RSU project ‘Professional Skills Monitoring System’ recognised as best at Light Up Latvia conference

To promote the development of innovation-driven higher education, last week, lecturers from Rīga Stradiņš University (RSU) had the opportunity to learn from the best practices of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Harvard University, and the University at Buffalo at the international conference Light Up Latvia.

The conference brought together representatives of ministries, education managers, academics, researchers, representatives of non-governmental organisations, venture capital investors, as well as participants of Riga Business School (RBS) project programmes. It was the final event of a six-month mentoring programme implemented by the RBS Education Innovation Laboratory (EIL) in cooperation with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The programme was implemented in three directions and RSU was represented in each of them – Ecosystem Innovation Project Management Programme (Karina Palkova, Ieva Puzo), Strategic Ecosystem Management Programme (Agrita Kiopa, Dins Šmits), Strategic Education Innovation Project Support Programme (Nora Jansone-Ratinika, Matīss Sīlis, Evita Grigoroviča, Andreta Slavinska, Lāsma Šķestere).

Read more about RSU staff members’ experience at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology this year

RSU lecturers and management representatives had a unique opportunity to meet Latvian and foreign education leaders who contribute to the development of the sector, learn and be inspired, exchange ideas and participate in discussions. Nojin Kwak, Vice Provost for International Education at the University at Buffalo, shared his perspective on the role of innovation in education, while Lachyn Italmazova, Commercial Director for Europe and the UK at Times Higher Education, revealed how collaboration drives innovation and helps universities achieve results in global rankings. Participants also had the opportunity to take part in interactive sessions and panel discussions, one of which was on the implementation of MIT best practices in Latvia with the participation of Karina Palkova, Vice Dean of the RSU Faculty of Law.

At the end of the conference, participants of the Strategic Education Innovation Project Support programme presented the project ideas developed in the programme to a specially selected jury composed of government and business representatives. The Professional Skills Monitoring System project, developed by Nora Jansone-Ratinika and Matīss Sīlis from the RSU Centre for Educational Growth and Andreta Slavinska and Evita Grigoroviča from the RSU Medical Education Technology Centre, won the competition.

The Professional Skills Monitoring System project aims to integrate skills monitoring in the healthcare sector, linking educational and medical institutions and other stakeholders on a single platform to ensure systematic professional skills acquisition from studies to lifelong learning, linking labour market needs and supply in the field of education, promoting cooperation and common understanding among all parties.

The idea developed in the programme is based on the concept of skills monitoring in the study process already implemented at RSU. Skills monitoring at Rīga Stradiņš University was developed within the ESF project Improvement of the management process and study content modernisation at Rīga Stradiņš University (No. 8.2.3.0/18/A/011), Specific Support Objective 8.2.3 Ensuring better management in higher education institutions, Direction I Improvement of the content of the existing study programmes and alignment to the sectoral development needs, Action 6 Skills monitoring system.