RSU to host discussion on mobility, digital platforms, and human connections

On 26 March at 15:30, Rīga Stradiņš University (RSU) will host the discussion "Networks in Motion: Mobility, Digital Platforms, and Human Relations" at 21 Konsula iela, room 305, in Riga. The discussion is taking place as part of the PLACES conference, which in turn is part of RSU Research Week 2025. Researchers, representatives of non-governmental organisations, and digital platform experts will analyse how mobility and digital platforms in a globalised world influence the formation and maintenance of relationships.

Ieva Puzo, lead researcher of the RSU project (R)E-TIES, and researcher Valdis Krebs will participate in the discussion, offering insights into how mobility and digitalisation are transforming social ties. Ģirts Smelters, board member of the association Ar pasaulio pieredzi Latvijā, will share his experience with the networking of international professionals and remigrants. LinkedIn® trainer Ieva Drāzniece will explain how digital platforms facilitate the building and maintenance of contacts, while Ivars Svilāns, Head of Data Services Development at LETA, will focus on data analysis and the role of media in networking processes.

The aim of the discussion is to explore how people organise their lives between the physical and digital worlds, how traditional communication patterns are evolving, and how digital platforms facilitate or hinder the building and maintenance of relationships.

Ieva Puzo, lead researcher of the RSU project (R)E-TIES and head of the RSU Social Sciences Research Centre, explains, ‘Nowadays, we cross borders more quickly and actively use various tools to organise our relationships in the digital environment. We form, maintain, and dissolve connections on social networking sites.

In this discussion, we invite you to explore how we reconcile mobility, relationship organisation, and digital formats. Join us to listen, share your experiences, and contribute to the conversation!’

The discussion is part of the (R)E-TIES: Managing mobility and human relations in digitally saturated social worlds project.