Social Sciences Research Centre

The Social Sciences Research Centre aims to promote the targeted development of excellent research at the newly established Faculty of Social Sciences and Rīga Stradiņš University (RSU) as a whole. The Centre's activities focus on fostering interdisciplinary research and refining theoretical approaches in the social sciences.

The Social Sciences Research Centre ensures the transfer of research knowledge and encourages the generation of interdisciplinary young researchers by integrating the research process and outcomes into the study process.

The Social Sciences Research Centre meets the needs for horizontal research of the academic staff in social sciences at RSU, providing the research infrastructure, digital research tools, as well as technical resource management. In the future, the Centre plans to provide other organisations with social sciences research services as well.

Objectives

To establish a highly qualified, interdisciplinary team of researchers that unlocks the potential of social sciences in Latvia, produces research and publications in line with global trends, and raises the prestige of social sciences in society.
To develop and carry out research in the social sciences, in fields such as political science, economics, communication, social anthropology, sociology, psychology, law, and health management.
To foster interdisciplinarity by building networks and facilitating research between different social science disciplines and other sectors, encouraging new ways of thinking, and providing a holistic approach to tackling complex social issues.
To encourage dialogue between researchers, policy-makers, business and civil society by promoting the dissemination and co-creation of research results and engaging in both expert and public debates.
To promote international cooperation through partnerships with research institutes and research universities around the world, joint research projects, scientific conferences and seminars, and student and researcher exchanges.
To integrate research into the study process by supporting the integration of research topics, methods and tools into the daily work of the Faculty of Social Sciences, involving lecturers and students in research projects, organising seminars and workshops, and providing research infrastructure and resources.
To develop research infrastructure, with a focus on increasing the use of new technologies in qualitative and quantitative research.