such as language- bring issues and ideas to the front;
3) encouraging multiway interaction enhances learning and trust;
4) connecting skills to application is extremely important in a service-based economy.