RSU strengthens its place among Europe’s leading research universities
Rīga Stradiņš University (RSU) has established itself as a European-level research university in the 2025 international assessment of scientific institutions organised by the Ministry of Education and Science. The university displayed the highest research performance in the fields of medicine, health, and social sciences. All RSU institutes and faculties have demonstrated consistently strong growth in scientific quality and the societal impact of research.
International experts evaluated RSU’s performance using criteria recognised in the global and European research community, analysing the quality and impact of research, infrastructure, the research environment, and development potential.
The assessment covered the period from 2019 to 2024, and research at RSU was analysed using a research platform approach, with the Health and Natural Sciences and Social Sciences platforms evaluated separately. Both platforms received the total score of 4, indicating high and internationally competitive performance in the global and European research landscape.
RSU Rector Prof. Aigars Pētersons emphasised: ‘The high scores in the international assessment clearly confirm RSU’s growth as a modern research university.
This is the result of purposeful work over a five-year period, based on quality, internationalisation, and research that generates societal impact.
We will use the recommendations of international experts to further develop high-quality and internationally competitive research in a more targeted manner.’
Solid health and natural sciences with highly rated impact
The Health and Natural Sciences Platform received a high score of 4 across all evaluation criteria, attesting to high-quality research, significant economic and social impact, well-developed infrastructure, and sustainable international development. This is reflected in the increase in the number of publications: over the assessment period, the number of scientific publications within the platform increased by 63%, while maintaining consistently high quality.
In the fields of healthcare and public health, experts particularly highlighted the strong link between research and practice, as well as the purposeful professional development, engagement in projects, and promotion of international cooperation by the early-career researchers.
Social Sciences Platform with significant social and economic impact
The RSU Social Sciences Platform received a high score of 4 in recognition of its high-quality research, significant economic and social impact, as well as well-developed infrastructure and research environment. The high rating is based both on rapid growth in research output – the number of publications increased by more than 75% during the assessment period – and on the development of new and dynamic international research groups in sociology, anthropology, political science, and communication studies. It also reflects a clear focus on health, safety, and sustainability, as well as the involvement of tenured professors and visiting lecturers from across Europe in the faculty’s work.
‘The international assessment is an important tool that enables objective assessment of our research quality and impact on a broader scale, as well as its contribution to our society.
It is a key indicator of the quality of our work and truly reflects the contribution of our researchers and academic staff not only to science, but also to healthcare and societal resilience in the face of today’s challenges. We have rightfully earned such a high rating, and we are very pleased with the result,’ said Agrita Kiopa, RSU Vice-Rector for Science.
The RSU Latvian Academy of Sport Education (LASE) also participated in the assessment. International experts highly praised the academy’s integration into RSU, the opportunities for the development of sports science, and the clearly visible improvements in the organisation, quality, and direction of research.
The international assessment was conducted on behalf of the Ministry of Education and Science by Technopolis Group, an international analytics and research organisation with experience in evaluating science, innovation, and higher education policies, engaging independent foreign experts from various scientific fields.
