RSU International Student Conference Was Held Online For the First Time

The Rīga Stradiņš University (RSU) International Student Conference, Health and Social Sciences, was a long-awaited event that took place on 27 and 28 March despite the declaration of a state of emergency in Latvia. It took place entirely online for the first time in 70 years.

The organising committee of the RSU International Student Conference Health and Social Sciences. Photo from RSU Student Union archives.

'After meeting with the university's IT specialists we understood that we would be able to realise all conference sections live on Zoom. Active participants had the opportunity to present their oral or poster presentations, local and international juries were able to ask questions and comment and listeners could watch sessions live,' explains Marija Luiže Kalniņa, the conference's Project Manager. 

The conference's 30 online sections gathered 350 participants from 17 countries, and their presentations were evaluated by 140 jury members in health sciences and 15 jury members in social sciences.

The conference was held in English.

Day 1: 27 March

• VIDEO: opening ceremony

Two speakers participated in the opening ceremony: Professor Andis Graudiņš from Monash University in Australia delivered the lecture 'Paracetamol poisoning - risk assessment and treatment'.

• VIDEO: Prof. Andis Graudiņš' lecture

Prof. Graudiņš' lecture was followed by Una Bērziņa-Čerenkova, Head of the RSU China Studies Centre, with the lecture 'In Sickness and in Health: what has COVID-19 taught us about China and the World'.

• VIDEO: Una Bērziņa-Čerenkova's lecture
• VIDEO: closing remarks
• VIDEO: discussion

Day 2: 28 March

• VIDEO: Day 2 of the conference

Conference homepage