President of Latvia meets with RSU management and students at the Medical Education Technology Centre

On Monday, 29 January, President of Latvia Edgars Rinkēvičs arrived at the Rīga Stradiņš University (RSU) Medical Education Technology Centre (METC) for a meeting with the University’s management and students. The president and student representatives discussed RSU's future plans and development, as well as political engagement.

The president visited the RSU METC facilities where students learn practical skills in medicine and healthcare using moulages and simulation devices. After the tour, President Rinkēvičs had a discussion with students from the RSU Student Union (Studējošo pašpārvalde, SP), the Council of the Faculty of Medicine and the Faculty of European Studies, the RSU Senate, and the RSU International Student Association (ISA).

They discussed issues that are of interest to young people, such as students' involvement in politics and political processes that could benefit from more active student participation. Further, the participants discussed the influx of international medical students and mechanisms that could encourage young doctors from other countries to stay and work in Latvia.

During the visit, RSU management and the President of Latvia also touched upon several other topical issues, such as the consolidation of RSU and the Latvian Academy of Sport Education, the inclusion of a course on military medicine in medicine study programmes, as well as state funding for research, and higher education export. During the talks, they discussed a number of bureaucratic hurdles that make it difficult to admit foreign students, as well as diploma comparability in the future.