AIESEC In The World

The History of AIESEC Latvia

AIESEC Latvia was established in 1994 and has celebrated its "sweet 16" birthday in 2010. Currently AIESEC is present in Latvia in 2 cities - Riga and Valmiera. Here is a little historical outlook on the journey of AIESEC Latvia:

1993 – the very beginning

  • National Educational Seminar in Poland, where 6 Latvian University students took part.
  • Iļja Kazancevs establishes contact with AIESEC in Sweden, but does not get support from students and entrepreneurs.

1994 – the foundation

  • Established cooperation with AIESEC in Sweden
  • Pauls Irbins participated in European member countries congress (EUROC’94) In Estonia.
  • In the national seminar in Sweden Latvia was presented as a potential AIESEC member country.
  • Foundation meeting. Established "Latvian Association of Economics students".

1995 – official status

  • Latvia Assosiation of Econiomics students gets an official AIESEC status having a goal of meeting all criteria to become full status AIESEC member country.
  • In SriLanka congress 10.04.1995. Latvia is approved to be AIESEC member country.
  • First exchange participant arrives to Latvia. Student from Netherlands takes internship in a/s “Koblenz & Partneri”.
  • National Training Seminar in Sigulda. Particpants from different countries: 150

1996 – Expanding! Expanding!

  • 01.02.1996. Latvian University of Agriculture – established first initiative group.
  • 05.02.1996. Initiative Group established in Daugavpils Pedagogical University.
  • 09.04.1996. AIESEC Rīga gets the status of Local Committee in Latvia. The first Executive Board is elected.
  • Initiative group established in Valmiera.

1997 – Summits and conference all around

  • 30.02-1.03. „Reception Weekend” with AIESECers from Lithuania and Estionia. Getting to know Rīga and Latvia.
  • April – May. AIESEC organizaes the first ever Career Days in Latvia. In Riga 21-27.04.
  • Parallely forums in Daugavpils 28.-30.04. in Rēzekne 29.04. in Jelgava 5-6.05.
  • 18-20.08.1997. Baltic Summit, first meeting of Baltic committees in order to establish closer cooperation.
  • 23.-26.10.1997. National Leadership Development Seminar 97. Participants:120 from Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and members of initiative group of Ventspils College.

1998 – developing international cooperation

  • 20-22.04. Career Days in Riga, 28-29.04 in Jelgava, 5-6.05 in Daugavpils.
  • 08-11.07. Daugavpils cooperational event with AIESEC Šaulai.
  • 27.07.1997. 4 Latvian students go to Finland for internships: Raimonds Čerņenko, Juris Mols, Edvīns Ritovs, Romualds Stošāns.

2002 – Getting the big projects going

  • September. NGO forum. Project „JaJaDra” (Jaunieties Jaunietim Draugs). Particiants: almost 600 students.
  • December. Informative lecture „Production – future perspective in Latvia”. Participants: 60 students.
  • March. Cycle of lectures. “SSASP”. 8 lectures. Participants: 450 students.
  • Project "Youth Way" – AIESEC in Latvia organizes a commonwealth week with 5 countries representatives.

2005/2006 – the new and old beginnings

  • Project “Youth Way 3” organized nationally with AIESEC Riga and Ventspils – 10 trainees visiting 60 schools around Latvia
  • AIESEC Riga organizing Baltic conference “Energy 2005”
  • AIESEC Latvia members present at CEEMOS 2006 in Poland (motivational seminar for new members) with 20 other nationalities

2007 – Baltic synergy

2008 – projects! projects!

  • AIESEC Riga organizing projects “Lotus” 1 and 2, “Openflame”
  • AIESEC Latvia organizing Outgoing Preparation Seminar for students who go abroad in December
  • AIESEC Ventspils organizing first Outgoing Preparation Seminar
  • AIESEC Vamiera organizing project based on exchange “Informal Age”
  • In december 2008 AIESEC Latvia organizes Baltic conference "Energy 2008". The conference itself takes place in Hotel Riga, but there are also open sessions organized in LU EVF and a "Global Village" event in Galeria Centrs.

2009 – sustainable development

  • AIESEC Riga continues organizing conferences “Lotus” 3 (May) and 4 (December)
  • AIESEC Riga runs a project based on exchange with participants from USA, India, Moldova, Croatia and Singapore “Tomorrow Steps”
  • AIESEC Vamiera organizing project based on exchange “Valmiera goes Green”