RSU brings together experts at international conference on strengthening security and societal resilience

On 19 September, Rīga Stradiņš University (RSU) hosted the international scientific-practical conference “Modern Security Challenges and Strategies for Their Prevention – Towards a Secure Society” for the first time. The event gathered security policy researchers, academics, representatives of law enforcement institutions, as well as doctoral candidates and students from Latvia, Germany, Poland, Romania, Albania, Kosovo and other countries both in person and online, to discuss one of the most pressing issues of today’s society – security.

Opening the conference, Minister of the Interior of the Republic of Latvia Rihards Kozlovskis stressed: ‘Russia’s full-scale war in Ukraine proves the urgent need for a joint, integrated legislative and institutional approach among all Baltic States, Poland, and Finland. Our collective security depends on our ability to act cohesively and decisively. Only through a coordinated political response we can successfully protect our external borders and safeguard our citizens.’

In her address, the newly elected Ombudsperson of the Republic of Latvia, former RSU Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, Assoc. Prof. PhD Karina Palkova, highlighted that security and human rights go hand in hand: ‘Sustainable security is only possible where human rights are respected, and respect builds trust and resilience within society. Without security in our daily lives, in society, and in the digital environment, people cannot fully enjoy freedom and dignity.’

She also thanked the research team, noting: ‘This conference demonstrates that RSU can serve as a platform where scientists and experts jointly seek solutions to strengthen the security and resilience of our society. I thank the research team for their time and effort in organising this interdisciplinary conference.’

The timeliness of the event was defined by the complex and rapidly changing security environment in Europe and the Baltic region. While Russia’s war in Ukraine remains the greatest long-term threat, presentations also addressed other major challenges such as terrorism and extremism, cyberattacks, hybrid threats, disinformation, crime, and various crises. The RSU research team working under the grant “Prevention of Security Threats and Risks in the Political Protection, Social, Socio-economic and Informative Fields” (No. RSU-PAG-2024/1-0015) emphasised that today’s security environment is complex and multilayered, requiring both academic analysis and practical action.

The aim of the conference was not only to analyse these processes but also to seek innovative and practically implementable strategies for strengthening the resilience of states and societies against threats. Special attention was given to the security situation in the Baltic region and opportunities for international cooperation.

Among the participants were leading scholars and researchers, as well as practitioners from institutions working daily with security issues. The conference fostered interdisciplinary and international dialogue, reinforcing RSU’s role as a platform for serious discussions on security at the national, regional, and global level.

The conference was organised within the RSU Grant “Prevention of Security Threats and Risks in the Political Protection, Social, Socio-economic and Informative Fields” (No. RSU-PAG-2024/1-0015). The Project “RSU Internal and RSU with LASE External Consolidation” (No. 5.2.1.1.i.0/2/24/I/CFLA/005) is funded by the European Union Recovery and Resilience Facility and the state budget of Latvia.