Students in Rezekne municipality want to create one of the world's most developed outlets
The competition for “relatives” was launched on 17 December 2013, and as part of this, the most talented and ambitious students of Latvian universities compete among themselves by developing and implementing various business projects in Latvia's provinces until June 2016. 18 student teams from 10 Latvian universities are participating in the competition, representing 18 Latvian provinces, and one of these leads is Rezekne. It is represented by ten students from the University of Rezekne who have joined the same team “KomandRA”, consisting of experienced and responsible engineers, smart and knowledgeable economists and creative philosophers in humanities. They are prepared to fight for the welfare of the region and win the competition. To find out more about the team itself, its goals in development and motivation win, we offer a conversation with Captain Rolanda Keith.
Who encouraged you to participate in the competition for “relatives”?
Who can encourage people to participate in the competition? It is a desire to self-realize and show others who you are and what you can. It is not enough to go to university and tell everyone that you have reached something. There is a need for real proof that your knowledge is worth it. For example, we all know situations where people finish the university and at the end they do not really do anything in their sector, or even try. We can probably say that the members of the “KomandRA” do not want to be. We want to start our business at the time of the studies, which we believe is very real within the framework of this project and we will certainly succeed.
What are your goals in the competition and what you want to give to your representative?
Our vision is to create the Rēzekne municipality as a progressive and one of Latvia and, not afraid to say so, also around the world, the most developed counties! It is not a simple business project that the team expects, but a whole set of activities at the level of the entire Latgale region. Of course we will start with the Rēzekne municipality, which will allow it to be a modern place where not only the visitors will want to return, but others will try to get a particle out of it all new and seen.
Sounds intriguing! Have you already figured out what industry you want to make for the Rēzekne municipality?
Our priority sectors, at least in the first phase of planning, will be information technologies and tourism.
Why exactly these industries?
We believe that it is not necessary to ask, as it IS the future of the future, and the University of Rēzekne has, as one of its priorities, put forward directly the engineering sciences, certifying it with the construction of the new engineer faculty. But it is just a start, because the creation of a modern-day drain must invest in all sectors, even in environmental management, because no tourists can be attracted without a beautiful environment.
Is an institution of higher education a motivation and support for participation in this competition?
Of course, the university is our contact point. We can be there at any time as a team, and we never refuse help, of course, within our limits. For example, we searched for a place where we could deploy their homes, or a place to register a company. In our plans, there was a business incubator at first, but there was uncertainty about its activities in the future (due to THE end of THE LIDA design year), so we asked the engineer's faculty decree whether it was impossible to get premises in the new faculty of engineers (hopefully that all the works in its construction would be completed soon) and we did not say no. We even offered a variety of options, we are now waiting for legal approval and the moment when we can actually get there. The university could also provide us with accountants and other types of services.
I'm glad to hear that the university is so supportive! What difficulties or unexpected things have you already encountered in the start of the competition?
The most difficult thing is, of course, to understand what we're going to do and what we're going to do. In the first phase of the planning, everything seemed so simple and transparent that we could start working now, but when we went deeper into the planning basics, we realized that maybe it wouldn't be so easy. That is, we begin to carry out our ideas for the implementation of the financial calculations, to think about the audience, the identification of the product and the research of competitors, which creates dual sensations. That is the only encumbrance we have encountered.
And what about the positive feelings? What did you have a pleasant surprise?
Positive feelings would be said loudly. We are happy at this moment that we are in it and we can fight for money prizes because it is our goal - to obtain financial resources to help develop our own business. That is why we believe that the positive feelings are precisely because we were approved. Let us be happy when we are able to deal with the action plan and we will be able to send it for consideration, because it will mean that we have done the first hard work, and these feelings will be similar as if we had sent a diploma that would have been created all night.
Tell me what the strengths of your team are in this competition?
Hard to say! We're young! We're creative! We're working! Maybe we're particularly motivated? But that might be a response to almost every team, so it is not easy to formulate our strengths. We're all students and we're all at the same age, we're all the same competitors. We should admit that we are even worse than others, the more difficult it is to win. It's not the city of the big city, they realize that everything is around you and that all the possibilities are around you. The only strong side currently expressed is the willingness to demonstrate that regional universities can also win.
What are you with compromises? Can you find them and get to a common denominator, a common point of view?
The team cannot exist without the term “compromise”, although the final result of any decision is a victory of one or more persons. Because, as we look at, the team is based on leaders, but we can immediately add that big compromises have not been needed at this time, because we are mainly led by one goal -- to develop our own region. Yes, we have discussions about what would be better for the team, but there has been no compelling disagreement. We're trying to search for that golden middle road. Amazing, but we are moving from the beginning as a good mechanism, only with a small problem in the engine power.
What is what motivates you to achieve better results?
We'll respond briefly. Everyone has their own motives, everyone has their own wishes, everyone wants something else. The team's motivation is to realize every intention and wishes.
Your team in the competition website openly says you're ready to fight for the region's prosperity and win. What do you think must be a team to win this competition?
Ideally, the team must have a business experience with people who all act for one purpose, which is not because of their own interests, but because of the idea. The ideal team, of course, does not exist, but otherwise -- the main time is to think about profit. Of course, we can talk about the importance of all the moral aspects and the good of humanity, but must be open - because the team is more interested in getting money and raising his wealth, the easier it is to fight. The aim of the competition is to develop the region, but you can do a charity and develop it, but at the same time it can also be done by improving its financial position. Which option will be more satisfactory to the person, it will give more motivation to work. The world is based on money and must be kept in mind. Of course, in the first year, when only a business model and action plan are ready, the team can be judged by its ambitious goals, but it will only work in the first year. Then, and in the final, the one who will win the greatest profit will win.
The interview was prepared by the public relations consultant Sigita Ceplevič.
