Information for RSU Graduates About In-Person Graduation Ceremonies

From 29 June to 2 July, Rīga Stradiņš University (RSU) summer graduations will take place in the courtyard behind the RSU Great Hall next to Inspiration Park (Iedvesmas parks). Graduations will take place in person, and all national epidemiological safety measures will be observed. All graduates will wear graduation gowns.

Arrival at the graduation ceremony and entry/exit to the graduation area

According to national regulations, only people who can show a COVID-19 vaccination certificate, a negative test or proof of recovery will be able to participate at the RSU graduation ceremony in person. Certificates will have to be presented at the Dzirciema iela entrance to the RSU main building.

Information about the certificate is available here.

• Students must also bring their ID to the graduation, which they will have to present along with their COVID-19 certificate
• Exiting the graduation area will take place through the courtyard towards Konsula iela
• The flow of people at the area will be regulated by special instructions
• Following information in the annex: map of the territory for safe movement during the graduation:
  • graduates will not be allowed to leave the cordoned-off event area;
  • people who don’t have valid certificates and who aren’t participating in or organising the event will not be allowed to enter the event area

Graduation ceremony procedure

The graduation will consist of two parts: 

1. a festive ceremony that will include graduation speeches, the graduates’ solemn oath and the traditional cap toss. The ceremony will take place in the RSU courtyard in a special tent.
2. the official handing out of diplomas in the Great Hall, after which graduates may leave the RSU graduation area through the parking lot exit (Konsula iela).

During the graduation, graduates will have to sit in assigned seats (in alphabetical order), maintaining a safe 2m distance between one another.

All graduation ceremonies will be streamed online on the RSU website. During the ceremony, graduates will be invited to stand up and greet the audience by waving to the camera. During the live broadcast, an image of each graduate will be shown on screen.

Graduates must comply with all national epidemiological safety measures in the area where graduations will take place:

In case a student is absent, their name and degree will be announced from the stage. In these cases, diplomas will be available at the relevant faculty. The student must contact their faculty to arrange a specific time for receiving their diploma.

Receiving diplomas

Diplomas will be handed out in the Great Hall. During the on-site ceremony, graduates will have to sign to certify receiving their diploma. The Hippocratic Oath and the Register of Medical Practitioners (form for Health Inspectorate) will be signed for remotely – the Dean’s office has already sent students to fill out Oath and Registration Register of Medical Practitioners. 

Graduation gowns

Gowns will be handed out 1 hour before the graduation ceremony in the RSU canteen, which is currently adapted to ensure an epidemiologically safe flow of people. The gowns will be handed out to each student group separately at specified times. Times will be arranged with all student group leaders. Returning gowns will take place in a designated tent in the RSU courtyard. 

Graduates are kindly requested to pay the 12 EUR fee for hiring their graduation gown and disinfection costs in a timely manner via bank transfer by specifying their name and surname, as well as indicating “Graduation gown maintenance costs” on the payment. Graduates will have to present their payment order upon picking up their gowns.

RSU bank details

Graduation ceremony livestream and photography

Only graduates themselves will be able to attend the ceremony (unfortunately without family and friends) in order to maintain the status of a semi-safe event in accordance with the requirements of the regulations of the Cabinet of Ministers. For this reason, graduation ceremonies will be broadcast live on the RSU website. A video recording will be available on the RSU website after the event. Family and friends are requested to observe the restrictions on gathering size and congratulate graduates outside RSU territory. 

During the ceremony, graduates will not be invited to come up to the stage. Instead, graduates’ names and their degree will be announced. Graduates will be invited to stand up and greet the audience by waving, thereby ensuring that each graduate gets an individual moment that will be captured on video and broadcast live.

Each graduate will be photographed during the graduation ceremony. Graduates will also have the opportunity to take photos of themselves both before and after the graduation ceremony at a special photo wall. One of them will be located in the event area, while the other will be outside the graduation area in Inspiration Park.

Graduation photos will be available on the RSU website in the coming days after graduation.

Graduation ceremony dates and times

Information on the processing of personal data

1. The processing of personal data – photographs, name, surname and degree obtained by graduates is carried out on the basis of Article 6 (1) (a) of the General Data Protection Regulation – the graduate has given consent to the processing of their personal data for one, or more specific purposes: paragraph (b) that stipulates that the processing is necessary for the performance of a contract (study contract) to which the data subject (graduate) is a contracting party; paragraph (c) which provides for the processing of data in order to fulfil a legal obligation applicable to RSU (regulatory enactments stipulate to terminate the study process in person, but not to suspend it completely); paragraph (f), RSU’s legitimate interest in reflecting organised events or events in which it participates, in the media and social networks, thus ensuring recognition.

2. Personal data – The processing of the video recording of the graduation ceremony is carried out on the basis of Article 6 (1) (a) of the General Data Protection Regulation – the graduate has given consent to the processing of his / her personal data for one or more specific purposes and paragraph (f), i. e. RSU’s legitimate interest in reflecting organised events or events in which it participates, in the media and social networks, thus ensuring recognition – can be used to ensure the legitimate interests of RSU, i. e. reflecting the graduation ceremony for marketing and communication activities (including the preparation and posting of material on social networks) to ensure RSU’s recognition, as well as for archiving purposes.

3. RSU plans to keep the information and data obtained during the graduation ceremony, and the information for graduation ceremony’s organisation and administration permanently. Depending on the purpose of the specific data processing, part of the obtained materials may be publicly available on RSU social networks and / or website, thus becoming available to any third party. 

   You can find additional information about the processing of personal data by RSU and your rights in the RSU Privacy Policy or in paper at the RSU Information Center.

See you at the Rīga Stradiņš University summer graduations! 😊