RSU Senate approves new management team and structural changes

On 23 January Rīga Stradiņš University (RSU) Senate approved the new management team and structural changes proposed by RSU rector Professor Aigars Pētersons.

According to the approved organisational changes which will come into effect on 1 February, there will be four areas of responsibility, each of which will be led by the vice-rector of each respective field:

• Vice-Rector for Administration and Development Toms Baumanis (former Vice-Rector for Development);
• Vice-Rector for Studies Prof. Tatjana Koķe (former Vice-Rector for Education);
• Vice-Rector for Health Studies Prof. Guntis Bahs (former Dean of the Faculty of Medicine)
• Vice-Rector for Science Agrita Kiopa.

Last December RSU announced the vacancy of the Vice-Rector for Science, receiving seven applications from Latvia and abroad. After four selection stages Agrita Kiopa was appointed Vice-Rector for Science. At present she holds the position of Deputy State Secretary and Director of the Higher Education, Science and Innovation Department at the Ministry of Education and Science. She has a PhD, has worked for the Georgia Institute of Technology (USA), has studied at Syracuse University (USA) and worked as a researcher at the University of Liverpool (UK). Agrita Kiopa has led several international education and research projects of national significance, has worked for the Cabinet of Ministers and the Ministry of Education and Science. She will take up the position of Vice-Rector on 1 July this year.

The introduced changes will also affect the subordination of several RSU structural units. According to the rector Prof. Aigars Pētersons, the new administration model is based on a more targeted development and integration of healthcare study programmes to expand cooperation between hospitals in Latvia and abroad, helping to strengthen the quality of RSU social studies programmes, expanding the international scope of RSU scientific capacity in all RSU research areas. Work will continue on the establishing of closer cooperation between healthcare and social sciences study programmes. RSU will continue on its path to becoming a contemporary and modern European university with the individual at the forefront.