Science Month Brings Together Students, Specialists and Entrepreneurs From Different Fields

Science Month 2021, which is organised by the Rīga Stradiņš University (RSU) Student Union (SP, Studējošo pašpārvalde), took place throughout October, offering a wide range of events. There was no shortage of educational and informative activities, as well as creative, social, and competitive events.

A Science Job Fair was organised at the beginning of October in cooperation with the RSU International Student Association (ISA). 15 departments and laboratories introduced local and international students to research opportunities, current events, current labour market and possibilities to compete within it through interviews. The interviews were available both in English and Latvian.

This was followed by the event Artificial Intelligence 101 on 13 November that provided insight into one of the fastest growing industries. The event provided valuable information on the operating principles, rapid global progress, and the future potential of artificial intelligence. Students could learn how artificial intelligence could be used in their studies and later in their careers.

One of the most exciting events of the month, the Science Month Hackathon, was organised in cooperation with the Riga Technical University (RTU) Student Parliament. Participants’ main task was to develop an idea in 24 hours, identify challenges, as well as find respective solutions. This year, Science Month covered a wide range of topics: from solutions to electric car charging stations and solar panel tracking systems to improvements in disease diagnostic methods and the availability of medical treatment services. Participants competed for the main prize of 1,000 euros. It was possible to compete both in teams and individually.

Finally, October concluded with the panel discussion “Why trust science?” and the Young Entrepreneurs’ Expo. The event was organised in cooperation with the RTU Student Parliament and the EU House. The panel discussion was moderated by public figures from different fields, where they expressed their views on science and explained their opinions. Discussions were held on the Latvian population’s perceptions and attitudes towards scientific activity and research as well as media trends related to research, fake news, the power of politics in science development and confidence building.

Everyone interested was given an opportunity to discuss and broaden their horizons based on experts’ knowledge and opinions. RSU wants to extend their gratitude to the outstanding discussion participants: Liene Ņikitina-Zaķe (Director of the RSU Research Department), Gatis Bažbauers (RTU Deputy Vice-Rector for Science), Vjačeslavs Dombrovskis (Member of the Saeima, former Minister of Economics and Education and Science of the Republic of Latvia), Ingus Bērziņš (Member of the Board of JSC Delfi, Editor-in-Chief of the delfi.lv) and Mārtiņš Zemītis (Economic Adviser at the European Commission in Latvia).

Thank you to everyone who helped make it a knowledge-packed month!