I visited the Faculty of Forestry at the Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies in Jelgava on a sunny September afternoon, when renovations were still underway and the premises were filled with the scent of sawn wood and fresh paint. This is precisely what our conversation with its host, Dean Linards Sisenis, is about – preparing young specialists in woodworking, forestry, and everything related to trees.

When asked which programmes saw the greatest interest from applicants and students this year, the Dean exclaimed: "All of them! There was less demand for woodworking, but there is still a societal stereotype that woodworking is a craft. Nonsense! The woodworking programme trains engineers to manage production and understand the processes taking place there. We are unable to produce enough graduates. Every year, there is a shortage of approximately 40 graduates in the labour market."