Meeting at the Latvian Academy of Sciences on the evolving role of academic institutions in Latvia

The UniDev Latvian team took part in the organisation of a regular meeting of the Latvian Academy of Sciences entitled “The evolving role of academic institutions in Latvia: challenges and perspectives” which was held on 14 December 2006 in Riga, Latvia. Presentations were given by representatives from the Ministry of Education and Science, the University of Latvia, the Transport and Telecommunication Institute and the Latvian Academy of Sciences. They were followed by a general discussion with contribution made by several invited discussants. The meeting altogether was attended by around 40 people representing high-level personnel both from the public authorities and the academic community (academy, research institutes, higher education establishments). (more…)

Proposal for the case study on the appropriation of bio-tech

Biotechnology has established scientific traditions and a strong research potential in Latvia developed already in the soviet times thereby positioning Latvia as a respectable scientific centre in the region. While following the restoration of independence of Latvia and the respective political and economic changes in the 1990ties there was a substantial slowdown in this field, in the last decade biotechnology has also become one of the key national priorities in the field of science defined by the Cabinet of Ministers. (more…)

Latvia Position Paper presented at UNIVERSIDAD06

Considerations regarding the organisation of a national workshop in Latvia

Janis Kristapsons, Anda Adamsone-Fiskovica
Centre for Science and Technology Studies
Latvian Academy of Sciences

Issues related to the development of universities and their increasing role in the framework of the national innovation system is becoming very topical in Latvia. An increasing number of discussions are being held on the subject matter, e.g. seminar “Enhancing the competitiveness of Latvia in the European Union, technology transfer and commercialisation” organised by the Latvian Investment and Development Agency, Ministry of Economics and World Bank (8-9 June 2004); seminar “Entrepreneurship and University” organised by the University of Latvia and the British Council (9 September 2004); “Linkages between Higher Education, Research and the Business Sector” organised by the Ministry of Education and Science and the World Bank (21 June 2005), etc. On the one hand, this is a positive trend given the spreading awareness on the importance of related issues, while, on the other hand, by the time the national workshop is held there might be a certain saturation in the small local community taking part in this debate. Therefore a well though-out approach has to be taken in order to ensure attraction of the critical mass of potential (regular as well as newly attracted) participants and facilitate a productive and fresh discussion.
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