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The agreement on the project ‘Promoting the research potential of higher education institutions for regional development’ was signed on 25 February 2009. The total amount is EUR 650,000, of which 85% is financed by the Norwegian Government’s bilateral financial mechanism and 15% by the Ministry of Education and Science. The aim of the project is to promote the use of the intellectual/research potential of regional higher education institutions by other parties interested in the development of the region (especially local authorities).
Four regional higher education institutions are involved as partners in the implementation of the project: Daugavpils University (DU), Liepaja University (LiepU), Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences (ViA) and Latvia University of Agriculture (LLU). Each higher education institution has a regional coordinator who is also a researcher in the research component of the project. The progress of the project and the achievement of its objectives are monitored by the project council. Each partner is represented by one member of the project council, which is chaired by Professor Juris Rozenvalds, Dean of the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences at the University of Latvia.
The project management team consists of scientific director Professor Tālis Tisenkopfs. Advanced Social and Political Research Institute, University of Latvia (LU SPPI) and scientific assistant Ilona Kunda, Advanced Social and Political Research Institute, University of Latvia (LU SPPI).
Project coordinator in Latgale – Vera Boroņenko. The project council member from Latgale is Professor Vladimirs Meņšikovs. The project research team in Latgale consists of Arvīds Barševskis, Vera Boroņenko, Alīna Ohotina and Olga Volkova.
The project has seven parallel content-related activities, with the eighth being management and publicity. The project activities are designed to promote dialogue between interested parties and enhance the ability of higher education institutions to offer high-quality intellectual products.
All teaching staff and students from all higher education institutions are involved in each project activity. As the project progresses, the circle of participants continues to expand, with the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development and the State Regional Development Agency joining in 2010. The project participants represent various fields of science, promoting the interdisciplinarity of the project.
