Review of the visit from DAAD Headquarters

From 19th to 21st November, Benedikt Brisch, Head of Division Knowledge Exchange and Network, and Angela Helfer, Team Leader in the DAAD Network Section visited us – a look back at days filled with team-building activities, networking, and informative sessions.

The first day began with a team get-together, where everyone could chat in a relaxed atmosphere, away from work and career-related topics. This was followed by a discussion of roles and expectations within the team, both at headquarters and on site, as well as the annual plan and strategic goals for 2026. The historical background of the DAAD, along with its current and future challenges in the multipolar world of science, was also discussed. Benedikt Brisch presented this topic in our Science and Language Café on the same day. His lecture, ‘Knowledge Security and Knowledge Diplomacy’, inspired a large audience and led to some exciting discussions.

On the second day, Ieva Dzelme, Head of the Information Centre, and Benedikt Brisch took part in the ‘Teaching German Tomorrow’ forum at the Goethe Institute in Riga. Meanwhile, Angela Helfer introduced the team to the work of the DAAD network. As well as providing important contacts, online tools and information channels, she encouraged her colleagues in their new role as part of the network. During their lunch break, Benedikt Brisch, Angela Helfer and Ieva Dzelme met with Christopher Gronau, Cultural Attaché at the German Embassy. A key event was the afternoon roundtable discussion, held in collaboration with the University of Latvia. During this event, Benedikt Brisch presented the topic ‘Knowledge Security and Science Diplomacy’ to a panel of experts. The event attracted a keen audience, offering new opportunities for cooperation between the DAAD and Latvian universities.

On the last day of the event, the focus was on real-life case studies. Participants worked together to develop solutions to everyday conflicts at the IC. There was also plenty of room for humour, with an exchange of bizarre experiences creating a cheerful atmosphere. After a relaxed joint lunch break, the participants reflected on their most important insights from the past few days during a final reflection session on Friday afternoon, expressing their confidence in the future development of the Riga Information Centre.

In conclusion, we can say that the days were successful. Thank you very much for visiting us – we will certainly remember the time we spent together for a long time to come.