Signing of agreement marks launch of RSU Kurzeme Study Centre in Liepāja

Photo: Courtesy of Kārlis Volkovskis 

On 25 May 2026, the RSU Kurzeme Study Centre (KSC) began operations in Liepāja following the signing of a lease agreement between RSU and Liepāja Regional Hospital (LRH). This will ensure the delivery of medical education based on workplace experience, research, and simulations. This step is part of the reorganisation of the RSU Liepāja Branch, which will officially begin on 1 July 2026. 

According to the agreement, RSU will lease LRH premises at 25 Slimnīcas iela for a period of 15 years, with the total area of 986.9 m². The new study location will be on the 2nd and 3rd floors of Block D of the hospital, ensuring students direct access to the clinical environment. The aim of establishing the Kurzeme Study Centre is to ensure the provision of modern healthcare, education, and research by integrating the study process directly into the medical facility. It is planned that the KSC will begin full-scale operations in the new premises at the end of 2027, following the completion of the necessary renovation work. 

RSU Rector Prof. Aigars Pētersons emphasised: ‘The agreement signed today represents a strategic investment in the development of human resources in the Kurzeme region, with the aim of providing high-quality healthcare services to the region’s residents. 

We are not creating a study environment in isolation – we are creating a close synergy between academic knowledge and practical medicine throughout the entire region of Kurzeme. 

Our priority is workplace-based education, which allows students to acquire a profession alongside experienced medical professionals from the very first days of their studies. Relocation to the premises of the Liepāja Regional Hospital will not only ensure more efficient use of resources but also strengthen the development of research-based study programmes, which is particularly important for RSU as a research university.’ 

The event was attended by Gunārs Ansiņš, Chairman of the Liepāja City Council, who reaffirmed the municipality’s support for strengthening higher education in the region. He stated: ‘The establishment of the Kurzeme Study Centre in Liepāja is a historic step for the entire region. This centre will help young professionals forge closer ties with the region while they are still studying. It is important for Liepāja that young people not only study here but also choose to stay, work, and build their professional lives here. In this way, 

we gain not only a modern study centre but also a stronger healthcare system, an increased attraction of highly skilled medical professionals, and a safer future for the residents of Liepāja.’ 

The RSU Kurzeme Study Centre will be a structural unit of the RSU Faculty of Health and Sports Sciences, ensuring partial implementation of study programmes in the Kurzeme region in cooperation with regional healthcare institutions. As a result of the reorganisation, the KSC will continue to offer in-demand programmes such as Nursing Studies, Physician Assistant, and Medical Massage. Importantly, the student learning environment will be significantly enhanced, with plans to establish modern simulation centres at both LRH and the North Kurzeme Regional Hospital, which will be accessible to both students and hospital medical staff.