Global Studies Centre

The Global Studies Centre of the RSU Faculty of Social Sciences is a multifunctional centre of expertise in area and global studies. It builds on the regional expertise accumulated at RSU, and works across a broad geographical scope, examining how the political, economic and social dynamics of world regions shape contemporary global challenges – and what those challenges mean for Latvia and Europe.

The Centre builds leadership in transdisciplinary research, education and international cooperation grounded in area studies. Its purpose is to advance understanding of global and regional processes, so that society and decision-makers alike can read international events in the context of the politics, history and social life of the regions in which they unfold.

The Centre works in three directions: education, research and internationalisation.

Education

• Development and delivery of area and global studies courses in cooperation with other RSU units
• Supervision of bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral research on regional and global topics
• A platform for students at all levels of study who wish to develop area and global studies themes in their own research
• Support for student and staff mobility, internships and traineeships, including Erasmus+, Fulbright and international programmes
• Language courses and other formats that bring world regions closer to academic and wider public audiences

Research

• Transdisciplinary research into regional dynamics and their global implications, covering political, economic, social and cultural processes
• Expertise in international relations, foreign and security policy, and the information environment, including foreign information manipulation
• Continued in-depth regional expertise alongside a widening range of regions under study
• Peer-reviewed articles, policy papers and other publications in internationally indexed databases
• Participation in international research projects and networks, including Horizon Europe and COST actions
• Organisation of and participation in international conferences, seminars and public discussions

Internationalisation

• Cooperation with researchers and comparable centres in North America, South America, Africa, Asia and Europe, focusing on partners beyond the European Union
• Visiting professorships, fellowships and guest lectures in both directions
• Partnerships with universities, research institutions, think tanks, associations and governmental and non-governmental organisations
• An international platform for the exchange of knowledge, experience and research ideas
• Strengthening RSU’s international visibility and standing in the study of international processes