RSU Rector Prof. Aigars Pētersons outlines university's achievements and future goals at annual academic meeting
Photo: Courtesy of RSU
On 2 October, the annual Academic Meeting took place in the Great Hall of Rīga Stradiņš University (RSU). The event was opened by RSU Rector Prof. Aigars Pētersons with his report "Achievements in the 2024/2025 academic year and future challenges." At the beginning of his presentation, the Rector thanked the university team for their hard work and significant achievements over the past year.
I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the entire RSU community, who devote their strength, energy, talent, working hours and even their free time to the prosperity of our University. Our priority is our fantastic people, without whose contribution the achievements of RSU would not be possible,’ emphasised the Rector.
RSU Rector Prof. Aigars Pētersons
Study programmes in Latvian and English
Currently, RSU has 12,474 students, including 3,105 international students from 87 countries, who make up 27% of the total student body.
The university offers 63 new study programmes, eight of which are taught in English. These include Digital Transformation in Healthcare, Digital Strategy and Artificial Intelligence Management, Hybrid Threat Prevention, as well as professional programmes in sports science, nursing and others.
Consolidation
An important phase of development was the merger of the Latvian Academy of Sport Education (LASE) with RSU. The consolidation strengthened research capacity in sports science, facilitated the transition to RSU systems, and enabled the consolidation of programmes.
This has contributed to both an improvement in the quality of studies and a more efficient organisational structure.
International cooperation
RSU continues to be active in the international arena. In 2022, the first clinical study branch in the field of medicine in the Baltic States was opened at the Elbe Clinic in Stade, Germany, where 62 students have already trained. In addition, RSU cooperates with 210 medical institutions in Latvia and clinics in Germany, Finland, Italy, and Israel. The proportion of international visiting lecturers and researchers has reached 18%.
Achievements in research
The most significant event in research was RSU Research Week 2025, which brought together 9,000 participants from 70 countries, featured 1,300 presentations, and gathered 60 renowned experts from 19 scientific institutions.
RSU is currently implementing more than 13 significant projects with total funding of over EUR 8.7 million,
including a long-term national platform for biomedicine and photonics and seven projects in medicine, natural sciences, and social sciences. In addition, RSU has launched a National Health Service project on developing service models. The number of tenured professors has increased by 50%.
Financial progress
Financially, RSU has ensured stable revenue growth in recent years. An additional EUR 3 million has been attracted for the development of research, while structural savings have also been achieved. The priority for the 2026 budget is employee remuneration.
For the third year in a row, RSU has been recognised as the best employer in the public sector and has also been included in the top twenty employers in Latvia.
Infrastructure and sustainability
Investments in infrastructure will continue as part of sustainable development. Plans include the expansion of the study and dentistry buildings on Dzirciema iela at a total cost of EUR 31.1 million, the construction of a new sports complex on Cigoriņu iela (EUR 13.78 million), and the renovation of the library and classrooms at a cost of EUR 7 million. In addition, new premises are planned to be built in the Kuldīgas iela area, along with improvements and energy efficiency upgrades, in line with RSU's sustainability goals.
RSU's contribution to the economy
RSU's contribution to the Latvian economy is significant.
International students generated an economic contribution of EUR 139 million in 2024, and this could increase to EUR 500 million in 2025–2027.
This clearly demonstrates that the development and consolidation of RSU strengthens not only the university, but also the national economy as a whole.
The presentation by Prof. Pētersons was followed by the RSU Annual Awards 2025 ceremony.
At the end of the event, singer Elza Rozentāle and guitarist Kaspars Zemītis delighted the audience with a musical performance. The social part of the event took place in the RSU cafeteria.
