Students Opened RSU Research Week 2023 with International Student Conference

Rīga Stradiņš University (RSU) Research Week 2023 started on Monday 27 March. The series of five international conferences, gathering researchers from all over the world, opened with the 9th International Student Conference Health and Social Sciences (ISC2023). The student conference covered global trends in medicine and healthcare, as well as public health and social sciences.

Over the years, the student conference has grown to become one of the largest student conferences in Northern Europe. Last year, the conference gathered more than 2,000 participants. The organisers from the RSU Student Union explain that this was the first year after the pandemic that the conference could be held in person again, but there was still the possibility to join the event remotely. 

This year, almost 400 students from 25 countries presented their scientific achievements at the conference. Their presentations were evaluated by an international jury made up of 160 representatives. Students had the opportunity to present their research papers in one of 19 sessions in health sciences, 4 sessions in social sciences, or 6 sessions of case study reports. In addition, two new sessions were introduced this year – the General Practice and Family Medicine, Primary, and Palliative Care session, and the Digital Medicine and Medical Simulation session.

The conference also featured more than 20 workshops where participants had the opportunity to learn new skills, for example by taking part in a surgery simulation, by dissecting and examining an eye under a microscope, participating in mock trials and business negotiations, or by learning how to make effective presentations. In a collaboration with the University of Dundee (UK), participants were invited to a lecture on medical professionalism to learn about what it takes to be a modern doctor. In regard to the social sciences, participants could meet Fabian Liebe, one of the filmmakers of the award-winning documentary Dear Future Children. He discussed youth activism and the ability to influence the society of the future. Artificial intelligence and virtual reality were covered in the plenary sessions. There was also a social component of the conference covered in a programme of networking events, excursions, and workshops.

ISC2023 was organised by the RSU Student Union with the aim of promoting research, sharing experience, and making new connections. To see the full conference programme and to read more about the participants and other news, visit the Research Week website, as well as the ISC2023 website. To subscribe to the newsletter, please contact conferencersu[pnkts]lv. An interview with the opening keynote speaker Janet Kelso, PhD in Bioinformatics from the Max-Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology is available to read here.