New rector of the University of Latvia visited the University of Tartu

On 6 May, the Rector’s Office met with the rector and representatives of the University of Latvia, who also visited Delta Centre and the Estonian Biobank.

The University of Latvia was represented by Rector Gundars Bērziņš, Vice-Rector for Research Guntars Kitenbergs, Professor of Computer Science Guntis Arnicāns and Wulf Harder, founder of the companies Syncrosoft and WhiteCryption.

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The visit started in the morning of 6 May at Delta Centre, where the Head of the Institute of Computer Science Heisi Kurig introduced the activities of the institute and the academic building to the guests. During the meeting, experiences in building research infrastructure and pan-European cooperation were shared, and opportunities for cooperation in cyber defence in both research and education were discussed.

After that, the delegation met Rector Toomas Asser, Vice Rector for Research Mari Moora, Vice Rector for Development Tõnu Esko and Head of International Cooperation Kristi Kerge in the main building. The discussion focused on possible areas of cooperation.

Last year, the University of Latvia implemented a structural reform, resulting in the formation of six faculties. During the meeting, discussions were held on how the University of Tartu has shaped and developed its structure. As artificial intelligence has become an integral part of everyday life and brings new challenges to the field of education, the university representatives also spoke about how both universities can enhance their expertise in artificial intelligence and cybersecurity.

Additionally, Rector Toomas Asser and Rector of the University of Latvia Gundars Bērziņš reaffirmed the importance of the Three Rectors' Scholarship competition and its value in the cooperation between the three universities. The scholarship competition was announced in 2017 by the rectors of the University of Tartu, the University of Latvia, and Vilnius University to support the teaching and learning of Estonian, Latvian, and Lithuanian languages and cultures. The scholarship is awarded in rotation. This year’s winner was Arnita Agrita Umalas, who was born and raised in Latvia but studies Estonian language and linguistics at the University of Tartu, focusing on the Livonian language in her master’s thesis.

In the afternoon, the Head of the Biobank Lab Steven Smit introduced the Estonian Biobank to the guests.