Universidad de Letonia, Riga, Letonia, 2012-08-07, DD 01

University of Latvia ( lv, Latvijas Universitāte, shortened ''LU'') is a state-run university located in

Riga Riga (; lv, Rīga , liv, Rīgõ) is the capital and largest city of Latvia and is home to 605,802 inhabitants which is a third of Latvia's population. The city lies on the Gulf of Riga at the mouth of the Daugava river where it meets the ...

Latvia Latvia ( or ; lv, Latvija ; ltg, Latveja; liv, Leţmō), officially the Republic of Latvia ( lv, Latvijas Republika, links=no, ltg, Latvejas Republika, links=no, liv, Leţmō Vabāmō, links=no), is a country in the Baltic region of ...

established in 1919. The ''

QS World University Rankings ''QS World University Rankings'' is an annual publication of university rankings by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS). The QS system comprises three parts: the global overall ranking, the subject rankings (which name the world's top universities for th ...

'' places the university between 801st and 1000th globally, seventh in the Baltic states, and 50th in the EECA (Emerging Europe and Central Asia) category.

History

Latvijas Universitāte - ogre11 - Panoramio

The University of Latvia, initially named as the Higher School of Latvia ( lv, Latvijas Augstskola) was founded on September 28, 1919, on the basis of the former Riga Polytechnic (founded in 1862). The first rector of the university was chemist

Paul Walden Paul Walden ( lv, Pauls Valdens; russian: Павел Иванович Вальден; german: Paul von Walden; 26 July 1863 – 22 January 1957) was a Russian, Latvian and German chemist known for his work in stereochemistry and history of chem ...

. In 1923, the school received its current name with the approval of its constitution, the University of Latvia (Universitas Latviensis). In the period between 1919 and 1940, the University of Latvia was the main centre of higher education, science and culture in the Republic of Latvia. The former building of the Riga Polytechnic on Raiņa bulvāris 19 serves as the university's main building. In the pre-WWII years, it was possible to gain higher academic education not only at the University of Latvia but also at the

Latvian State Conservatory Latvian may refer to: *Something of, from, or related to Latvia **Latvians, a Baltic ethnic group, native to what is modern-day Latvia and the immediate geographical region **Latvian language Latvian ( ), also known as Lettish, is an Easte ...

and

Academy of Arts An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of secondary or tertiary higher learning (and generally also research or honorary membership). The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, f ...

. With the beginning of the Soviet occupation, the university was renamed as the Latvian State University (LVU, lv, Latvijas Valsts Universitāte) from 1940 to 1941 and from 1944/1945 to 1958. Under the Nazi occupation, from 1942 to 1944/1945 its name was the University of Riga ( lv, Rīgas Universitāte). After World War II, over time the

Latvian University of Agriculture The Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies ( lv, Latvijas Biozinātņu un tehnoloģiju universitāte (''LBTU'')), previously Latvia University of Agriculture (LUA; (''LLU'')), is a university in Jelgava, Latvia, specializing in agric ...

, Riga Stradiņš University, and

Riga Technical University Riga Technical University (RTU) ( lv, Rīgas Tehniskā universitāte) is the oldest technical university in the Baltic countries established on October 14, 1862. It is located in Riga, Latvia and was previously known as 'Riga Polytechnical Instit ...

separated from the University of Latvia and became well-known centres of education and research in their own right. In 1958, the university was renamed as the Pēteris Stučka Latvian State University ( lv, Pētera Stučkas Latvijas Valsts Universitāte), which was its official name until 1990. With Latvia regaining independence, the Supreme Council of the Republic of Latvia reconfirmed the Constitution of the University of Latvia on September 18, 1991. It stated that the institution is "a state establishment of academic education, science and culture which serves the needs of Latvia and its people". Alongside the Constitution, the flag, the hymn, the university's emblem, the rector's chain, and the official garments for the rector, vice-rector and deans were re-adopted as attributes of the University of Latvia. The EuroFaculty, created by the CBSS to support reforms at the universities in Tartu, Riga, and Vilnius, was organized with its headquarters at the University of Latvia from 1993 to 2005. The Riga Teacher Training and Educational Management Academy was merged into the university in 2017. The Polytechnic, Riga, 1890s

Enrollment

The University of Latvia offers undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral levels of study and in October 2014 more than 14,000 students, including Ph.D. and exchange students, had enrolled in various study programs. Almost one third of them studied in business and economics related programs.

Organisation

Rīga, LU Ekonomikas un vadības fakultāte 2002-11-08

Latvijas Universitātes Akadēmiskais centrs

The university consists of 13 faculties: * Faculty of

Biology Biology is the scientific study of life. It is a natural science with a broad scope but has several unifying themes that tie it together as a single, coherent field. For instance, all organisms are made up of cells that process hereditary ...

:* Department of Plant Physiology :* Department of Botany and Ecology :* Department of Human and Animal Physiology :* Department of Hydrobiology :* Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology :* Department of Molecular Biology :* Department of Zoology and Animal Ecology * Faculty of

Chemistry Chemistry is the scientific study of the properties and behavior of matter. It is a natural science that covers the elements that make up matter to the compounds made of atoms, molecules and ions: their composition, structure, proper ...

:* Department of Inorganic Chemistry :* Department of Analytical Chemistry :* Department of Organic Chemistry :* Department of Physical Chemistry :* Centre of Food Chemistry :* Centre of Chemistry Didactics * Faculty of

Physics Physics is the natural science that studies matter, its fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge which ...

, Mathematics and

Optometry Optometry is a specialized health care profession that involves examining the eyes and related structures for defects or abnormalities. Optometrists are health care professionals who typically provide comprehensive primary eye care. In the Un ...

:* Department of Optometry and Vision Science :* Department of Mathematics :* Department of Physics :* Laser Centre of the University of Latvia :* Extramural Mathematics School of A. Liepa * Faculty of Business, Economics and Management :* Department of Global Economics Interdisciplinary Studies :* Department of Economics :* Department of Finance and Accounting :* Department of Management Sciences * Faculty of Education,

Psychology Psychology is the science, scientific study of mind and behavior. Psychology includes the study of consciousness, conscious and Unconscious mind, unconscious phenomena, including feelings and thoughts. It is an academic discipline of immens ...

and

Arts The arts are a very wide range of human practices of creative expression, storytelling and cultural participation. They encompass multiple diverse and plural modes of thinking, doing and being, in an extremely broad range of media. Both ...

:* Department of Education sciences :* Department of Pedagogy :* Department of Psychology :* Department of Teacher Training :* Sports Centre :* Centre of Adult Pedagogical Education * Faculty of

Geography Geography (from Greek: , ''geographia''. Combination of Greek words ‘Geo’ (The Earth) and ‘Graphien’ (to describe), literally "earth description") is a field of science devoted to the study of the lands, features, inhabitants, an ...

and

Earth science Earth science or geoscience includes all fields of natural science related to the planet Earth. This is a branch of science dealing with the physical, chemical, and biological complex constitutions and synergistic linkages of Earth's four sphere ...

s :* Department of Geography :* Department of Geology :* Department of Environmental science * Faculty of History and Philosophy :* Department of History and Archaeology :* Department of Philosophy and Ethics * Faculty of Law :* Center of continuing legal education and professional development :* Student government :* Chair of Civil Law :* Chair of Constitutional Law :* Chair of Criminal Law :* Chair of International and European Law :* Chair of Legal Theory and History :* Legal Clinic of the Faculty of Law * Faculty of

Medicine Medicine is the science and practice of caring for a patient, managing the diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, treatment, palliation of their injury or disease, and promoting their health. Medicine encompasses a variety of health care pr ...

:* Centre of Health Management and Informatics :* Department of Anatomy and Histology :* Centre of Experimental Surgery :* Department of Pharmacology :* Department of Internal Medicine :* Department of Medical Biochemistry :* Department of Medical Pedagogy, Ethics and History :* Department of Oncology :* Department of Surgery :* Department of Pathology :* Department of Pediatrics :* Centre of Social Pediatrics * Faculty of

Humanities Humanities are academic disciplines that study aspects of human society and culture. In the Renaissance, the term contrasted with divinity and referred to what is now called classics, the main area of secular study in universities at t ...

:* Department of Asian Studies :* Department of Contrastive Linguistics, Translation and Interpreting :* Department of Classical Philology and Anthropology Studies :* Department of English Studies :* Department of Germanic Studies :* Department of Latvian and Baltic Studies :* Department of Romance Studies :* Department of Russian and Slavonic Studies * Faculty of

Social science Social science is one of the branches of science, devoted to the study of societies and the relationships among individuals within those societies. The term was formerly used to refer to the field of sociology, the original "science of s ...

s :* Department of Information and Library Studies :* Department of Communications Studies :* Department of Political Science :* Department of Sociology :* Center for the Cognitive Sciences and Semantics * Faculty of Theology :* Department of Systematic and Practical Theology :* Department of Church History and History of Religions :* Department of Biblical Theology * Faculty of

Computing Computing is any goal-oriented activity requiring, benefiting from, or creating computing machinery. It includes the study and experimentation of algorithmic processes, and development of both hardware and software. Computing has scientific, ...

:* Chair of Computer Science :* Chair of Programming :* Chair of Mathematical Foundations of Computer Science :* Chair of Informatics Lifelong Learning :* Methodological Laboratory of Computer Science Studies :* Methodological Laboratory of Computing Studies – The Linux Centre In addition to the university's various faculties and its medical wing, the Riga Medical College ('' Rīgas Medicīnas koledža''), the University of Latvia offers most of the resources traditionally associated with accredited universities, including several libraries, research facilities, study centres, a language school, and a career centre.

Institute of Mathematics and Computer Science

The Institute of Mathematics and Computer Science of the University of Latvia ( lv, Matemātikas un informātikas institūts, IMCS) was founded in 1959 as a computer research centre, now consisting of about 200 researchers, assistants, engineers, and software developers.

Institute of Geodesy and Geoinformatics

The Institute of Geodesy and Geoinformatics (GGI) of the University of Latvia ( lv, Ģeodēzijas un ģeoinformātikas institūts) is the reestablishment of the Institute of Geodesy since 1994. The researchers of the Institute of Geodesy (1924-1944) worked successfully on the research and education in many advanced topics of that time – development and adjustment of National geodetic networks, photogrammetry, studies of vertical Earth movement and research in gravimetric and magnetic measurements. Currently, the research areas are developed in satellite geodesy and geoinformatics. The main topic is the development of satellite laser ranging systems (SLR), both the hardware and control software. Two SLR prototypes were developed until 2010 by spending low expenditures. The third most improved model is under development now. All the knowledge and experience of the staff gained since 1975 is applied. Younger colleagues are involved in the development process. The prototype digital zenith camera for studies of vertical deflection has been developed recently. The test results reach a precision of 0.1 arc second which is very promising for the improvement of the quality of the National model of Latvia gravity field modelling. The recent version of the National gravity field developed at the Institute of Geodesy and Geoinformatics has achieved a precision of about 2 cm which is much higher than the previous model (7–8 cm) used in Latvia. The high precision gravity field model is very important for practice. It gives the possibility to achieve correspondingly high precision of normal height determination using Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) in geodetic measurements. There has been achieved at the Institute of Geodesy and Geoinformatics the high precision results in studies of vertical and horizontal motion of the Earth in Latvia by carrying out the analysis of the 7 year GNSS observations at the LatPos and EUPOS-RIGA permanent station networks. There are developed the GIS database for Latvia and cities of Latvia, developed digital terrain models.

Amateur Art Activities

The university has a number of amateur choirs, orchestras and dance groups, as well as a student theatre. Minjona is a women's choir based at the University of Latvia.

People

Notable professors and lecturers

* Indriķis Muižnieks,

biologist A biologist is a scientist who conducts research in biology. Biologists are interested in studying life on Earth, whether it is an individual cell, a multicellular organism, or a community of interacting populations. They usually specialize ...

Andris Ambainis Andris Ambainis (born 18 January 1975) is a Latvian computer scientist active in the fields of quantum information theory and quantum computing. Education and career Ambainis has held past positions at the Institute for Advanced Study at Princet ...

computer scientist A computer scientist is a person who is trained in the academic study of computer science. Computer scientists typically work on the theoretical side of computation, as opposed to the hardware side on which computer engineers mainly focus (a ...

* Mārcis Auziņš,

physicist A physicist is a scientist who specializes in the field of physics, which encompasses the interactions of matter and energy at all length and time scales in the physical universe. Physicists generally are interested in the root or ultimate cau ...

* Kārlis Balodis,

economist An economist is a professional and practitioner in the social sciences, social science discipline of economics. The individual may also study, develop, and apply theories and concepts from economics and write about economic policy. Within this ...

* Konstantīns Čakste, legal theorist and LCP Chairman, son of Latvian President

Jānis Čakste Jānis Kristaps Čakste (14 September 1859 – 14 March 1927) was a Latvian politician and lawyer who served as the first head of an independent Latvian state as the Chairman of the People's Council (1918–1920), the Speaker of the Constituti ...

Jānis Endzelīns Jānis Endzelīns (22 February 1873 – 1 July 1961) was a Latvian linguist. He graduated from the University of Tartu. In 1908, he and Kārlis Mīlenbahs developed the modern Latvian alphabet, which slowly replaced the old orthography used befo ...

linguist Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. It is called a scientific study because it entails a comprehensive, systematic, objective, and precise analysis of all aspects of language, particularly its nature and structure. Lingu ...

* Karlis Kaufmanis,

astronomer An astronomer is a scientist in the field of astronomy who focuses their studies on a specific question or field outside the scope of Earth. They observe astronomical objects such as stars, planets, moons, comets and galaxies – in either ...

* Augusts Kirhenšteins,

microbiologist A microbiologist (from Greek ) is a scientist who studies microscopic life forms and processes. This includes study of the growth, interactions and characteristics of microscopic organisms such as bacteria, algae, fungi, and some types of para ...

* Eižens Laube,

architect An architect is a person who plans, designs and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

* Jānis Maizītis, lawyer and second Prosecutor General of Latvia *

Valdis Muktupāvels Valdis Muktupāvels (9 November 1958 in Līvāni) is a Latvian ethnomusicologist, composer, musician, teacher and doctor of art criticism. Muktupāvels graduated 1980 from the University of Latvia and acquired a specialty in chemistry in 1983. H ...

ethnomusicologist Ethnomusicology is the study of music from the cultural and social aspects of the people who make it. It encompasses distinct theoretical and methodical approaches that emphasize cultural, social, material, cognitive, biological, and other dim ...

and doctor of

art criticism Art criticism is the discussion or evaluation of visual art. Art critics usually criticize art in the context of aesthetics or the theory of beauty. A goal of art criticism is the pursuit of a rational basis for art appreciation but it is que ...

* Velta Ruke-Dravina linguist, folklorist * Andrejs Veisbergs,

Notable alumni

Māris Čaklais Māris Čaklais (16 June 1940 – 13 December 2003) was a Latvian poet, writer, and journalist. Biography Čaklais studied journalism at the University of Latvia until 1964; his first publications appeared in 1960. He translated to Latvian Be ...

, Latvian poet *

Valdis Dombrovskis Valdis Dombrovskis (born 5 August 1971) is a Latvian politician serving as Executive Vice President of the European Commission for An Economy that Works for People since 2019 and European Commissioner for Trade since 2020. He previously served ...

, Latvian politician, European Commissioner for Economic and Monetary Affairs and the Euro, former

Prime Minister of Latvia The prime minister of Latvia ( lv, ministru prezidents) is the most powerful member of the Government of Latvia, who presides over the Latvian Cabinet of Ministers. The officeholder is nominated by the president of Latvia, but must be able to obt ...

* Klāvs Elsbergs, Latvian poet * Ivars Godmanis, Latvian politician, former

, MeP * Uldis Ģērmanis, Latvian historian and writer * Ivars Kalviņš, Latvian

chemist A chemist (from Greek ''chēm(ía)'' alchemy; replacing ''chymist'' from Medieval Latin ''alchemist'') is a scientist trained in the study of chemistry. Chemists study the composition of matter and its properties. Chemists carefully describe th ...

, has worked on the foundation of

mildronate Meldonium (INN; trade name Mildronate, among others) is a limited-market pharmaceutical, developed in 1970 by Ivars Kalviņš at the USSR Latvia Institute of Organic Synthesis, and now manufactured by the Latvian pharmaceutical company Gri ...

* Valdemārs Klētnieks, Latvian writer and national Scout Commissioner *

Guntars Krasts Guntars Krasts (born 16 October 1957) is a Latvian politician, former Prime Minister, and former Member of the European Parliament for the single Latvia constituency. Born in Riga, he was the Minister of Economy of Latvia from December 1995 to ...

, Latvian politician, former

, MeP * Hugo Teodors Krūmiņš, Latvian

playwright A playwright or dramatist is a person who writes plays. Etymology The word "play" is from Middle English pleye, from Old English plæġ, pleġa, plæġa ("play, exercise; sport, game; drama, applause"). The word "wright" is an archaic English ...

and

poet A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator ( thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems (oral or w ...

Kirovs Lipmans Kirovs Lipmans (born 5 November 1940) is a Latvian business person and former ice hockey executive. He served as president of the Latvian Ice Hockey Federation from 1994 to 1995, and from 1998 to 2016; was a member of the Latvian Olympic Committ ...

– Latvian business person and ice hockey executive *

Zenta Mauriņa Zenta Mauriņa (15 December 1897 – 25 April 1978) was a Latvian writer, essayist, translator, and researcher in philology. She was married to the Electronic Voice Phenomena researcher Konstantin Raudive.* Biography Born to doctor Robert ...

, Latvian writer * Artis Pabriks, Latvian politician, former Latvian Minister of Foreign Affairs *

Andris Piebalgs Andris Piebalgs (born 17 September 1957) is a Latvian politician and diplomat who served as European Commissioner for Development at the European Commission from 2010 until 2014. Between 2004 and 2009 he served as Commissioner for Energy. Betw ...

, Latvian politician and diplomat, former

European Commissioner for Energy The European Commissioner for Energy is a member of the European Commission. The current Commissioner is Kadri Simson, in office since 1 December 2019. Responsibilities The Commissioner holds responsibility for the European Union's energy poli ...

* Ilmārs Poikāns, Latvian AI researcher, hacker * Einars Repše, Latvian politician, former

Eliyahu Rips Eliyahu Rips ( he, אליהו ריפס; russian: Илья Рипс; lv, Iļja Ripss; born 12 December 1948) is an Israeli mathematician of Latvian origin known for his research in geometric group theory. He became known to the general public f ...

, Israeli

mathematician A mathematician is someone who uses an extensive knowledge of mathematics in their work, typically to solve mathematical problems. Mathematicians are concerned with numbers, data, quantity, structure, space, models, and change. History On ...

* Aminata Savadogo, Latvian singer, songwriter, finalist in Eurovision Song Contest 2015 * Knuts Skujenieks, Latvian poet, journalist *

Mikhail Tal Mikhail Nekhemyevich Tal; rus, Михаил Нехемьевич Таль, ''Mikhail Nekhem'yevich Tal' '', ; sometimes transliterated ''Mihails Tals'' or ''Mihail Tal'' (9 November 1936 – 28 June 1992) was a Soviet-Latvian chess player ...

, Soviet-Latvian chess grandmaster and eighth

World Chess Champion The World Chess Championship is played to determine the world champion in chess. The current world champion is Magnus Carlsen of Norway, who has held the title since 2013. The first event recognized as a world championship was the 1886 matc ...

, nicknamed "The Magician from Riga" * Daina Taimiņa, Latvian mathematician * Guntis Ulmanis, Latvian politician, former

President of Latvia The president of Latvia ( lv, Latvijas Valsts prezidents ) is head of state and commander-in-chief of the National Armed Forces of the Republic of Latvia. The term of office is four years. Before 1999, it was three years. The president may be ...

* Jānis Vanags, archbishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia * Raimonds Vējonis, the 9th

* Kristīne Ulberga, novelist, winner of the Raimonds Gerkens Prize. * Alfred Rosenberg, race theorist and an influential ideologue of the

Nazi Party The Nazi Party, officially the National Socialist German Workers' Party (german: Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei or NSDAP), was a far-right political party in Germany active between 1920 and 1945 that created and supported t ...

References

External links

*
University of Latvia Riga Medical College

University of Latvia Institute of Mathematics and Computer Science
{{DEFAULTSORT:Latvia, University of Law schools in Latvia Educational institutions established in 1919 Public universities Universities and colleges formed by merger in Latvia 1919 establishments in Latvia