RSU Red Cross Medical College Director Ināra Upmale honoured at Rector’s Office

On 9 September, Rīga Stradiņš University (RSU) Rector Professor Aigars Pētersons sincerely congratulated Ināra Upmale, Director of the Red Cross Medical College (hereinafter – the College), as she concluded her professional career at our university. 

RSU management commended Upmale for her long-standing, dedicated and professional work and her significant contribution to the development of the College, particularly recognising her ability to identify future opportunities and her courage to turn them into purposeful action by inspiring and uniting the team in pursuit of common goals. 

In an interview with RSU last year, Upmale said: ‘It is a pleasure to watch students grow, overcome challenges and become professionals in their chosen field. 

Running a college is not only about managing quality systems, but also about upholding values. 

We are the oldest medical education institution in Latvia, founded in 1920 as the Merciful Nursing School. We have preserved these values – professionalism, compassion and responsibility. I am particularly proud that our graduates also become lecturers, ensuring continuity.’  

Developing the College over 12 years

Upmale has led the College since 2014, when it experienced significant growth and strengthened its reputation both in Latvia and internationally. Under her leadership, the College has not only developed as a contemporary education centre but has also continued to raise the standard of healthcare education in Latvia by providing high-quality study programmes and innovation in medical education. 

Alongside the long-established Nursing and Treatment (Physician Assistant) study programmes, three new short-cycle professional higher education programmes were licensed and launched under the leadership of Upmale – Therapeutic Massage (2015), Emergency Medicine Physician Assistant (2016) and Pharmacist Assistant (2017) – as well as one vocational secondary education programme -Dental Assistant (2016). 

In addition, under Upmale’s leadership, the College has developed several continuing education programmes, including Cosmetician, Caregiver and Outpatient Physician Assistant.  

Her initiative also led to the development of a new short-cycle professional higher education programme Cardiopulmonary Bypass in 2025, in cooperation with the European Board for Cardiovascular Perfusion. 

This programme will be unique in the entire Northern European region, enhancing the international recognition of Latvian education. 

In 2021, the College received the international Innovation Quality Award for the use of simulation as a teaching method, demonstrating its ability to provide modern, high-quality education. 

International cooperation and graduates working in their field 

Thanks to effective leadership, the College has implemented various local and international projects and has collaborated with employers in the sector. The College is part of the Global Red Cross Network of Educational Institutions and has a total of 28 international cooperation partners across various European countries. 

Since 2018, more than 94% of the College’s graduates have remained in the field, demonstrating both the quality of the education provided and the relevance of the study programmes to the current needs of the sector. 

Alongside her work as Director of the College, Upmale served as a member of the Council of Higher Education of the Republic of Latvia (2021–2025), the Council of the Quality Agency of Higher Education (2022–2024) and chaired the Association of Latvian Colleges (2022–2024). She also chaired several expert commissions for the accreditation of educational institutions carried out by the State Education Quality Service for several years, making a significant contribution to improving the quality of education in Latvia.  

The RSU community extends its heartfelt gratitude to Ināra Upmale for her significant contribution!