The Baltic International Academy is a university that cooperates and maintains partnerships with more than 130 higher schools from 22 European countries. Recently, there has been an increased interest in studying at BIA among young people from Asia and Africa.
This contributes to the development of a multicultural environment within the walls of a higher education institution.
Information and Cultural Centers are called upon to provide information support in such a multinational environment. Information centers were created for the purpose of information support not only for students, but also for the public: scientists, research institutions, lawyers, psychologists, culturologists. Various events are held in the centers.
The first Information and Cultural Center - the Center for Language and Culture of German-Speaking Countries - was opened in 2006 thanks to cooperation with Professor Manfred Kerner of the Open University of Berlin. The center's activities are aimed at popularizing the German language and culture. The Library of the Center consists of books on economics, law, politics, psychology, cultural studies in German. Most of the books were donated by Prof. Manfred Kerner. Many publications on marketing, advertising, PR-technologies, and tourism were donated by Prof. Marina Gunare. The auditorium in which the Centre is located is used for the study of Germanic languages.
The Information Centre for Latvian Culture and the Latvian Language, established in cooperation with the Latvian Academic Library and its long-term director Venta Kotsere, is called upon to introduce the history, culture and art of Latvia, the country in which the BIA is located. The collection of books on the history, culture, ethnography of Latvia is regularly replenished with books from the collections of the Latvian Academic Library and thanks to donations from private individuals. This Center is an integral part of the introductory tour of the educational institution for foreign students.
In the summer of 2011, the Information Centre of the European Union began its work. Such Centers in EU countries serve as one of the tools by which the European Commission provides the public with information on current developments in the EU. The centers are staffed with background material on law, economics, EU politics, history, European integration and international relations. Such centers are a "direct path" to up-to-date information on programs and grants, competitions, and vacancies available in the EU.
The center is designed to support scientists, researchers, research institutes, as well as lawyers, economists, psychologists, social workers, entrepreneurs whose activities are related to the EU. The Centre provides access to publications and materials of official EU institutions to all interested parties. The Center hosts various events for the public: conferences, lectures, consultations, seminars, exhibitions, and discussions on current topics.
In 2013, on the initiative of Professor Otto Wallenberg of the Royal Swedish Academy, the Nordic (Scandinavian) Countries Information Center was established.
The Center contains information on the geography, history, culture of Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Iceland. There is a collection of dictionaries, textbooks on the study of the languages of the Scandinavian countries, literary works by Scandinavian authors both in the original language and in translations into other languages.
