RSU continues developing good governance and implementing modern data analytics ecosystem Microsoft Fabric
One of the cornerstones for the development of Rīga Stradiņš University (RSU) is good governance, which includes data analysis, streamlined processes, and transparency. Digitalisation, which is one of the strategic goals of the university, plays a major role here. As the number of students, the amount of research, and international competitiveness continue to grow, it becomes particularly important for the university to introduce modern and unified data management solutions.
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Data growth and transition to a unified data architecture
More than 12,000 students are studying at RSU, and with the university’s rapid development, the amount of data has also grown – around 50 different systems that had emerged over time created a fragmented information environment, making it difficult to obtain a unified overview of the data.
As RSU had already been collaborating with the IT company Microsoft for more than a decade, the university’s IT team saw an opportunity to combine data governance and analytics in the new Microsoft Fabric platform. ‘We finally saw a platform that covers all data management challenges,’ explains Zigmunds Zitmanis, Director of the Department of Information Technology.
Why does RSU use Microsoft technologies specifically? ‘Microsoft is one of the lead players in the IT field,’ explains Zitmanis. ‘The US information technology research and consulting company Gartner has recognised it as one of the most influential developers of data analytics and integration solutions.’
RSU has become the first educational institution in the Baltics to implement Microsoft Fabric on such a scale. The university began implementing it from the moment the platform was created, at the beginning of 2025.
Gatis Praličs, RSU Chief Information Systems Architect, notes: ‘It is a unified cloud-based platform for data engineering and analytics. There is no need to install servers or software to start working with data.’
Student feedback analysis using artificial intelligence
Every year, RSU receives up to 100,000 student comments in study quality surveys – an amount that is difficult to analyse using human resources alone. By applying Microsoft Fabric and Azure OpenAI technology, a solution was developed that can accurately analyse the content and sentiment of the feedback with approximately 95% accuracy.
This new system has significantly improved the transparency of the study process and made it possible to identify issues requiring immediate action much more quickly. Positive comments are highlighted as “green flags,” while problems are marked as “red flags,” ensuring a rapid response.
The impact of data analytics on processes – fewer problems with data accuracy
Integrated analytics has enabled RSU to identify previously unrecognised challenges, such as limitations in classroom usage and the repetition of exam questions. This provided an opportunity to improve room logistics, exam design, and the overall quality of the study process.
At the same time, RSU observed a significant improvement in data quality. ‘Accuracy problems in student data have decreased from 5% to 2%,’ notes Zitmanis.
A look into the future: data management, AI, and less bureaucracy
In the coming months, RSU plans to complete the migration of reporting to Microsoft Fabric and to implement Microsoft Purview for data governance. At the same time, the university is creating two new structural units for IT security and artificial intelligence.
RSU Chancellor Toms Baumanis emphasises that the goal is to significantly reduce bureaucracy and enhance processes: ‘We currently have 40 processes, which is a lot. With the development of digitalisation, we hope to improve quality, make administrative processes more efficient, and reduce bureaucracy.’
Zitmanis: ‘We are pleased that Microsoft has recognised the RSU’s achievements as an example of good practice, because praise from such a major player on the IT market is proof that we are moving in the right direction.’
At the RSU Research Week 2025 conference, the presentation "How to Gather Insights from Data – RSU Microsoft Fabric Use Case" caused significant interest among other universities, confirming the RSU’s position as a regional leader in data governance and digital transformation. Zitmanis emphasises that Microsoft Fabric provides confidence in the university’s long-term data strategy:
‘Good data governance is the foundation for further development in digitalisation and for the effective implementation of AI solutions in the future, which opens up new opportunities for growth.’
